Carrie Perkins

Carrie Perkins is pursuing a Ph.D. in plant sciences at the University of Maryland, College Park. Carrie works in Dr. Maile Neel’s lab and studies Vallisneria americana (wild celery). This native submerged aquatic vegetation species performs many ecosystem services, such as providing food for waterfowl and habitats for fish and invertebrates. Her research focuses on the impacts of patch size and connectivity on the persistence, recovery, and genetic diversity of V. americana populations in the Chesapeake Bay. The results of this research will continue to inform management solutions for restoration in the region. Carrie earned her bachelor’s degree in biology and German at Vassar College in 2014. Before entering the Plant Sciences program, she was a linguistics project manager at Morningside Translations and then worked as a lab technician in Loyola University Maryland’s biology department. In her free time, Carrie enjoys playing squash or just curling up at her local cafe with some coffee and a good book.

Blog Posts

See Carrie's posts to Fellowship Experiences, Maryland Sea Grant's blog written by and about graduate fellows and their research.

"After Hours at the National Aquarium"

"Scavenging for Ancient DNA Samples​"

"Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV): From Nuisance Weed to Darling of the Chesapeake Bay"