5 Stamford Students Complete Marine Research Program At SoundWaters

The program allows students to research marine science, biodiversity, water quality and climate-related environmental changes.

By Richard Kaufman, Patch Staff

Jun 7, 2026 12:00 pm EDT

STAMFORD, CT — Five Stamford high school students spent the spring conducting environmental research through the SoundWaters Research Intensive program, studying marine ecosystems and environmental change in and around Long Island Sound.

The students included Lilyani Rivera and Victoria Andrzejewski of Westhill High School, Olivia Goodhouse and Maksymilian Majewski of Stamford High School, and Nicole Flores-Rodriguez of Academy of Information Technology & Engineering.

From left to right: Olivia Goodhouse of Stamford High School, Hadley Florio of Brien McMahon High School and Victoria Andrzejewski of Westhill High School stand for a photo before their presentation. (Courtesy of SoundWaters)

Based at the Cohen SoundWaters Harbor Center on Stamford Harbor, the program allows students to conduct original research focused on marine science, biodiversity, water quality and climate-related environmental changes.

Rivera studied kelp farm growth rates and nutrient uptake, while Andrzejewski and Goodhouse conducted an assessment of Stamford Harbor’s rocky intertidal zone. Majewski and Flores-Rodriguez researched populations of settling organisms.

From left to right: Maksymilian Majewski of Stamford High School, Nicole Flores-Rodriguez of AITE and Alisia Ortiz of Greenwich High School stand for a photo before their presentation. (Courtesy of SoundWaters)

"One of the most rewarding parts of this program is seeing students grow into confident young researchers," said SoundWaters Director of Education Christina Genz, in a news release. "They leave with real-world field experience, stronger analytical skills and a greater understanding of the importance of Long Island Sound."

SoundWaters said scholarships for the program were supported by the Munzer Foundation, 11th Hour Racing and the Pettee Family.

From left to right: Stamford resident Lilyani Rivera of Westhill High School and Sofia Goebert of Darien High School stand for a photo before their presentation. (Courtesy of SoundWaters)

SoundWaters is an environmental education organization that uses Long Island Sound as a classroom to teach students about science, conservation and climate issues.