Ocean 444 and Ocean 445 -- Senior Theses
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These student-designed research projects, cover facets of all four oceanographic subdisciplines - Biological, Geological, Physical and Chemical Oceanograhy.
The copyright for all items in this collection is held by the individual authors.
Recent Submissions
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THE EFFECTS OF IRON SUPPLEMENTATION ON PRIMARY PRODUCERS IN THE WESTERN EQUATORIAL PACIFIC OCEAN
(2023-06)This study investigates the effect of iron (FeCl3) incubation on phytoplankton growth in the western Equatorial Pacific, an area known for its high-nutrient, low-chlorophyll (HNLC) conditions, which limit primary production. ... -
Distribution of microbial eukaryotes living as epibiota on tube worms (Ridgeia piscesae) in hydrothermal fluid flow and vent plumes at Axial Seamount
(2023-06)Hydrothermal vents are deep-sea environments characterized by high temperature, low pH, low oxygen concentration and high chemical concentrations with a chemosynthesis based ecosystem. Microbial eukaryotes (protists) ... -
Insights and predictions of Phytoplankton Biomass in Equatorial Pacific using Random Forest Modeling
(2023-06)Phytoplankton biomass drivers are integral to our understanding of how climate change will impact the carbon cycle as photosynthesis and carbon sequestration play a crucial role in mitigating climate change. The equatorial ... -
The impact of varying nutrient concentrations on the growth and size distributions of phytoplankton populations within the western equatorial Pacific
(2023-06)The purpose of this research is to identify how the surface water properties and population makeup of phytoplankton communities impact how their growth and size distributions respond to variations in nutrient concentrations. ... -
Population Structure and Diversity of Polynoids Associated with Tubeworms at Axial Seamount
(2023-05)Polynoid worms at Axial Seamount represent a sizable portion of the already annelid dominant environment but have comparatively little work examining the population structure of the taxa. This study examined polynoid ... -
Interpreting Rainfall Changes as a result of the 8.2 ka Event through δ2H ratios in the El Junco Lake, Galapagos
(2023-05)The most recent major climate perturbation, the “8.2 ka BP Event,” was a result of a mass influx of meltwater from the drainage of Lakes Agassiz and Ojibway into Hudson Bay. An influx of this magnitude has the potential ... -
Small-Scale Features in the ΔfCO2 Distributions Along the TN413 Cruise Track in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre and Equatorial Pacific
(2023-06)Rising atmospheric CO2 levels are contributing to widespread changes in the global ocean carbon budget. Long-term trends on the air-sea flux of CO2 have demonstrated that the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSTG) is a ... -
The relationship between current flow direction and sediment distribution within slope-confined submarine canyons off the north coast of Moloka’i, HI
(2023-06)Submarine canyons play an important role in transporting sediments from terrestrial sources to abyssal environments. Sediment can be transported along continental shelves and into submarine canyons through bottom currents ... -
Changes in bacterial concentrations with depth, temperature, and chlorophyll fluorescence in the Equatorial Pacific Ocean
(2023-06)It is important to consider the abundance of marine bacteria, as they play important roles in biogeochemical processes that are significant in the carbon cycle. Marine bacteria can give us insight about factors such as the ... -
The effects of nutrient additions to phytoplankton size structures based on chlorophyll in the Equatorial Pacific Ocean
(2023-06)Phytoplankton, the primary producers of ocean, have produced over half of the oxygen in the atmosphere and use dissolved carbon dioxide to accumulate biomass which is critical to the biological pump. In High-Nutrient, ... -
Measuring the abundance and distribution of microplastics and marine organisms across the surface of the equatorial Pacific using a Manta Net
(2023-06)The increasing production of plastics and their long lifespan have led to concerns about the accumulation of microplastics in marine environments. Due to their ability to be mistaken for food, microplastics act as a ... -
Interpretation of a temperature and salinity section at 180 degrees longitude in relation to the ENSO cycle in the equatorial Pacific for March 2023
(2023-06)El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which is the cycle consisting of El Niño and La Niña has major global impacts on climate. El Niño and La Niña are characterized by large changes in temperature in the equatorial ... -
Natural and Anthropogenic Changes to the Dissolved Inorganic Carbon System in the Western Equatorial Pacific During the Last Three Decades
(2023-06)The Western Pacific is a relatively unstudied area that is important for the climate because it is influenced not only by natural processes such as El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and seasonal variability but also the ... -
Evolution of submarine terraces off Northern Moloka’i, HI
(2023-06)Submarine terraces off Northern Moloka’i, HI, have been understudied. Terraces are vital to our understanding of sea-level changes and terrestrial alterations. One study aimed to identify terraces and evaluate their ... -
Determining CO2 Balance influenced by Upwelling and Primary Production in the Equatorial Pacific Region at 180° using CO2 and O2 flux
(2023-06)The oceanic carbon cycle is one of the most important mechanisms in controlling the Earth’s climate as oceans take up to 30% of the carbon emissions, acting as a major sink. The ocean’s biological and solubility pumps are ... -
Bathymetry of Eruptive Fissures in the Submarine North Arch Volcanic Field
(2022)Submarine volcanoes make up 75% of volcanic activity on Earth, but are relatively understudied due to the lack of real-time observations of eruptions and their inaccessibility, often several kilometers below sea level. ... -
Phytoplankton Community Composition Along Environmental Gradients in the North Pacific Ocean
(2022)Prochlorococcus is a cyanobacterium smaller than 1 μm that accounts for much of the primary production in nutrient-poor areas such as the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG). In the transition from the NPSG to more ... -
Potential trace-chemical (Fe, Mn, CH4) limitation on bacterial growth in deep sea hydrothermal vent plumes along the Southern East Pacific Rise
(2022)Global cycling of elements like carbon, nitrogen, and iron has a key role in maintaining the biosphere. These and other micro- and macro-nutrients undergo important reduction-oxidation and acid-base transformations in the ... -
Marine Bacterial Growth Rates in the Presence of Microplastics
(2022)This study investigated the effects of microplastics (MPs) on the growth of marine bacteria in the open ocean to try to obtain a general picture on whether or not bacteria can be harmed by or benefit from the presence ... -
Relationship between phytoplankton abundance, available nitrate, ammonium, and temperature at Station ALOHA, and the R/V Roger Revelle Cruise RR1604.
(2022)The goal of the project was to assess the relationship between phytoplankton abundance, various available nutrient concentrations (𝑁𝑂3, 𝑁𝐻4) and temperature (C), based on data collected at station ALOHA, a time-series ...
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