Recent Graduate, Huxley College of the Environment, Shannon Point Marine Center
Bio: My name is Kathryn Williams and I recently graduated Western Washington University with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science with an emphasis in Marine Ecology. I lived in Michigan for most of my life but I chose to go to college at Western Washington University in order to pursue opportunities in marine research. I became interested in marine science when I was in second grade. My second grade teacher taught a lesson on the ocean and coral reefs and I was fascinated by the colorful, mysterious, and dynamic underwater world my teacher presented to me. I never wanted the lesson to end, so I continued to study marine science throughout my high school and college career. At Western Washington University, I had the amazing opportunity to work at Shannon Point Marine Center and conduct coastal ecology research for three years. This research cruise will be my first time working as a lab technician out at sea. I’m really excited and eager to travel to new places, meet scientist from different institutions, develop new lab skills, and learn more about chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and how they are used to track ocean circulation patterns.
What I’m doing on this cruise: I will be working as chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) analyst with Dr. Bonnie Chang. Chlorofluorocarbons are chemicals composed of chlorine, fluorine, and carbon that are found in the water column and can be used as chemical tracers to better understand ocean circulation and anthropogenic carbon dioxide uptake.
GO-SHIP Indian Ocean Cruise 2018 