Rosmin S. Ennis

I attended the University of Rhode Island where I received my BS in Marine Biology with a minor in Oceanography. While at URI, I was able to participate in a study abroad program at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) taking courses in tropical invertebrate zoology, coral reef ecology, and principles of scientific diving. I also spent a large portion of my time at BIOS examining potential nematocyst composition changes with animal size of the upside-down jellyfish, Cassiopeia xamachana, and feeding strategy of two pelagic siphonophores for an independent research project. My time in Bermuda marked the beginning of my interest in coral reef ecosystems.

When I returned from Bermuda, I participated in the URI Coastal Fellows Program and began working in the Marine Ecosystems Research Laboratory at URI's Graduate School of Oceanography, where I was eventually hired after graduation as a research technician. My primary focus was evaluating the reduction of nutrients from wastewater treatment facilities in the Narragansett Bay watershed after treatment methods were improved. I also briefly worked on the impacts of stress hormones on larval summer flounder, Paralichthys dentatus, development before moving to St. Thomas to start the MMES Program.

At UVI, I was able to combine my love of coral reef ecosystems and my background in water quality for my thesis with Dr. Smith as my main adviser. My thesis was entitled "Coral reef health responses to changes in water quality gradients in St. Thomas, USVI" and examined both chronic and acute impacts of changes in water quality along potential nearshore-offshore and human influence gradients and the resulting coral reef health state along the southern coast of St. Thomas. I graduated from the MMES Program in May 2014 and was hired as full time staff by Dr. Smith to work as a Research Analyst. My duties include assistance with fieldwork on multiple projects including graduate student theses, data management, report writing, and website maintenance. Please feel free to contact me if you have questions about the MMES Program or the Smith Lab!