From the Liaison-Dr. Patricia Thibodeau

"Taking it day-by-day"
Here I am, another month of working from home at the dining room table. The news about plans for re-opening gives us insight for the summer, but is bittersweet. I’m looking forward to exploring state parks and beaches as they open, but am also working through postponing my wedding to 2021 since most states aren’t allowing large groups to congregate this summer. The emotional rollercoaster is tiring, and I’ve ended up taking a few sick days to take care of myself and my mental health.

I offer my story as an example and way for you all to allow yourself breaks and time off while working from home. It can be hard to do, but more important than ever as we continue through this long work-from-home stretch.

In this newsletter, I highlight our upcoming data directory, which I hope to have up on the C-AIM website by early June, as well as our participants working on the 2020 Vis-a-Thon.

I hope you all are continuing to stay healthy and well. Feel free to reach out if you need a sounding board!

~Tricia
Happenings
@RI C-AIM
2020 Vis-a-thon underway : After a pause because of the COVID-19 pandemic, participants in the 2020 Vis-a-Thon have recommenced their projects visualizing scientific research. Check out a brief rundown of their work!
Contribute to C-AIM Data Directory: We're looking to better connect participants within RI C-AIM to current data to benefit their own research as we all work to characterize Narragansett Bay ecosystems. This directory is a place where participants can see what data are being collected and by whom, ranging from social science interviews to model output data of Narragansett Bay. Contribute your data information here!
Coronavirus Conversations: Join Duke Science & Society this Friday, May 22, 1-2 p.m., as faculty and students discuss the unique challenges of STEM graduate school work during a global pandemic. Register for the webinar!
As a second year doctoral student, my work involves using genetic techniques to study phytoplankton diversity (Rynearson et al. 2020). In collaboration with the Northeast US Shelf Long-Term Ecological Research site, I measure size-fractionated primary production rates across a spatial gradient from Narragansett Bay to the shelf-break. READ MORE!
Latest Research
Rynearson, T. A., Flickinger, S. A., & Fontaine,
D. N. 2020. Metabarcoding Reveals Temporal Patterns
of Community Composition and Realized Thermal
Niches of Thalassiosira Spp . (Bacillariophyceae) from
the Narragansett Bay Long-Term Plankton Time
Series. Biology. 9(1) .  LINK
Getting to Know
 
Diana Fontaine
Doctoral candidate, URI
More @ RI C-AIM
Virtual Get-Togethers

To keep all our students in our research community connected, RI C-AIM is hosting monthly, informal virtual meetings via WebEx. We will have a lead speaker on various topics of discussion. The next get-together will happen on Thursday, May 28 at 4 p.m. Details to follow!
We want to hear from you!

Let us know more about your cool RI C-AIM research and how your routines have changed as a result of COVID-19, and we will share it via social media, our newsletters and website. For more info, contact RI C-AIM Communications Coordinator Shaun Kirby at [email protected]
Have questions or comments for the Graduate student/Postdoc Liaison?

Reach out to Patricia via email at  [email protected] or on Twitter @PattyPlankton
Header image courtesy Alexa Sterling