Sara Silika
Current Job: Master's student at University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Current Project: Studying the differential performance of SAV in the Maryland Coastal Bays via nutrient cycling and sediment processes
State(s) working in: Maryland
Where are you from: Wilmington, NC
What do you think is the main reason we should protect SAV?
In addition to indicating and moderating the health of aquatic systems, fostering biodiversity, cycling nutrients on a global scale, and having a unique evolutionary history, SAV also provides a beautiful setting in which we get to work (and be mermaids).
How do you feel your research will make a difference in the SAV community?
I hope that our research will contribute to the SAV knowledge-base in our area, provide reference points for other SAV systems (coastal lagoons and otherwise), and inform policy, both locally and regionally.
What is one of your best memories working with SAV?
One of my best memories working with SAV is also one of my first. I had just started grad school and was out with a labmate to assist with her project (also SAV-based) in the Maryland Coastal Bays. As we were finishing up for the day, I found myself swimming through a vast Zostera meadow and took my time to exist and feel the awe of that environment. The magic of noticing how the sunlight refracted in the water column, the macrofauna went about their business, and the Zostera shoots danced on the sediment floor is an experience I hope to remember for a long time..
What keeps you motivated to keep caring about the future of SAV?
One of the biggest motivators for me is having conversations with people who do not study SAV yet are familiar with the importance of these organisms. These interactions remind me of the beauty of sharing knowledge, working together, and maintaining hope.
More about Sara’s story
I was born and raised in Wilmington, North Carolina, and followed a wandering path to graduate school in Maryland. After receiving my undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina Greensboro, I returned to Wilmington and through a series of cool experiences, little weirds, and big joys, developed a new and powerful relationship with the ocean. Wanting to honor my coastal roots, I began graduate school with Dr. Stephen Tomasetti in his Coastal Environmental Science Lab at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in the summer of 2025. I knew very little about SAV prior to beginning this work, but I am now stoked on all things seagrass and feel truly grateful to be contributing to this work.
