Student Highlights

In July, Maria Cooksey, an ECSC Masters student from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley joined a mapping cruise as the 2015 NOAA EPP Intern on the R/V Okeanos Explorer.  The 15-day cruise was the first leg of NOAA’s Hohonu Moana expedition, where ridges and seamounts near the Johnston Atoll in the Pacific Ocean were mapped around the clock in order to support future deep sea exploration operations. As a mapping intern, she was able to learn how to acquire and process multibeam sonar and sound velocity data to create bathymetric images of an ocean floor that had never been mapped before. 
This position provided Maria with the opportunity to understand the physical science aspect behind her own Master’s thesis, which aims to characterize benthic invertebrate communities on mesophotic reefs on the continental shelf of South Texas.  
With the experience that Maria gained on the R/V Okeanos Explorer, she hopes to be able to continue her work in habitat mapping and ocean exploration. Maria would like to thank NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research and Office of Education – EPP for this wonderful and unique opportunity!   

Kevin Williams, II,

Graduate students from across the globe were given the opportunity to embark on a research experience at the University of Maine - Darling Marine Center (UM-DMC) in Walpole, Maine. With its location along the coast of the Damariscotta River estuary, students endured rigorous training within ocean optics. Our very own Kevin Williams, II, was among the few selected to take part in the 2015 Ocean Optics: Calibration and Validation for Ocean Color Remote Sensing, a seldom offered course sponsored by the partnership of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the University of Maine. 
Over the 4-weeks, students were mentored by revered professionals within the oceanography field most notably Ocean Optics Coordinator and Creator respectively, Dr. Emmanuel Boss and Dr. Mary Jane Perry. Summer 2015 marked the center's 30th anniversary celebrating a new generation of oceanographers trained in ocean optics exploring light within the ocean. Williams and twenty fellow graduate students were exposed to the biological components encompassing ocean optics, radiometry and remote sensing to prepare them for field collection and analysis aboard the DMC's research vessel, the Ira C. 
His thesis research focuses on the effectiveness of eco-WEIR (patent pending), an activated green infrastructure ecosystem technology currently being developed by a laboratory group associated with Dr. Jennifer Cherrier. This technology could potentially reduce agricultural runoff into aquatic ecosystems thereby mitigating harmful algal bloom (HAB) events. Williams emphasizes that the benefit is not only for mitigation but rather early detection. Williams says, “Ocean color remote sensing has the potential to facilitate early detection HAB outbreaks, allowing for rapid response and mitigation of their impacts all of which would enhance oceanic and coastal resource management programs.” Kevin reflects, "My participation at DMC allowed me to hone my skills in the mechanics and calibration of instrumentation while adding depth to my master's thesis." Kevin plans to further his knowledge in ocean optics as ocean color remote sensing continues to make advancements. 

DeMarcus Robinson

This past summer, I was able to travel the University of Southern California (USC). I was picked among fifteen undergrad students to participate in the Global Environmental Microbiology (GEM) Summer Course funded by the National Science Foundation. The Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations (C-DEBI) offers this GEM course in microbiology and microbial ecology allowing for a field-based, hands-on experience.