Research at COLSA

Research at COLSA
Two people in a lab wearing goggles and white lab coats and looking at a computer screen

At UNH’s College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, research isn’t something you watch from the sidelines — it’s something you do. 

Whether you’re restoring coastal ecosystems in New Hampshire’s Great Bay, tracking wildlife populations through the forests, caring for and studying animals from the farm to the field, or unlocking the molecular pathways behind tomorrow’s medical breakthroughs, you’ll work alongside world-class faculty on research that matters for a better future.

COLSA gives you the labs, the land, the greenhouses and farms, and the mentorship to turn your curiosity into real-world impact.

A UNH student conducts research on trematode parasite presence in the three periwinkle species that inhabit the Isles of Shoals, and that same parasite in mummichog fish.
Small lumpfish look through the glass of their tank.
A graduate student shares her research at the UNH Graduate Research Conference
Undergraduate students work with a COLSA professor to identify birds in the field.

Explore Our Research Centers

jackson estuarine laboratory
Teaching & Research Facilities
Teaching & Research Facilities

The Jackson Estuarine Laboratory (pictured) is located on the shores of Great Bay Estuary, one of the largest estuaries in northern New England.

Meet Our Researchers, Discover Their Work

  • Sierra Rose Walsh
    Sierra Walsh
    Neural oscillations in visual and auditory perception
    As part of the NOVA lab, Sierra will be using neurophysiology to explore aspects of visual and auditory perception.
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  • Sophie Walton
    Sophie Walton
    Ocean Change and Species Interaction
    Sophie's research topic is yet to be chosen, she plans to research how anthropogenic effects will alter organism physiology, energy allocation, and ecological dynamics in rocky intertidal ecosystems.
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  • Abigail Lemmon
    Abigail Lemmon
    The cumulative impact of anthropogenic stressors on larval recruitment of blue mussels
    Abigail's research investigates the cumulative impact of water temperature and anthropogenic noise on the settlement behavior of larval blue mussels (Mytilus edulis).
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  • Maggie Dillion DBS Grad Student
    Maggie Dillon
    Effects of environmental stressors on Eastern oysters and aquaculture
    Maggie's research focuses on evaluating the effect of environmental stressors on Eastern oysters and potential impacts on aquaculture
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  • Natalie Danek
    Natalie Danek
    Antibiotic Resistance in New Hampshire Watersheds
    Natalie's research focuses on analyzing how antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs) vary both specially and temporally in the Great Bay Estuary, as well as examining their presence in local oyster populations.
    Learn More

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