Lisa Levin's lab is a collection of researchers from
Scripps Institution of Oceanography. While at Alaska
they explored the biolgoy of methane seeps.

Lisa has been a Professor of Oceanography at Scripps Institution of Oceanography since 1992. She specializes in benthic ecology within the field of biological oceanography. Benthic ecology studies soft-sediment ecosystems from salt marshes to the deep sea. There are many great aspects of being a research scientist. For Lisa working with wonderful colleagues at sea and on land and the excitement of submersible/ROV studies are the best parts of the job. To be the first person to see a piece of sea floor and bring back to the surface previously undiscovered life forms is very rewarding.

Tony is an Associate Research Scientist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and a Lecturer at the University of San Diego. Tony is a geobiologist and paleooceanographer, with diverse research interests. Geobiologists study organisms, their fossils, and their geochemistry. Much of Tony's research focuses on marine micro-organisms and how they respond to changes in their environment. Paleoceanographers investigate ancient oceans and how these oceans have changed through geologic time. One way paleoceanographers can solve puzzles about ancient oceans is to study fossils and sediments collected from the seafloor.

Currently Tony is researching the micropaleontology (tiny fossils) and biogeochemistry of extreme environments (oxygen-poor, organic-rich settings and methane seeps) in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The goal of his research is to use the data to assess paleoproductivity, bottom-water oxygen concentration, adaptations in stressful (extreme) environments and the influence of methane flux on climate. Discovering the history of marine environments from fossil and sediment records requires detective work on the part of the scientist. This detective work is fascinating to Tony. He has always had an interest in studying ancient organisms great and small, land and marine; dinosaurs, for example, were one of his first interests.

Tony studies tiny organisms, like foraminifera, because they provide critical clues about environments of the past and present. Tony advises students interested in becoming marine or natural scientists to emphasize breadth in their science courses and gain hands on experience in the lab and field. Concerning the Alaska expedition, Tony considers the investigation of the relationship between foraminifera and marine methane an important research goal because a better understanding of the ecology and geochemistry of foraminifera associated with methane seeps, such as those off Alaska, may help us to understand the history of methane release and the connection between marine methane and climate change. Outside of his scientific explorations Tony enjoys "hiking, playing basketball, collecting fossils, rock, and minerals, and collecting and reading books by naturalists and early explorers".

Sharon was a volunteer researcher on the expedition; she assisted Lisa Levin's lab in conducting its research. Sharon has a Ph.D. in oceanography, and specialized in marine geochemistry - the chemistry of rocks and sediments on the ocean floor. For her dissertation, she investigated the fate of particles that enter the ocean through seafloor hydrothermal vents. Sharon became fascinated with hydrothermal processes along seafloor spreading ridges, where the Earth's crust is continually being created. "Volcanic activity on land was mesmerizing to me, and when I became aware that there were volcanoes beneath the sea, I wanted to learn more about them."

Sharon's current interests are in disseminating scientific information to non-scientists. Much of her post-graduate work has focused on bringing science to the public in meaningful ways. When asked what she would like the public to know about her research, Sharon offered: "Each new discovery scientists make opens up a thousand new mysteries about the Earth we have yet to solve". Currently, Sharon is an independent writing consultant for the Director of SIO and a full-time mom to her three-year old daughter. She advises students who may be thinking about graduate school that, "while the focus of a student's research may be narrow, her academic training need not restrict later career directions." Outside of science, Sharon loves to take daily walks with her husband, their daughter and golden retriever, bake and cook, travel, and enjoy the company of wonderful friends.

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