NOAA-EPP LMRCSC Undergraduate Fellow
B.S., Marine & Environmental Science
Hampton University
Nylah Barber will graduate with a B.S. degree in Marine and Environmental Science from Hampton University in May 2027. They participated in the NSF-funded USF St. Petersburg Making Waves REU program in Summer 2025, working with mentor Dr. Pamela Hallock Muller. Their research focused on foraminiferal assemblages and Cassiopea jellyfish coverage across a human impact gradient in the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Puerto Rico. They joined the NOAA LMRCSC in December 2025.
Nylah’s current research involves microplastic presence and composition in estuarine invertebrates in the Hampton River, under the mentorship of Dr. Shawn Dash in the Department of Biology at Hampton University, which falls under NOAA’s mission to support marine habitats.
Research theme: Healthy Habitats
NOAA LMRCSC Fellows attain the NOAA Core Competencies detailed in this rubric.
Academic Advisors: Dr. Shawn Dash
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)
