Shelby Larubina

Research Technician

Professional experience:

Shelby is a recent graduate of UConn’s Marine Science program with a minor in evolutionary biology and ecology. While completing her Bachelor’s degree, she collaborated on projects investigating nutrient pollution in local estuaries and joined two research labs exploring topics in marine biogeochemistry and coastal ecosystem dynamics. Post-graduation, she has continued her work in the Vaudrey and Tobias labs, which have taken her across many embayments, marshes, and eelgrass beds throughout Long Island Sound. She is excited to continue this exploration with the CT Reserve team!

Favorite memory on the Sound:

Long Island Sound has been Shelby’s backyard almost her entire life. “As a kid, I’d walk down to the water from my dad’s house, where his boat was docked near the head of the Mystic River. When we weren’t taking the boat out to Sandy Point or Fishers Island, we were down by the water investigating the shoreline. I was always on the lookout for life, frequently spotting jellyfish, mussels, and horseshoe crabs, or unearthing the contents of the minnow trap my dad would set from time to time. American eels were my favorite find and not something people typically think of as part of the fauna in our area. Those early moments definitely inspired my love and curiosity for all things marine science, and I’m lucky that turned into something I get to do for a living!”