Bioluminescence lagoons in Puerto Rico 2

It was way more brighter than I thought!  

Laguna Grande

For a week-long intense field work, more than 15 undergraduate students and 7 instructors had worked together to conduct various experiments, including environmental monitoring, phytoplankton and zooplankton metabolism, and sediment-water nutrient flux, in Laguna grande, Puerto Rico. I would like to share pictures showing a time line of our experiments. 

Collecting sediment cores

Sediment core samples collect at three sites (tape colors indicate sites) 

Set up incubation for light-dark experiment

Collect water samples 

We had also monitored water properties throughout the lagoon and, interestingly, there was a wide range of difference in depth, salinity, oxygen, and turbidity. I did not expect such a big difference in all aspects of ecosystem properties in the small ecosystem from the head (near the channel of the Caribbean Sea) to the other end (near mangrove forest) of the lagoon. Our preliminary sediment-water flux results also suggest that there was 5-fold difference between sites in the flux of respiratory products, such as ammonium and dissolved inorganic carbon. In fact, this experience makes me think that I want to do whole ecosystem study similar to 'Ecology of a New England salt marsh (Nixon & Oviatt 1973).' It was too short period to fill all processes into the diagram but hopefully I can work there again in near future.

Uncompleted conceptual diagram

Most of all, I would like to thanks all participants and Drs. Moser and Cornwell in the program for providing me the wonderful research experience in the Caribbean island.

Bioluminescence lagoons in Puerto Rico

I have traveled many cities in the US to participate in oceanographic research and conferences but didn't have a chance to travel outside this mainland. Now, I will be in Puerto Rico (PR) in June 2013 and help Puerto Rican undergraduates who want to learn aquatic science.

The title of this National Science Foundation funded project is:
Undergraduate Research Experiences in Estuarine Processes

Drs. Moser (director at Maryland Sea Grant College), Harris, Cornwell, and Pierson (faculties at University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science) have been collaborating with Puerto Rican scientists and conducting preliminary studies in bioluminescent lagoons in PR.

In the upper right corner of the country, bioluminescent lagoons are located in the city of Fajardo and the lagoons are surrounded by mangrove forest. Inorganic matter produced or released from mangrove trees are known to be consumed by dinoflagellates which emit bluish color.

The lagoons are now heavily protected due to detrimental effects of tourism in the country and a lot of efforts has been made by individual and groups to protect this environment. However, only a handful number of research has been conducted and we have no clear understanding of this amazing plankton reaction and the effect of changing environmental conditions. We hope that our collaboration not only enhances our understanding in the ecosystem but also increases awareness of this vulnerable environments. Also, I personally hope that I can improve my teaching skill through an interaction with local students. I will keep posting this project as it progress.   

KIOST-NOAA lab opening ceremony

I have been invited as a guest speaker for KIOST (Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology) and NOAA workshop in Vienna, Virginia. KIOST director Dr. Kang and other KIOST staff visited from Korea and shared our interests in ocean environments. I have honestly never met this many Korean scientists before but this meeting absolutely broadens my view in oceanography.

NOAA-KIOST collaboration seems to focus on ocean observation and the exchange of oceanic technologies. For examples, IMET (Institution of Marine Environmental Technology) in Baltimore has been working together with KIOST for about a decade. And it is really pleasure to hear that Korean government invests lots of money to all sorts of oceanographic division.

Conceptual Diagram

One of most respected scientists at University of Maryland Environmental Sciences is Walter Boynton, who has devoted almost entire his life to restore Chesapeake Bay. He emphasizes drawing conceptual diagrams so much, and I also draw a lot to clarify my research idea. One of examples is shown below and this is about nutrient cycle in estuary although it is not completed. It can be very complex but also simple depend on the purpose of diagram. I need full pictures of nutrient cycles because I want to estimate net ecosystem metabolism, which I want to talk in near future. In short, net ecosystem metabolism is a combination of 'plant' and 'animal' metabolism and it shows the balance of ecosystem by subtracting them each other.  

Conceptual diagram

Syringe Pump #1

We always can name scientific equipment as we want. I have different equipment all called 'syringe pump'. I would like to introduce these because it shows how much syringes are important to scientific experiments.




This syringe pump above is used to inject small amount of liquid into target areas (such as bottles, containers, etc.). The greatest function of this syringe pump is several options for rate we can choose from very tiny to relatively faster rate. I am going to use it to simulate diffusion of nutrients across haloclines, which is a sharp gradient of density, in estuary. We can calculate or use already estimated diffusion rate of molecules (such as oxygen, nitrate, nitrite, sulfate, etc.) in water. Then, using the pump ensures the simulation as close to real environment as possible.

Working on a scientific cruise

I should include a word 'scientific' when someone ask me where I work. If I just say a cruise, they often think a tourist cruise although I sometimes think this is a combination of scientific and tourist cruise because of amazing foods and a list of DVDs I can all enjoy after work.

In May of 2012, I am now working on Research Vessel Oceanus owned by NOAA and operated by Oregon State University. Dr. Crump invites me to this cruise months ago and we made a plan for collecting water samples for microbial measurements. I am in charge of measuring respiration rates from high turbid water which are natural phenomenon occurring in estuarine environment worldwide.



I have never been on the Columbia River estuary before but I just fell in love with it right after I saw for the first time. Sea lions, geneses, sea gulls, mountains, tides, etc. which I all love.



We use two methods to collect water samples: Owen tube (left) and a pacer pump connected to CTD (conductivity, temperature, and depth sensors in a metal frame) frame (right). There is a slight difference between the two methods: Owen tube allows us collecting water and particles of different settling speeds at one depth while CTD pump allows collecting one in many different depths. These are usually operated by at least three people: winch operator, computer screen watcher, and me fighting with a cable and hose.

We also have many scientists on board working on the same project with different tools. Enjoy pictures below:

Oxygen transition in the Chesapeake Bay

I created this video for my presentation at MEES (Marine Estuarine Environmental Science at University of Maryland) Colloquium meeting. I was honored to give a talk as a representative of oceanographic students.

I used data downloaded from the Chesapeake Bay Program. Cool colors show where oxygen depleted in warmer seasons, and this is called anoxic or dead zone. And numbers above the map are months in numbers (e.g. January = 1, December =12) in 2011.

Dead zone occurs almost all around the World due to human input of organic matter (basically trash and nutrients). There are tremendous works done in the topic and ,especially, if you want to find out what it is and how it affects marine lives, please check here.

Enjoy watching the video!