All aboard the RV Rachel Carson for our newest student takeover with Karina Lai, who is on a 5-day cruise with the Washington Ocean Acidification Center.

Thank you so much for joining me in my Instagram takeover today, I hope you enjoyed seeing a bit of what goes on during research cruises.

The 5-day cruise I am currently on is with the Washington Ocean Acidification Center (WOAC) that happens three times every year. We sample variables such as oxygen, DIC, phytoplankton and eDNA using a CTD Rosette. I am in charge of collecting chlorophyll and nutrient samples. During the takeover, I demonstrated a little bit on how the chlorophyll is filtered out from the water using a pump. After phytoplankton collects on the filter, I add the filter to a test tube and add acetone to it. This will break away the phytoplankton and leave the chlorophyll suspended in the solution. After resting in the freezer, the solution will turn green while the filter will turn back to white. We can then measure chlorophyll concentration using a fluorometer.

I also talked a bit about my internship at EarthLab which allowed me to go on this cruise. I highly recommend anyone eligible to apply next year (Eligible to all UW undergraduates in all three campuses). They offer internships to partner organizations which range in different disciplines. We take part in weekly cohort discussions about environmental justice and work individually at our designated organization. I have learned a lot so far and I recommend anyone with an interest in climate work to apply! I also recommend finding a way to go on the RV Rachel Carson such as fieldtrips, this internship or the DINO-SIP internship.

If you have any questions or just want to connect, feel free to reach out to me on my account!