VIMS Best Student Paper Awards

Each year the School of Marine Science opens for competition the Best Student Paper Award to Masters and PhD students. Submissions, judged by committee, are reviewed on the basis of the scope of the problem, the degree of challenge, the magnitude of the student's efforts, hypothesis formulation and testing, and writing style. Papers must be published, in press, or accepted in the current year or later by peer-reviewed journals.

2021
Masters: Evan Flynn

Flynn, Evan R., Kuehl, S., Harris, Courtney K., and Fair, Matthew J. (2022) Sediment and terrestrial organic carbon budgets for the offshore Ayeyarwady Delta, Myanmar: Establishing a baseline for future change. Marine Geology. v.447 :106782.
Article Open Access

PhD: Alexander Smith

Smith, Alexander J. and Kirwan, Matthew L (2021) Sea Level-Driven Marsh Migration Results in Rapid Net Loss of Carbon. Geophysical Research Letters, 48(e2021GL092420)
Article Open Access

2020
Masters: Michelle Onofrio

Onofrio, M., Egerton, T.A., Reece, K.S., et al. (2021) Spatiotemporal distribution of phycotoxins and their co-occurrence within nearshore waters. Harmful Algae. v.103:101993.
Article Open Access

PhD: Meredith Seeley

Seeley, M.E., Song, B., Passie, R., Hale, R.C. (2020) Microplastics affect sedimentary microbial communitis and nitrogen cycling. Nature Communications. v.11: 2372.
Article Open Access

2019
Masters: Bruce Pfirrmann

Pfirrman, B., Seitz, R.D. (2019) Ecosystem services of restored oyster reefs in a Chesapeake Bay tributary: abundance and foraging of estuarine fishes. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 628: p.155-169.
Article Open Access

PhD: Andrew Johnson

Johnson, A.J., Orth, R.j., Moore, K. (2020) The role of sexual reproduction in the maintenance of established Zostera marina meadows. Journal of Ecology. v.108(2): p. 945-957.
Article Open Access

2018
Masters: Fei Da

Da, F., Friedrichs, M.A.M., St-Laurent, P. (2018) Impacts of Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition and Coastal Nitrogen Fluxes on Oxygen Concentrations in Chesapeake Bay. JGR Oceans. v.123(7): p. 5004-5025.
Article Open Access

PhD: Jiabi Du

Du, J., Shen, J., Zhang, Y.J., et al. (2018) Tidal Response to Sea‐Level Rise in Different Types of Estuaries: The Importance of Length, Bathymetry, and Geometry. Geophysical Research Letters. v.45(1): p.227-235.
Article Open Access

2017
Masters: Melissa Karp

Karp, M., Seitz, R.,Fabrision, M.C. (2017) Faunal communities on restored oyster reefs: effects of habitat complexity and environmental conditions. Marine Ecology Progress Series. v.590: p.35-51.
Abstract | Article

PhD: Anne Arfkin

Arfkin, A., Song, B, Bowman, J.S., Piehler, M.(2017) Denitrification potential of the eastern oyster microbiome using a 16S rRNA gene based metabolic inference approach. PLoS One.  
Article   Open Access

2016
Masters: Cassidy Peterson

Peterson, C., Blecher, C.N., Bethea, D.M. et al. (2017) Preliminary recovery of coastal sharks in the south‐east United States. Fish and Fisheries. v.18(5): p.845-859.
Abstract | Article

PhD: Solomon Chak

Chak, S.T.C., Duffy, E.M., Hultgren, K.M., Rubenstein, D.R. (2017) Evolutionary transitions towards eusociality in snapping shrimps. Nature Ecology and Evolution vol. 1: 0096
Abstract

2015
Masters: Miram Gleiber

Gleiber, M.R., Steinberg, D.K. and Schofield, O.M.E. (2015)  Copepod summer grazing and fecal pellet production along the Western Antarctic Peninsula. Journal of Plankton Research.  v.38(3) p.732-750 
Abstract | Article

