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Noelle Olsen
Fellowship Institution:
NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service’s Office of Science and TechnologyStart Year:
2018Noelle Olsen served as the bycatch, release mortality, and observer program specialist in the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service’s Office of Science and Technology. She is a master’s student in the Marine Estuarine Environmental Science program at the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore. Noelle studied the reproductive biology and sexual maturity of Jonah crabs (Cancer borealis) in the Mid-Atlantic Bight with Dr. Bradley Stevens. After discovering a love for lobsters, she started a side project looking at the prevalence of epizootic shell disease in lobsters while working aboard commercial fishing boats. Noelle received her B.A. in biology with a specialization in ecology and conservation biology and a minor in marine science from Boston University in 2013. After graduating, she was a marine mammal research intern with Whale and Dolphin Conservation, collecting data and educating passengers on whale-watching boats. She enjoys traveling, cooking, and concerts. She is proud to be a part of the LGBTQ community.
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Sea Grant Film Explores a Diminishing Smithville
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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are environmentally persistent contaminants linked to adverse health outcomes in humans and wildlife. In Maryland's Chesapeake Bay and Coastal Bays, PFAS accumulation in sediments and biota, as well as their ecological impacts, remain poorly understood. This project will reconstruct multidecadal PFAS deposition histories using sediment cores, apply microbial community profiling to assess benthic ecosystem responses, and translate findings into practical guidance for aquaculture and environmental management.