Maya Thomas

I am originally from Auburn, AL, and received my B.S. in marine biology from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, FL. I originally came to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William and Mary as an NSF REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) student in summer 2018 and came back in fall 2020 to begin my PhD program in marine science. My research interests revolve heavily around zooplankton ecology and food web dynamics. Previously I have studied a riverine zooplankton community in Florida and copepod community ecology near Palmer Station, Antarctica. I am currently studying Antarctic biogeochemical cycling via zooplankton egestion and excretion focusing on dominant zooplankton species (Antarctic krill and salp) in the Western Antarctic Peninsula.