Luke Groff is a fourth-year PhD candidate in the Department of Environmental Studies. He studies benthic microalgal metabolism and carbon storage in the restored seagrass meadows of the Virginia Coast Reserve Long-Term Ecological Research (VCR-LTER) site. His research focuses on how these microscopic primary producers interact with the foundation species, Zostera marina (eelgrass), to store sediment blue carbon and contribute broadly to their ecosystems. Luke has spent much of the past three summers living and working on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, enjoying the pristine lagoons and the tight-knit community in the area. 

In 2019, Luke earned a degree in Biology from Franklin and Marshall College, where he studied remote alpine lake ecosystems while backpacking in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. During a brief departure from science, Luke returned to his alma mater in rural Pennsylvania to serve as a High School Career and College Adviser through the Pennsylvania College Advising Corps from 2019 to 2021. After completing his service, Luke returned to research, pursuing a PhD at UVA. In the summer of 2024, Luke began his work as a Virginia Sea Grant Graduate Research Fellow, collaborating with the Eastern Shore Community College to create opportunities for students to research their local ecosystems and engage with the science already happening in their backyards.