About Me
My name is Jackie Fontes and I teach Regents Chemistry and Physics, as well as elective chemistry at St. Dominic.
I earned my Bachelors Degrees in both Marine Biology and Chemistry from Roger Williams University in Rhode Island. I then earned my M.S. in Fisheries and Mariculture from Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi. Before becoming a teacher I was a research scientist, using various quantitative chemistry techniques to shed light on different phenomena in the realm of marine science. Some of the research I have worked on includes:
- investigating the effect of pH/ocean acidification on the larval development of reef fish (A. frenatus) - specifically otolith morphology
- the effect of ploidy on filtration rates of Eastern Oysters (Crassostrea virginica)
- the effect of microalgae diet (T. lutea and C. muelleri) on differential bio-accumulation and production of fatty acids in zooplankton (Calanoida sp.)
- the efficacy of using algae as a bio-remediation tool for eutrophic aquaculture wastewater
- the effect of nitrogen and phosphorus levels on algal productivity for use as live feeds in aquaculture
Having switched careers to teaching, I hope to share my love of science (especially chemistry!) to my students and show them that they can tackle "difficult" subject matter.
When I'm not teaching, I like to spend time with my husband and my son (an energetic toddler), baking, crocheting, collecting algae for herbarium presses, or reading.
