Brooklyn Urban Ecology and Environment Program (BUEE)

Cassiel is a rising senior at the University of Puerto Rico at Aguadilla pursuing a Bachelor’s in Environmental Technology with a concentration in Environmental Chemistry. After conducting research at her home university concerning the recovery of mangrove forests in Puerto Rico damaged by Hurricane Maria, she became interested in environmental science, ecological restoration, and how ecosystems respond to external disturbances. This led to her participation in the RISE at Rutgers summer research experience where she studied how marine invertebrate traits relate to changes in their migration patterns caused by climate change. She hopes to pursue graduate school to further deepen her knowledge on topics concerning ecology and environmental chemistry in order to promote the conservation of these ecosystems and understand the mechanisms that drive them. This summer she will be working with Professor Wilson to study the reproductive behavior of nearshore pipefish.