Research Assistant
Northeast Utilities Cable Replacement Project: Pre-construction, Construction and Post-construction Benthic Ecology Monitoring Operations (2007-2010). Research included documenting benthic biological characteristics before, during and after construction; monitoring the health and viability of surrounding shellfish populations using calibrated oysters; and conducting shellfish resource surveys in cable corridor before and after construction.

Multi-component Evaluation to Minimize the Spread of Aquatic Invasive Seaweeds, Harmful Algae Bloom Micro-algae and Invertebrates via the Live Bait Vector in Long Island Sound (2007- 2008). Research included identifying various invertebrate species in order to quantify the importance of bait products as a vector for the transportation of non-indigenous species.

Spread and Impacts of the Non-indigenous Rhodophycean Alga, Grateloupia turuturu, in Long Island Sound (2006-2008). Research included monthly field sampling, and the preservation, sorting and identification of invertebrates obtained from benthic samples in order to compare habitat preferences of invertebrates associated with G. turuturu and Chondrus crispus , determine any consequent community impacts and assess G. turuturu as a potential food source using consumer choice experiments.

Biofouling and Aquaculture Gear: Field Testing of the Efficacy of Anti-fouling Materials (2006). Research included examining the efficacy of four types of anti-fouling materials and quantify their effectiveness through field experiments. Quantitative estimates of fouling and species composition were obtained using computer-assisted image analysis (Image J).

Undergraduate Research Assistant
Temporal and Spatial Relationships among Land Use, Phytoplankton and Zooplankton in Shallow Embayments (2003-2004). Research was conducted in conjunction with Dr. Jim Kremer, University of Connecticut. Five years of data collected from the Niantic River (CT), the Pawcatuck River (CT), Mumford Cove (CT) and Ninigret Pond (RI) were organized and analyzed to examine possible temporal and spatial relationships among phytoplankton/zooplankton abundance and land usage. An inter-annual relationship was identified between zooplankton biomass and chlorophyll concentrations occurring within each estuary, and estuaries with high total nitrogen loading were identified to also have higher zooplankton biomass and chlorophyll concentrations.

Publications/Presentations

Janiak, D., Blaschik, N., Whitlatch, R. Comparisons of the Invertebrate Assemblage Associated with the Invasive Alga Grateloupia turuturu and the native Chondrus crispus in Long Island Sound (2008) 37th Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting, Westin Hotel, Providence, RI (poster)

Blaschik, N., Whitlatch, R., Kraemer, G.P., Yarish, C., Lin, S. Spread and Impacts of the Non-indigenous Rhodophycean Alga, Grateloupia turuturu, in Eastern Long Island Sound (2007). 36th Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting, Georgia Institute of Technology, Altanta, GA. (poster)

Gladych, R., Blaschik, N.P ., Kraemer, G.P., Whitlatch, R. Potential Ecosystem Changes Caused by an Introduced Red Alga, Grateloupia turuturu Yamada, in Long Island Sound (2007) . 5 th International Conference on Marine Bioinvasions, MIT, Boston, MA. (poster)

Getchis, Tessa and Blaschik, N . “Online Resource Guide for Aquaculture in Connecticut ” (2007). Connecticut Sea Grant. < http://www.seagrant.uconn.edu/aquaguide/ >.

Blaschik, N. Temporal and Spatial Relationships among Land Use, Phytoplankton and Zooplankton in Shallow Embayments (2004). 5th Annual Feng Colloquium, UCONN, Groton, CT. (poster)