Interested in joining the lab?
Thanks for your interest in joining the group! If you are a prospective student, please scroll down for more information on specific undergraduate and graduate opportunities. Please also take a look around the rest of this website to get a sense for active research projects in the lab, which emphasize optical and chemical oceanography, with a heavy dose of observational method development. If you are interested in marine organisms, ecology, and/or aquaculture systems, you will find it useful to connect with other faculty in UMaine’s School of Marine Sciences.
Prospective postdoctoral researchers — please get in touch via email!
Our lab’s goal is for all members of the group to be recognized, welcomed, and supported as scientists and as human beings. We are physically situated in rural Maine, a place with its own history and traditions, which we strive to recognize in all their forms. This recognition spans from honoring the indigenous groups in whose traditional lands we work, to conversing honestly with each other about issues of social acceptance, belonging, and the challenges of change in our cultures.
Prospective undergraduate students
There are a variety of ways for UMaine undergraduates to get involved, ranging from academic experiences (e.g. SMS capstones and honors projects) to occasional paid summer internships. The Estapa lab is based at the Darling Marine Center, so most lab- and field-based projects will require a period in residence at the DMC. Data analysis and writing projects can be carried out anywhere!
Interested in a capstone or honors project for academic credit? We have lots of cool ideas! Check out the poster linked at right (sign in with your UMaine email credentials to view) and email Dr. Estapa to connect. Literature reviews in any area of oceanography are also possible.
In general, paid internships are infrequently available and depend on grant funding. These opportunities will be posted at right when they become available. If you are a UMaine student, please check out the Center for Undergraduate Research (CUGR) for opportunities to secure your own funding.
Prospective postdoctoral researchers — please get in touch via email!
Paid internship opportunities
None available at the present, but check back in January 2025!
Prospective graduate students – General Info
- Most support for graduate students in UMaine’s School of Marine Sciences comes from research grants awarded to individual faculty. These opportunities are infrequently available. If there is an open opportunity in my lab, it will be listed at right.
- Occasionally some support is available through department-funded teaching and research assistantships, but in general I will only accept students into my lab for graduate study if external grant funding or a graduate fellowship has been awarded.
- If you are interested in pursuing an Oceanography MS or PhD degree in my lab:
- Look around this website — are your interests a good match for the active projects?
- If grant support is not available, you will need to explore options for securing your own funding. Some programs are listed below (it is not an exhaustive list!). Pay close attention to deadlines, application procedures, and eligibility criteria.
- Contact me via email to discuss your interests and funding options before applying to the program. In your email, include a concise description of your own interests and background, discuss how they are related to my active projects, and attach a copy of your CV.
- I receive many inquiries about graduate study, and may not be able to respond if you have not addressed the above steps.
- Graduate fellowship programs to look into:
- NSF Graduate Research Fellowships
- NASA Future Investigators Fellowships (search for “NASA FINESST”, the URL changes each year)
- International Fulbright fellowships
Available graduate research assistantships
are recruiting a graduate student in oceanography (PhD or MS) to work on a new NASA-funded project that will use ocean color remote sensing data to understand controls on sinking carbon fluxes in the ocean’s interior. The project will involve analysis of large datasets from satellite remote sensing, autonomous floats, and previous oceanographic field observations. The student will be supported by a research assistantship (12 months/year) that includes health insurance and tuition support. The student will also be mentored by and collaborate with scientists at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences and Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. The student will be based at the University of Maine’s Darling Marine Center in Walpole, Maine and at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in East Boothbay, Maine. An optional first year on the main campus in Orono, Maine is also possible.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS: Strong candidates for the position will be curious and self-motivated, have significant applied quantitative skills, programming experience, and a keen interest in learning about ocean biological carbon cycling. In addition, we seek students with a commitment to collaborative and open teamwork, and good written and interpersonal communication skills.
An initial evaluation will be conducted by the project team. Prior to submitting an application to the Graduate School, please send an email to margaret.estapa@maine.edu with the following materials:
- A short CV
- A short statement about your academic experiences and interests and how they are related to the desired qualifications listed above
- Unofficial transcripts for your prior degree(s)
- Names and email addresses for three academic or professional references who can tell us more about how your previous experiences relate to this position.
Selected candidates will be encouraged to apply formally to the University of Maine Graduate School, at which point written letters of reference will be requested, along with the other requirements of the Graduate School.
QUESTIONS?
More information about the Oceanography degree program at the University of Maine can be found here. Applicants are encouraged to contact Dr. Estapa with questions about this position, and about living and learning in Maine. You can also take a look at the UMaine Grad Student Government’s “Student Resources” page and the “AskMaine” Reddit thread.