I study metals in the ocean-things like iron, zinc, copper, manganese, nickel, cobalt, cadmium, and lead. Just like we need things like iron and zinc and copper in our own diet, phytoplankton, which are the algae that form the base of the food web in the ocean, also need these metals for optimal growth.
In this photo, I'm preparing drifting buoys for deployment. This was my main responsibility aboard the RV Falkor (too), during a 27-day research expedition in October 2025 exploring the Malvinas Current, an ocean current that runs alongside Argentina. The expedition included biologists, geologists and physical oceanographers such as myself; I'm a PhD candidate at the Sea and Atmosphere Research Center (CIMA) in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Dr. Wozniak described his experience of witnessing a volcanic eruption on the seafloor, observing a stark transition from a rich ecosystem to a barren landscape of blackened rock.
