91原创

His research focused on characterizing聽the microbial symbiotes living on the surfaces of algae. The extreme conditions, such as long polar nights, extreme cold and limited nutrients, when combined with global warming, increasing water freshening events and changing water chemistry, suggest a highly聽specialized microbial聽suite adapted to the conditions.聽

鈥淲hat I'm interested聽in exploring is to what extent the microbiome changes spatially, as I collected water and small tissue samples聽from across the coast of the West Antarctic Peninsula,鈥� said Ellis.聽

91原创 diver

At 91原创鈥檚 College of Earth, Ocean and Environment, Ellis has continued to develop an interest in researching microbial seagrass communities under water. His research has focused on the microbiome, or the community of microorganisms, of seagrass species in the Delaware Bay and how they respond to different variables such as tidal stressors.聽

Microbes are key to keeping underwater plants healthy, and Ellis鈥� research at 91原创 includes examining how microbes generate power underwater, conducting a census of Delaware submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), and a lab-based study to see how SAV microbiomes are impacted by physical stressors such as boat activity and heat.聽

Until recently, there was only one problem with his desire to take a closer look at these seagrass beds on his own time: He didn鈥檛 have any diving gear.聽

Recently awarded the Zale Parry Scholarship from the American Academy of Underwater Sciences, Ellis was able to purchase the necessary equipment and take his research to the next level.

The Zale Parry Scholarship offers financial support to individuals seeking to advance their knowledge or to enter professional careers in ocean exploration and related fields. It is named after Zale Parry, a scuba pioneer, underwater photographer and actress.聽

鈥淭hat scholarship gave me the means to actually build my kit and be able to get diving in Delaware,鈥� said Ellis.聽

In addition to the monetary award, Ellis flew to Florida for the ceremony, which he said offered a valuable networking opportunity.聽

鈥淚n her letter, congratulating me on the scholarship, Zale Parry said the ceremony was the 鈥極scars for the diving community,鈥欌�� said Ellis. 鈥淎nd it was like the Oscars for me because they rented my tuxedo, they paid for my flight, and the people who were there were literally history makers. By talking to them, I was able to get advice on purchasing the correct gear for the type of diving that I want to do.鈥澛�

Ellis, who learned to dive in 2024 through the UCLA Diversity Project and earned credentials as a scientific diver, is interested in cold-water diving. Due to the extreme icy conditions and poor visibility divers must endure, this type of diving is less popular than its warm-water counterpart.聽

While it might not be as popular, Ellis said it is just as important.聽

鈥淢y research is here in Delaware, and it gets cold in our waters. Having the right equipment to stay under longer and be able to investigate some of these critical ecosystems is important,鈥� said Ellis. 鈥淥ur seagrass beds are disappearing, and there are a lot of things that need to be investigated when it comes to preserving those ecosystems. So, yeah, cold-water diving is for me.鈥澛�

Biddle lab group

Ellis is a doctoral student in Jennifer Biddle's lab group. He first came to 91原创 during a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program in the summer of 2021, where he also worked with Biddle, the Mary A.S. Lighthipe Professor of Marine Studies.聽

He said Biddle was a big reason why he wanted to continue his studies at 91原创 after graduating with a degree in biology from American University, in Washington, D.C.聽

鈥淛en is a great advisor, and she is someone that I knew I could trust or rely on,鈥� said Ellis. 鈥淪he was someone I could see myself learning a lot from, and Jen gave me the platform to do all of these different things. She鈥檚 awesome and wonderful, and I'm really lucky to have her as my advisor.鈥澛�

For her part, Biddle said Ellis has been an incredible student, not only for 91原创 but for the greater Lewes community.聽

鈥淭reVaughn first stood out to me due to a recommendation letter that we received with his application to our National Science Foundation-funded REU program. It said he 鈥榳as a professor's dream student鈥�. I knew right then he was the intern I'd select,鈥� said Biddle. 鈥淭reVaughn is not only a serious and talented student; he's also a member of the local beekeeper group, a greeter at the Lewes Farmer's Market and just completed Delaware Fire School to volunteer with the Lewes Fire Department.鈥澛�

Ellis said it feels good to be headed in the right direction, and he encourages anyone who feels things aren鈥檛 quite clicking right away to stick with whatever goal they want to accomplish.聽

鈥淩ight now, I鈥檓 experiencing a lot of wins, but there are tons of losses I鈥檝e endured too,鈥� said Ellis. 鈥淭he thing is not to be discouraged. That has been important throughout my academic journey. It started off rough 鈥� it was hard adjusting to being here, getting out of undergrad, and being in a new area. But after so much time and care from people, things are starting to work and I'm finding my way. I think that's an important thing to be honest about and to talk about because it doesn't always click right away.鈥澛