PhD: Isaac Irby

Irby, I.D., Friedrichs, M.A.M., Friedrichs, C.T., Bever, A.J., et al. (2016) Challenges associated with modeling low-oxygen waters in Chesapeake Bay: a multiple model comparison. Biogeosciences vol. 13: p. 2011-2028
Article Open Access

2014
Christopher Long

Long WC., Seitz, RD., Brylawski BJ., Lipcius RN. (2014)  Individual, population, and ecosystem effects of hypoxia on a dominant benthic bivalve in Chesapeake Bay. Ecological Monographs. Vol. 84(2) : p. 303-327.
Article  Open Access

2013
Masters: Kristina Hill

Hill KM., Stokes NA., Webb SC., Hine PM., Kroeck MA., Moore JD., Morley MS., Reece KS., Burreson EM., Carnegie RB.  (2014) Phylogenetics of Bonamia parasites based on small subunit and internal transcribed spacer region ribosomal DNA sequence data. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms. v.110(1-2): p. 33-54.
Article  Open Access

PhD: Mark Henderson

Henderson MJ.,  Fabrizio MC. (2013) Detecting Noncompliance in the Summer Flounder Recreational Fishery Using a Mark-Recapture Growth Model. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 33(5): 1039-1048.
Abstract | Article 

2012
Masters: Sarah Sumoski

Sumoski SE,  Orth RJ. ( 2012) Biotic dispersal in eelgrass Zostera marina. Marine Ecology Progress Series. Vol. 471 : p. 1-10.
Article Open Access

PhD: Patrick Lynch

Lynch PD., Shertzer KE., Latour, RJ. (2012)  Performance of methods used to estimate indices of abundance for highly migratory species. Fisheries Research. Vol. 125-126 : p. 27-39.
Abstract | Article 

2011
Masters: Patrick Dickhudt

Dickhudt PJ., Friedrichs CT., Sanford LP. (2011) Mud matrix solids fraction and bed erodibility in the York River estuary, USA, and other muddy environments. Continental Shelf Research. Vol. 31(10) : p. S3-S13.
Abstract | Article

PhD: Rob Condon

Condon RK., Steinberg DK., del Giorgio PA., Bouvier TC., Bronk DA., Graham WM., Ducklow HW. (2011) Jellyfish blooms result in a major microbial respiratory sink of carbon in marine systems. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. Vol. 108(25) : p. 10225-10230.
Article  Open Access

2010
Masters: Juliette Giordano

Giordano JCP., Brush MJ., Anderson IC. (2011) Quantifying Annual Nitrogen Loads to Virginia's Coastal Lagoons: Sources and Water Quality Response. Estuaries and Coasts. Vol. 34(2) : p. 297-309.
Abstract | Article

PhD: David Elliott

Elliott DT., Harris CK., Tang KW. (2010) Dead in the water: The fate of copepod carcasses in the York River estuary, Virginia. Limnology and Oceanography. Vol. 55(5) : p. 1821-1834
Article Open Access

2009
Masters: Patrick Lynch

Lynch PD., Brush MJ., Condon ED., Latour RJ. (2010) Net removal of nitrogen through ingestion of phytoplankton by Atlantic menhaden Brevoortia tyrannus in Chesapeake Bay. Marine Ecology Progress Series. Vol. 401 : p. 195-209.
Article Open Access

PhD: Jianmin Ye

Ye J, Bromage ES., Kaattari SL. (2010) The Strength of B Cell Interaction with Antigen Determines the Degree of IgM Polymerization. Journal of Immunology. Vol. 184 : p. 844-850
Article Open Access

2008
Masters: Jessie Jarvis

Jarvis JC., Moore KA. (2008) Influence of environmental factors in Vallisneria americana seed germination. Aquatic Botany. Vol. 88 (4) : p. 283-294.
Abstract | Article

