Dr. Lindsay Green, Aquaculture Savant

Dr. Lindsay Green is a Plant Biologist whose focus is on seaweed physiology, aquaculture, and ecology. Her focus, seaweed aquaculture, is a growing field of interest in the Northeast United States and worldwide. Her Lunch & Learn talk examined the aquaculture industry and why seaweeds are good candidates for aquaculture. She discussed research conducted to develop seaweeds as potential crops in New England, and the current status of the New England seaweed aquaculture industry. Check out some of Lindsay’s research and photos here!

 

How did you become interested in Aquaculture, and how did you develop your current expertise?

I knew from very young age that I was going to study the ocean. I started my undergraduate education in Florida but I decided that it was too far from my home, which is in northern New Hampshire. So I transferred to Northeastern and finished my undergraduate studies there. During my time at Northeastern, I came across an internship opportunity, which introduced me to the world of algae and aquaculture for the first time. After finishing my undergraduate studies, I got into the Three Seas Program, which is a professional Master’s program at Northeastern. It was really in this program that I discovered my love for seaweed. Then, finishing my Master’s, I was looking for PhD opportunities because I knew I wanted to do research. More specifically, I wanted to do more research that has real world implications. So, I started reading a lot about seaweed aquaculture and found out that there were people trying to start the industry in New England. And this is how I initially became interested in seaweed aquaculture.

 

For current undergraduate students, would you suggest that they try to look for jobs and experience the world before they prepare for graduate schools?

I think it really depends on the person. Some people might already know what their passion is, but I don’t think it would hurt anyone to try out research opportunities at some professors’ labs before they decide to become research scientists, because a research job is not for everyone and it is a long-term commitment.

 

For students who are interested in seaweed aquaculture or any kind of aquaculture, but don’t know if they want to commit to researching and staying at school yet, what other jobs are there to explore?

Certainly they can go work at the seaweed farms or look into policy-related positions. For instance, environmental policymaking or cultural management types of jobs are great. Also, state agencies that manage fisheries might have some internship opportunities for undergraduate students.

 

What are some of the most rewarding aspects of your research?

I think the most rewarding aspect is knowing that you are able to share the knowledge that you gain with people who can actually use it. Having that connection with actual seaweed farmers, finding out what it is from them that they need, and then going back and figuring it out—being able to have that open dialogue is rewarding because it means that what you are doing is really helping somebody.