Brita Jessen

Biological Oceanography
vita

Growing up in the outskirts of Boston, Brita found her connection to wilderness by exploring the woods and ponds that have inspired New England transcendentalists. Her fascination with the natural world led to a degree in biological sciences from Wellesley College, which included an honor’s thesis in cellular plant biology. Although she was happily lost in the lab during her time at school, Brita was looking to combine her scientific knowledge with her love of the outdoors; thus, she sought to advance her experience in ecological field studies. She was a NOAA/TIDE intern at the Marine Biological Laboratory, assisting an ecosystem-wide study of nutrient addition and predator removal in the Plum Island estuary. She then participated in a river herring restoration project for the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. For the past two years, Brita has kept to land, helping set up temperature and precipitation treatments on an old-growth field for the Boston Area Climate Experiment at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. By entering the biological oceanography program at URI, Brita is looking forward to combining her past experiences in laboratory analysis, estuarine field work, and climate change study. She sought the Coastal Institute IGERT fellowship as a path to incorporate her other key interests, science communication and the relationship between human communities and the natural world. Brita will also be hard at work designing a research project that focuses on coastal ecology with her advisor, Dr. Scott Nixon. Brita enjoys hiking, swimming, biking, and (when she brushes the dirt off her knees) ballet. Her current to-do list includes learning photography, sailing, Spanish, and finding the best pie recipe. Her favorite place to be is on a mountain with her dog, Walden.