PhD: Heidi Geisz

Geisz HN., Dickhut RM., Cochran MA., Fraser WR., Ducklow HW. (2008) Melting Glaciers: a probable source of DDT to the Antarctic marine ecosystem. Environmental Science and Technology. Vol. 42 (11) : p. 3958-3962.
Abstract | Article

2007
Masters: Emily Yam

Yam EM., Tang KW. (2007) Effects of starvation on aggregate colonization and motility of marine bacteria. Aquatic Microbial Ecology. Vol. 48 (3) : p. 207-215.
Article Open Access

PhD: Joel Hoffman

Hoffman JC., Bronk DA., Olney JE. (2007) Contribution of Allochthonous Carbon to American Shad Production in the Mattaponi River, Virginia, Using Stable Isotopes. Estuaries and Coasts. Vol. 30 (6) : p. 1034-1048.
Abstract | Article

2006
Masters: Julia Ellis

Ellis JK., Musick JA. (2006) Ontogenetic changes in the diet of the sandbar shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus, in lower Chesapeake Bay and Virginia (USA) coastal waters. Environmental Biology of Fishes. Vol 80: p.51-67.
Abstract | Article

PhD: Jason See

See JH., Bronk DA., Lewitus AJ. ( 2006) Uptake of Spartina-derived humic nitrogen by estuarine phytoplankton in nonaxenic and axenic culture. Limnology and Oceanography. Vol 51(5) : p.2290-2299.
Article Open Access

2005
Masters: Adriana Veloza

Veloza A., Chu F-LE, Tang KW. (2005) Trophic modification of essential fatty acids by heterotrophic protists and its effects on the fatty acid composition of the copepod Acartia tonsa. Marine Biology. Vol 148(4) : p.779-788.
Abstract | Article

PhD: Kristen France

France KE., Duffy JE. Diversity and dispersal interactively affect predictability of ecosystem function. Nature. Vol 441: p.1139-1143.
Abstract | Article

Other Awards

2005 SETAC Global Award
Best Student Paper in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 

Ciparis S., Hale RC. (2005) Bioavailability of polybrominated diphenyl ether flame retardants in biosolids and spiked sediment to the aquatic oligochaete, Lumbriculus variegatus. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. Vol 24(4): p.916-925.
Abstract | Article

2004
Masters: Amy Chiuchiolo

Chiuchiolo AL, Dickhut RM, Cochran MA, Ducklow HW. (2004)  Persistent Organic Pollutants at the Base of the Antarctic Marine Food Web. Environmental Science & Technology. Vol. 38(13) : p.3551-3557.
Abstract |Article

PhD: Leigh McCallister

McCallister SL., Bauer JE., Cherrier JE., Ducklow HW. (2004) Assessing sources and ages of organic matter supporting river and estuarine bacterial production: A multiple-isotope approach. Limnology and Oceanography. Vol. 49(5) :p.1687-1702.
Article Open Access

2003
Masters: Tara Kniskern

Kniskern TA., Kuehl SA. (2003) Spatial and temporal variability of seabed disturbance in the York River subestuary. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. Vol. 58(1) : p. 37-55.  Sep 2003.
Abstract & Article

PhD: Christopher Earnhart

Earnhart CG., Vogelbein MA., Brown GD., Reece KS., Kaattari SL. (2004) Supplementation of Perkinsus marinus Cultures with Host Plasma or Tissue Homogenate Enhances Their Infectivity. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. Vol. 70(1) : p. 421-431.
Article Open Access

2002
Masters: Matt Church

Church MJ., Ducklow HW., Karl DM. (2002) Multiyear increases in dissolved organic matter inventories at Station ALOHA in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. Limnology and Oceanography 47(1) : p. 1-10.
Article Open Access

PhD: Kevin Hovel

Hovel KA., Lipcius RN. (2001) Habitat fragmentation in a seagrass landscape: Patch size and complexity control blue crab survival. Ecology 82(7) : p. 1814-182.
Article Open Access