Aquaculture Student Spotlights

HENRY FLEENER

Henry Fleener is am a 4th generation Oregonian and a 1st generation college student. He received a B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences from Oregon State University. Henry is currently a master’s student working under Dr. Chris Langdon.

His current research involves constructing and studying a low-volume high-density flow-through system for rearing Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) larvae. His job is to advance our knowledge on low-volume flow-through systems for raising oyster larvae so we transition from static culture. This research is important for research hatcheries and family-based selection programs that greatly enhance the oyster aquaculture industry. Henry's favorite part of this research is working with oyster larvae- "they are amazing creatures." He also enjoys constructing a system that meets their needs and allows them to thrive.  

Jennifer

Jennifer grew up in Colorado, not having been to the ocean until she was a teenager. Her interest in marine science stemmed from never having much opportunity to learn about coastal environments. She received her bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology with a minor in chemistry from the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, University of Oregon. During her senior year of her undergraduate degree, she had the opportunity to complete an honor’s thesis, investigating mechanisms of wound healing in echinoderm embryos. She has always been interested in studying the health of marine organisms, but this project helped her realize that she wanted to work specifically with marine invertebrates during my senior year of my undergraduate degree. 

Her current project is focused on understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms of probiotics and bacteria in Pacific oyster larvae. The results of this project will help to characterize the interaction between probiotics and pathogenic bacteria in the larvae as well as how the probiotics supplement the larval immune system. Her favorite part about this project is being able to learn more about oyster immunology and how bacteria can influence its genetic expression levels. 

She hopes to continue on into a Ph.D. following her master’s degree, leading to work in academia. When she is not working, she enjoys surfing, tide pooling, hiking, and camping with her dogs.