Student takes top prize for presentation at the New England Estuarine Research Society conference

Andy Robinson (Marine Sciences, '20/M.S. Marine Sciences, ’21), was recently awarded the Rankin Prize for best undergraduate student presentation at the New England Estuarine Research Society (NEERS) virtual meeting, a semi-annual event that brings together New England’s best estuarine and coastal marine scientists to discuss their research.

In his presentation, “A low-cost radio-tracked drifter system: Design and applications for coastal oceanography,” Robinson described how he brought together a new compact ocean drifter design, with new transmission technology, to develop a low-cost system of satellite tracked drifters to measure water flow patterns in Biddeford Pool.

He is researching the flow of water in an effort to better understand the movement of pollutants that have plagued the tidal bay’s shellfish industry.

Robinson worked with Mike Esty, B.S., technical and project specialist at UNE’s Makerspace, to design the electronics for the drifters.

He is conducting the research project with Charles Tilburg, director of the School of Marine Programs.

“I am delighted, but hardly surprised, that Andy won this award,” exclaimed Tilburg. “Andy is an outstanding student and scientist, whose project is the result of a wonderful collaboration between the Maker Space and the School of Marine Programs.”

To win the Rankin Prize award, the student must clearly be the senior contributing author but need not be the sole author of the paper.