A lot of people who have boats are spending more time tied up to piers and moorings this summer rather than cruising around Narragansett Bay because of the record high prices of fuel but not so Nicholas Larghi, a senior majoring in marine biology.

He is often on Narragansett Bay, especially in Greenwich Bay, helping to record data for a hypoxia or low oxygen study that is headed by Dr. John King of the URI Graduate School of Oceanography.

Larghi, 21, is one of several busy Coastal Fellows this summer but his internship is not difficult to take—on the water in boats on nice sunny days.

Larghi and his grad student mentor are using a device called a sediment profile imager. This device consists of a metal frame that supports a camera and a wedge-shaped prism. The frame is lowered by cable to the bottom of a body of water. The camera and prism then are inserted into the sediment and profile photos are taken of the sediment. The digital photos are then analyzed.

Larghi says his main job is to compare the data from the imager with the data that is constantly being collected by nearby buoys. In addition, he has to figure in some meteorological data.

Later this year Larghi will prepare a poster on the project as part of his Coastal Fellow obligation.

Larghi, originally from New Jersey but now a permanent RI resident says his GSO internship is the second for him. Last summer he did an internship with the state Department of Environmental Management participating in an aquaculture project.

Earlkier this year, Larghi participated in a project in Costa Rica where he gathered data for a project that examines sustainable development in coffee growing regions.

Larghi says he does not know what field he wants to enter as a career. “I haven’t had that A-ha! moment yet where I suddenly discover what I want to do,” he says.

Right now he’s thinking of working in some marine environment project for a year or so to gain experience before going onto graduate school. Perhaps, he says, he can even start a suitable career without grad school.