Nick is an Assistant Professor and oversees the research group. His research interests center on the biogeochemistry and ecology of aquatic ecosystems and how these ecosystems respond to change. Nick earned his Ph.D. in Biology at Boston University and B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Environmental Science and Technology at the University of Maryland. Prior to joining the School of Marine Science & Policy at the University of Delaware, he was a postdoc at Cornell University and Stockholm University.

Hollin is a second year M.S. student in the lab. She graduated with a B.S. in Geobiology with a minor in Marine Science from Penn State University in the spring of 2024. Her MS thesis research will quantify how eastern mud snails (Ilyanassa obsoleta) influence carbon dioxide and methane fluxes in saltmarshes in southern Delaware.

Sophie is a first year M.S student in the lab. She recently graduated with a B.A. in Marine Science with a minor in Chemistry from Boston University. During her undergraduate studies, she completed a series of investigations comparing oyster morphometrics to nutrient cycling, specifically nitrogen. Sophie plans to continue researching drivers of oyster mediated biogeochemistry with the Ray lab. She is also pursuing a professional dance career!

Elise is an REU student in the lab in summer 2025!

Ernest is an REU student in the lab in summer 2025!

Anna was a Summer Scholar in the lab in summer 2025 and is now working on her senior thesis focused on interactions between organic matter and sediment nitrous oxide production.