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 opportunities.  We mainly work on optical and chemical oceanography, with flavors of engineering and biological oceanography.  If you are interested in organismal biology or aquaculture systems, you will find it useful to connect with other faculty in UMaine’s School of Marine Sciences.

Who we are

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

Interested in a capstone or honors project for academic credit?  There are lots of potential ideas!  Check out the poster linked at right (sign in with your UMaine email credentials to view) and email Dr. Estapa to connect. 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. Literature reviews in any area of oceanography are also possible.

Link to Capstone Ideas
Capstone and honors thesis opportunities (click poster, log in with UMaine ID)

In general, full-time, paid summer internships require residency at or within commuting distance of the Darling Marine Center. They usually depend on grant funding and will be posted below in January/February if available.  If you are a UMaine student, please check out the Center for Undergraduate Research (CUGR) for opportunities to secure your own funding.

We typically hire 1-2 part-time undergraduate research assistants during academic semesters for Semester-by-the-Sea students in residence at the DMC. Please watch your email in the first week of the semester for opportunities.

Prospective graduate students

  • Identify research areas of interest. Look around this website — are your interests a good match for the active projects? 
  • Consider funding options. If grant support is not available, you will need to explore options for securing your own funding.  Some programs are listed below under “Funding” (it is not an exhaustive list!).  Pay close attention to deadlines, application procedures, and eligibility criteria.
  • Contact me! Send an email outlining your interests and funding options before applying to the program.  In your email, include a concise description of your own interests and prior experiences, discuss how they are related to my active projects, and attach a copy of your CV or resume. 
  • I receive many general inquiries about graduate study, and may not be able to respond if you have not addressed the above steps.
  • Most support for graduate students in UMaine’s School of Marine Sciences comes from research grants awarded to individual faculty.  If there is an open opportunity in my lab, it will be listed below.
  • I generally only accept students into my lab for graduate study if external grant funding is available or a graduate fellowship has been awarded.
  • Graduate fellowship programs to look into:

We anticipate recruiting a graduate student in oceanography (PhD preferred but MS possible) to start in spring or summer term of 2026. Strong candidates will be curious and self-motivated, have significant applied quantitative skills, programming experience, and a keen interest in learning about ocean biological carbon cycling.  If this sounds like you, please contact Dr. Estapa via email for updates on the timeline.

Prospective postdoctoral researchers: Please email!