NOAA-EPP LMRCSC Graduate Fellow
M.S., Marine Science
Savannah State University
Lady Volmar is a graduate student at Savannah State University, pursuing her master’s in marine sciences. She is studying the prevalence of microplastics across marine food webs.
Lady graduated with a B.S. degree in Marine Sciences from Savannah State University in May 2022. As an undergraduate, she conducted research in the Environmental Toxicology Laboratory under the mentorship of Dr. Sue Ebanks, focusing on microplastics in estuarine environments. She began studying for her M.S. degree in Marine Sciences at Savannah State University in 2024 with Dr. Ebanks as her advisor. She joined the LMRCSC in January 2025. Her thesis, “Environmental Occurrence and Biological Interactions of Microplastics with the Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica),” examines microplastic occurrence in estuarine environments and its interactions with Eastern oysters. Lady completed a NERTO at the Hollings Marine Laboratory in Charleston, South Carolina, under the supervision of Dr. Paul Pennington. The topic of her NERTO research was “The Toxicity and Accumulation of Microplastics in the Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea virginica, in Estuarine Systems.” After graduation, Lady plans to pursue a career in policy or continue her education by earning a Ph.D. focused on environmental policy.
Research theme: Healthy Habitats
NOAA LMRCSC Fellows attain the NOAA Core Competencies detailed in this rubric.
NERTO Project Title: The toxicity and accumulation of microplastics in the Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea virginica, in estuarine systems
NOAA Mentor: Dr. Paul Pennington, NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Charleston, S.C.
Academic Advisors: Dr. Sue Ebanks
NOAA Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center
University of Maryland Eastern Shore (Lead Institution)
(410) 651-7870
Award numbers: FY 2021 Award #NA21SEC4810005
Funding Agency: NOAA Educational Partnership Program (EPP/MSI)
