Young scientists impress Explorers
By Warner M. Montgomery
Warner@TheColumbiaStar.com

College of Charleston students Chris Stubbs, Hannah Biddens, and Sam Crickenberger spoke to the Explorers Club about their oceanographic experiences.

At the monthly meeting of the Greater Piedmont Chapter of The Explorers Club, three marine science students from the College of Charleston told of their experiences on a ship- based research and training program. Sam Crickenberger, Hannah Biddens, and Chris Stubbs participated in the Transect Program, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), during the past two years. (www.oceanica.cofc.edu)

The program consisted of four, five- day cruises over four semesters of undergraduate work. Twelve students accompanied four assistant scientists and four senior scientists on the R/V Savannah, a 90- foot research vessel.

After the ship left Charleston for the continental shelf, the students assumed the role of deckhands and went to work managing core samples, plankton nets, dredges, sonar detectors, and ROV (remote operating vehicles) with video cameras. They worked 12 on/12 off shifts around the clock.

When the cruise was over, they moved back into the college labs and became apprentice lab technicians. For a full semester they processed the samples they got from the sea. As the data was developed, the students analyzed their results.

The final step toward becoming real scientists is now underway. Each of the students is preparing presentations of their findings and writing papers, which will be refereed by scientists in oceanography.

One of their major findings is an underwater river bed 12 miles off the coast of South Carolina that has at least 28 meanderings. This river would have been on the coast during the last ice age. Further analysis of the river bed might give clues of the impending global warming.

The students were enthusiastic about the program, especially the friendships they gained, the professional networks they established, and the opportunities that await them. All are excited about the scholarships and graduate school positions they have been offered.

The success of the program is leading universities in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina to create a Southeast Region Transect Program to monitor the continental shelf from St. Augustine to Wilmington. Professor Steve Stancyk of USC, and Professors Leslie Sautter and Gorka Sancho of the College of Charleston are seeking funding from the NSF and the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The Explorers Club (www.explorers.org) is an international association of those who seek to bring new knowledge of the land, sea, air, and space to the public. Information may be obtained from Chapter Chair Nena Powell Rice (nrice@sc.edu).