Juliana Letterie

Title: Undergraduate Student
Institution: University of Delaware
Education:
B.S., Marine Science (expected graduation May 2013), University of Delaware
A.A.S., Delaware Technical and Community College
Role on this research cruise: Marine microbiology and culturing

Blog Post Oct. 29

I’ve been very fortunate to have been a part of this research expedition with Dr. Luther and his research team. My experience in the lab has been with microbiology and most of Dr. Luther’s research is geochemical, so I have been able to observe more than participate, but I’ve still been able to take in the overall experience of working with the Jason and being on my first research cruise. Dave Emerson from Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences and Sean McAllister, a Ph.D. student in Clara Chan’s laboratory at the University of Delaware, are working in familiar territory for me, so I have had the opportunity to use my laboratory skills under their supervision.

For every dive the other undergraduates—Shannon and Megan—and I have been note takers. We each have two four-hour shifts per 24 hours. We note the activity of the Jason and what the Jason cameras are seeing, and also take HD frame grabs of any important activity that is happening at the sites where Jason is working. It’s been quite an experience to see in real-time what has been taught in my classes and shown in textbooks as pictures. It gives all of my lessons more gravity, and also makes me thankful to have studied so much that I can understand the dynamics of what is happening during our time in the deep ocean.

I hope that there are more cruises in my future!