Student Blogs & Vignettes
Layne Leggett
About My Research
Pursuing a career in marine science has been my dream since I was first asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” While "marine scientist" might have seemed like a far-fetched answer growing up in Cincinnati, Ohio, that dream is now becoming a reality. I graduated magna cum laude from the College of Charleston with a B.S. in marine biology and a minor in environmental and sustainability studies. During my time there, I conducted independent research on the potential combined effects of microplastics and environmental contaminants on sea urchin larvae. Additionally, I was a member of the Benthic Acoustic Mapping and Survey (BEAMS) Program, where I conducted research in hydrography, analyzing geomorphological features of the northern slope of the Aleutian Trench using multibeam sonar data and ROV footage. Both projects were presented at national conferences.
I will be working in Dr. Steve Murawski’s lab. My research interests include deep-sea ecology, the biological aspects of benthic habitat mapping, and the impact of human activities on benthic ecosystems. I hope to integrate biological oceanography and hydrography in my future research with Dr. Murawski.
Why USF CMS?
I learned about CMS in the last year of my undergraduate studies while researching programs to further my education. Although I initially planned to join the NOAA Corps following graduation, I am incredibly grateful I learned about this amazing program. Just a month before graduating from College of Charleston, Matt Hommeyer and Margaret Hanley attended the BEAMS Symposium held in Charleston, SC each year. While I had met both the summer prior on a student training cruise aboard the NOAA Ship Nancy Foster, this was the first time I was able to talk to them about the kind of work COMIT does and the opportunities available at CMS. I continued to stay in contact with them and eventually connected with Dr. Murawski, whose research interests in topics like marine ecology and ocean mapping aligned with my own, and his emphasis on preparing me to be successful in the science community is something I admired.
Even though I had never been to St. Pete before, I decided to join CMS a few months later and immediately felt it was the right choice. The community within the Murawski Lab and the students and faculty of all of CMS are incredibly supportive; the campus presents so many amazing opportunities for research collaboration, and St. Pete is a beautiful and lively city. I could not see myself anywhere else in this stage of my education and career as a marine scientist.