Fieldwork

Cruises

Aug 12-20 2023, R/V Atlantis and DSV Alvin, Astoria Canyon methane seeps

This cruise was an Alvin push-coring cruise that sampled hydrocarbon seep sites along the Astoria Canyon, off-shore Oregon. The goal of this cruise was to expand our understanding of the role of DOC in seep systems and the transport of this carbon between the lithosphere and hydrosphere.

I operated a porewater pressure-squeezing pipeline to extract several liters (total) of filtered porewater from seep sediments. 

Me, operating equiptment during an Alvin dive

Methane seep in Astoria Canyon

Aug 13-29 2021, PSV Atlantic Condor, Scotian Shelf Hydrocarbon Seeps

This cruise was an ROV push-coring cruise that sampled a series of prospective hydrocarbon seep sites along the Nova Scotian slope. 

My work was funded through Ocean Venture Fund "Investigation of methane seepage from Scotian Shelf using methane isotopologues and gas ratios" ($6000 to EL)

I led gas geochemistry core description and sub-sampling for:

And helped with other sub-sampling efforts including for:

Sub-sampling a core for lipidomics

My cruise major motion picture can be viewed here

Gravity coring in the Baltic Sea

Sept 10, 2018, R/V Alkor, Baltic Sea Methane Seeps and Pockmark Field

This cruise was a training cruise as part of the Bremen ECORD summer school "Sub-seafloor fluid transport and gas hydrate dynamics"  My participation in this activity was supported by the US Science Support Program.

I got to gain experience with

Sept 1-3 2017, R/V Neil Armstrong, Atlantic Shelf Break Hydrography, East of Martha’s Vineyard

This was a training cruise for MIT-WHOI joint program students (my first weekend as a graduate student!)

I gained experience deploying and collecting water samples from a   CTD rosette

Collecting samples from the CTD rosette

Land-based field activities 

Southern Louisiana, carbon storage in fresh and salt marsh systems 

During November 2024, we collected cores from marshes around New Orleans to study carbon storage and turnover time. My muddiest fieldwork yet!

In the marsh, ready to be the core catcher 

Holding up the hard-won core

Push-coring on a cold Boston morning!

Undergrad, Amber, preparing to deploy funnels in the lake


Upper Mystic Lake, Freshwater Methane Emissions

During Spring-Fall 2021 we constructed and deployed 8 bubble traps in UML to investigate spatial and temporal variations in clumped methane isotopologue values from methane bubbles, as well as determine methane bubble flux. Updates on our project can be found on our public-facing website (we have QR codes on our buoys so that community members can learn about the project). A blog post by undergrad student, Amber, can be found here. 

This work is supported by the Montrym fund for student climate research "Methane emissions and isotopologue distribution from freshwater lakes in Massachusetts" ($5000 to EL)

Field sampling techniques include:

Fieldwork Safety Certifications

Personal survival techniques (STCW) - Rely on Nutec/Transport Canada

Adult first aid/CPR/AED - American Red Cross (last completed July 2021)

H2S training (last completed July 2021)