Coral Rankin - Honors Thesis Research

My Role: Honors Fellow
Advisor: Jonathan Allen

Orr's Island, Maine
Summer 2025

I was awarded a $5,000 Charles Center Honors Fellowship grant through William & Mary to complete my honors thesis research on larval cloning in sea stars, sand dollars, and brittle stars.

Highlights:

Conducting eight experiment trials across four species:

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Asterias forbesi

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Asterias rubens

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Echinarachnius parma

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Ophiopholis aculeata

Collecting animals from more than five field sites by hand and snorkeling
Observing hundreds of larvae under the microscope almost every day
Teaching elementary school age campers about critters in touch tanks
Educating Harpswell about sea stars through an impromptu video emailed to the community

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Sea star larval clone

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An example of one experiment

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After snorkeling to collect sand dollars

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Juvenile sea stars collected from the field

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Impromptu educational video being filmed by a member of the community

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Maine Allen Lab!

More information:

Honors Thesis Schiller Coastal Studies Center