From 2011-2013, I worked as a Research & Teaching Assistant at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA. I loved every minute of it! I worked mainly on two projects:

1. Monitoring water quality of arctic lakes at the Toolik Lake Long Term Ecological Research (LTER). The Toolik Field Station is on the north slope of the Brooks Range in Arctic Alaska.
2. Studying estuarine nutrient dynamics and the effects of deforestation on mangrove ecosystems in the Gulf of Chiriqui on the Pacific coast of Panama. Our field team was based out of the magical Liquid Jungle Lab on Isla Canales de Tierra.

My first helicopter ride!

Katie and Susanna on Lake I-1.

Sediment cores from Lake E-5.

The “I-series” fairies brings goodies before our hardest field day

Cold hike in the Brooks Range. From L to R: Aliza, Alex, me, Susanna, Jason

Caribou on top of Jade Mountain

Hanging out with some of previous students from Woods Hole. Andrew Miano and Hanson Johnson

Post-hike mountain dews. From L to R: Will, me, Katie, Susanna, Jason

The Ladies of the Lakes. We made it back to Fairbanks after an 8-hr drive on the Dalton Highway

In winter 2012, I traveled to the Liquid Jungle Lab (LJL) on a tiny island on the Pacific coast of Panama. I was helping to study the effects of deforestation on mangroves in Panama with Dr. Ivan Valiela from the MBL.

Mangroves!

Beautiful clouds at Rio Limone!

Katuska pulling our sample sled

Cubitainers full of water samples

Katuska and me aboard the project boat R/V Lobo

Mangrove seed

Coralie and Ivan birding on Isla Canales de Tierra

Taking stream flow measurements

This little opossum was making a home in our storage drawer

The lab’s pet scorpion nicknamed “Carrie 2”

Stream flow profiles at Rio Salmonete.

Coralie and I go snorkeling

This tree was a temporary set back, but was no much for a chain saw