Laura Moritzen

• Helped train new interns and assisted them with all responsibilities. • Worked independently to transport crab samples and to complete any other tasks that needed to be accomplished. • Dissected male and female blue crabs and measured the masses of seminal fluid, spermatophores, and ovaries to compare the reproductive characteristics of blue crabs from different parts of Barnegat Bay. • Completed all tasks listed below in addition to these new responsibilities.

• Collected samples of crabs using traps from sites throughout Barnegat Bay and recorded their species, size, sex, molt stage, and reproductive characteristics in order to study effects of shoreline development on blue crab populations. • Otter trawled, and measured and identified all species caught to study effects of shoreline development on species diversity. • Gillnetted, and separated and identified different species of ichthyoplankton caught. • Used cylinder sampling technique and identified and measured organisms caught to compare species diversity and blue crab abundance inside and outside the Sedge Island Marine Conservation Zone in three different habitat types. • Tagged and released adult blue crabs to study their migration patterns. • Monitored brood production of adult female blue crabs held in field enclosures to study effect of food availability and female size on reproduction.

• Estimate the number of eggs per unit volume of blue crab brood by measuring broods and counting egg samples under a light microscope. • Dissect male and female blue crabs and measure the masses of seminal fluid, spermatophores, and ovaries to compare the reproductive characteristics of blue crabs from different parts of Barnegat Bay. • Measure and determine the viabilities of individual blue crab eggs from different parts of Barnegat Bay.