Collage: coastal researchers sampling seawater, abalone illustration, purple thistle

Nurturing Next-Gen Science

2026 SRJC Internship Experiences

  • by Jessica Lee

For more than a decade, the SRJC–BML Internship Program has bridged Santa Rosa Junior College and the UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory, immersing students in transformative, hands-on scientific research. Each summer, interns pair with dedicated UC Davis graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and staff mentors to tackle projects spanning marine ecology, environmental microbiology, data science, and science communication.

Thanks to generous donor support, the program provides essential stipends and transportation assistance, ensuring these opportunities remain accessible. In the blog posts below, our 2026 cohort shares the breakthroughs, challenges, and memorable moments that defined their summer on the coast—and how their experience at BML is guiding their next steps in science.

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Two people in a workshop lab; foreground person with blue gloves handling samples

My Summer With Kelp Forest Ecology

By Alyssa Walls
Close-up purple thistle bloom with spiky green buds

Salt and Stem, Where the Land Meets the Sea

By Miranda Rose Mintonye
Smiling young person in rain jacket holding a small green shell by rocky kelp-covered tidepools

Novelty in Unassuming Places: a Summer with the Owl Limpet

By Tyler Stanciu
Smiling person in black waders and sunglasses standing in shallow water, holding white bucket

My Time at BML

By James Rincon
Smiling person with glasses holding an ID badge, standing by wooden buildings and blue sky

The Weirdest Sensation I’ve Ever Felt

By Madeline Kummerle
Young person in denim jacket placing pieces of seaweed into a black tub outdoors.

Aestival Afternoons at BML: Abalone, Dulse, and Discovery

By Savannah Rose Auble
Smiling person in light blue shirt at lab bench with microscope and specimen jars

Foraminifera Summer

By Xochitl Campos
Smiling person in cap and gloves holding sample tubes in a clinical laboratory, photo

The Lessons in Inconclusive Data

By Robert Dawson
Person in sunhat and waders kneeling on muddy tidal flat at low tide

The Summer I Turned Into a Researcher

By Kaye Anne Burfoot
Person kneeling on muddy tidal flat, installing planting stakes under blue sky

My Summer Sediments

By Susan Escoto
Smiling person with glasses holding a book by potted plants indoors

A Summer at BML

By Raven Riley

 

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People and Programs

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BML-SRJC Internship Program