Fellowship Experiences

Hello, readers! I am Mairim M. Villafañe-Vicente from Gurabo, Puerto Rico. I am part of the SEAS Islands Alliance, a Maryland Sea Grant-supported and National Science Foundation-funded geosciences student pathways program that focuses on the islands of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands.

Many scientists have predicted that this summer may be the hottest in the past century. Temperature is not the only concern; as the Earth gets hotter, it has caused sea water expansion, sea ice melt, and sea level rise. Under a warmer atmosphere, the intensity and frequency of precipitation has also increased.

You may have heard the word “schmutz” used when cleaning up something unappealing, but you probably haven’t heard the word used to describe an organism. But that is what Lyngbya is: schmutz! This stringy type of cyanobacteria can be toxic and irritating, and it gets everywhere.