Anna Meichenbaum (MA, 2023)

Anna Meichenbaum is a 2023 graduate of the Marine Conservation and Policy (MCP) program. Her undergraduate years at SUNY Geneseo, studying biology and minoring in environmental science, had set the stage for her diverse experience in the environmental field, including becoming a Deputy Shellfish Constable for the Town of Wellfleet, in Massachusetts. Her time with the freshwater ecology lab at Niagara University, studying algae and culturing, piqued her interest and is followed by her current role with the Gobler Lab.

Anna’s MCP internship connected her with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Suffolk County. Her project developed as an ecological study of Hippocampus Erectus (the northern lined seahorse) in Shinnecock Bay. Leading a citizen science campaign, Anna hosted seining events along Tiana Bay and the Ponquogue Bridge, taking surveys of the marine organisms found in those ecosystems. A total of 7 male pregnant seahorses were caught in the seines, indicating healthy future populations. Anna also conducted scuba dives in the Shinnecock Bay to learn more about the aquatic environment of the bay in her search for seahorses.

As a research technician today with the Gobler Lab, Anna works with red branching macroalgae, shellfish, and seeding kelp lines. The Gobler Lab has also been dedicated to creating kelp compost, using garden and germination techniques. Anna enjoys spending her free time immersing herself in the environment of Long Island, including paddleboarding and spending days on the beach.