Biology Major Serves up Sea Cucumber Culture in Florida
Tonia Henning is spending her summer as an intern at the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, conducting research into the habitat and diet of sea cucumbers. She will present her findings at a symposium in August.
Tonia Henning spends the summer before her senior year at Buena Vista University diving into the world of sea cucumbers.
“I’m seeing if they can grow in water from an aquaculture system,” says Henning, a biology major from New Ulm, Minn.
Henning serves as an intern at the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, which is part of Florida Atlantic University. Seeing as how sea cucumbers are used for both medicinal and culinary purposes, Henning wants to research how they might thrive in controlled conditions.
“Their populations aren’t doing great in the wild,” she says.
“What I’m doing right now is something I’d consider a dream job, doing research.”
Tonia Henning
Henning has designed an experiment featuring three water treatments and three diets. She hopes to find a model that may serve sea cucumbers in the future, and if they can be safely used for inland aquaculture systems. She’ll present her findings at symposium hosted by Harbor Branch on Aug. 1. She’ll then return to the Midwest as her mentor and students at the institute in Fort Pierce, Fla., area continue the work she established.
“What I’m doing right now is something I’d consider a dream job, doing research,” says Henning, who indicated plans to pursue a master’s or doctoral degree upon her completion of undergraduate work at BVU in May 2020.
Beyond her work, Henning has been intrigued by the stormy weather in Florida. This is, after all, her first time in the state. She’s anxious to see what the upcoming hurricane season has in store.
“My dad is kind of worried though,” she says.
Henning has also enjoyed spending time on the beach that fronts the Atlantic Ocean, something she didn’t get to experience as a resident of the Midwest.
“I’ve also helped harvest seaweed,” she says of her surroundings over this 10-week period. “There’s not much seaweed in the Midwest, so it’s a fun experience.”