Two New Canaan students stepped beyond the classroom and into the field as part of the SoundWaters Research Intensive (SRI), where students investigated Long Island Sound through hands-on, inquiry-driven research. The students, Connor Flood and Jack Cooley, gained firsthand experience conducting field-based investigations.
Based at the Cohen SoundWaters Harbor Center on Stamford Harbor, SRI allows students to conduct original studies in water quality, animal populations, human impact and climate change. Flood and Cooley were among several students from across the region who took part in SRI this semester. Together, the students conducted field and laboratory research to examine how human impact and environmental changes affect local ecosystems. Flood studied benthic animal populations around Stamford Harbor, while Cooley assessed plankton populations by speciating and measuring copepods.
“The SRI program helped me realize how interconnected everything is,” said Cooley. “It was empowering to be able to conduct original research and know that it mattered to the community and the world.”
“The Research Intensive program provides students the tools to conduct college-level science while deepening their understanding of the Long Island Sound ecosystem,” said SoundWaters Director of Education Christina Genz. “Students leave the program with advanced research skills, greater confidence and a strengthened passion for protecting the environment.”
Scholarships for SRI are made possible through generous support from the Munzer Foundation, 11th Hour Racing and the Pettee Family, helping ensure students from all backgrounds can participate.
