UNC Dept of Earth, Marine & Environmental Sciences

I am honored and humbled by this recognition. I am also exceptionally grateful to all of my amazing collaborators throughout the years.

Check out Margarita’s chemostat setup to examine shifts in nutrient quotas in Galapagos diatoms throughout diel cycles. She will be sampling every three hours over the next two days!! 🥱

Scientific figuring with three panels. Left panel shows a map of the Everglades in Florida overlaid with data from the SWOT mission. It shows very detailed water level data throughout the everglades. The second panel, in the upper right, is a scatterplot showing in situ gauge water level against SWOT water level. It shows a mean absolute error of 6.7 cm, a correlation coefficient of 0.996, and a mean bias of 6.8 cm. The third figure, a scatterplot in the lower right, shows that by averaging 30 or more SWOT pixels, high accuracy is possible.

Are water levels in wetlands important to you? @kica22.bsky.social's new paper in GRL shows that the SWOT satellite can measure water surface elevations in the Everglades with a mean absolute error of 6.7 cm. Check it out! agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/...

Join us in thanking our #ASLO_ECC members for hosting a fun early career mixer yesterday at #ASLO25! The event was buzzing with lively conversations, networking, and the joy of reconnecting with old friends and making new ones. Share your favorite moments and tag #ASLO25 in your photos!

Great work, EMES presenters and session organizers!
@flane.bsky.social @zepernickbn.bsky.social

Emma Dempsey making EMES proud with her action-oriented research on antimicrobial resistance, coastal storms and wastewater infrastructure in the face of climate change.

The dynamic duo of Margarita and Abby presenting their research on phytoplankton dynamics in the Galapagos at ASLO in Charlotte NC. #ASLO25

Taller members of the Marchetti Lab presenting their massive research findings at ASLO in Charlotte NC. #ASLO25. Go Emily!

Smaller members of the Marchetti Lab presenting massive research findings at the Aquatic Sciences meeting in Charlotte NC @aslo.org. Go Raquel!

Department of Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences Poster Presentations in Exhibit Hall A 6:00 PM Saturday, March 29 The Influence of Physical Processes on Phytoplankton Community Structure in the Galapagos Archipelago (SS09P-9402) Margarita Lankford Graduate Student Modeling Carbon Biogeochemical Cycling in Integrated Lake and River Networks (SS35P-9423) Veronica Slevin Graduate Student Fluorometric Assay for the Detection of Methanol in Aquatic Environments and Bacterial Cultures (SS02P-9502) Keshav Srivenkatesh Undergraduate Student

Department of Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences Poster Presentations in Exhibit Hall A 6:00 PM Saturday, March 29 Temperature-Dependent Hydrolytic Activity of Epipelagic Microbial Communities (SS11P-9014) Eleanor Hennessey Undergraduate Student Technique Development: Integrating Drivers of Spatiotemporal Variation of Microplastics in Freshwater Systems (SS12P-9181) Riley Moran Graduate Student Evaluating Methods for Estimating Seagrass Blue Carbon Stocks in Core Sound, North Carolina (SS04P-9182) Lillian Cooper Graduate Student Impact of Changing Environmental Conditions on Desorption of PFAS from Sediments in Lacustrine Environments (SS16P-9183) Lauren McShea Undergraduate Student

Capping off our busy Saturday were seven posters from graduate students Margarita Lankford, Veronica Slevin, Riley Moran and Lillian Cooper and undergraduate students Keshav Srivenkatesh, Eleanor Hennessey and Lauren McShea #ASLO25

@veronicaslevin.bsky.social

Department of Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences Oral Presentations Saturday, March 29 10:15 AM W207CD Physiological Response of Small Eukaryotic Phytoplankton to Differing Nitrogen Regimes in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (SS18A-9050) Dr. Raquel Flynn Postdoctoral Scholar 3:45 PM W205CD Battling Trophic Modes: How Do Mixotrophs Respond to Iron Limitation in Upwelling Zones? (SS19A-8988) Emily Speciale Graduate Student

Later on Saturday, postdoc Dr. Raquel Flynn and graduate student Emily Speciale presented talks on how microscopic marine organisms - eukaryotic phytoplankton and mixotrophs - respond to nutrients like nitrogen and iron #ASLO25
@marchettilab.bsky.social

Department of Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences Oral Presentations Saturday, March 29 9:00 AM W205CD Biogeochemical and ecological impacts of ~30 years of elevated tropical cyclone activity on North Carolina’s estuarine and coastal waters (SS45-9143) Dr. Hans Paerl Professor 9:45 AM W205CD Antimicrobial Resistance and the Stress of Climate Change-Driven Coastal Flooding on Wastewater Systems (SS45-9257) Emma Dempsey Graduate Student 10:15 AM W205CD Long-Term Analysis of Gulf Stream Variability at Cape Hatteras Using High-Frequency Radar Surface Current Observations (SS45-9459) Yubeen Jeong Graduate Student

Department of Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences Organized Sessions Saturday, March 29 9:00-10:30 AM W205CD North Carolina’s coast at the doorstep of climate change (SS45P) Lead Organizer: Dr. Hans Paerl, Co-Organizer: Dr. Rachel Nobel Professors 6:00 PM Exhibit Hall A Integrating and Developing ‘Omics Technologies in Aquatic Community Ecology (SS08P) Co-Organizer: Dr. Adrian Marchetti Professor 6:00 PM Exhibit Hall A Reducing Nutrient Inputs to Coastal and Inland Waters: How Hard Can It Be? (SS34P) Co-Organizer: Dr. Nathan Hall Research Assistant Professor 6:00 PM Exhibit Hall A North Carolina’s coast at the doorstep of climate change (SS45P) Lead Organizer: Dr. Hans Paerl, Co-Organizer: Dr. Rachel Nobel Professors

#ASLO25 weekend recap!

On Saturday morning, graduate students Emma Dempsey and Yubeen Jeong gave talks in SS45: North Carolina’s coast at the doorstep of climate change. This session, organized in part by by Drs. Hans Paerl and Rachel Noble, also featured a talk by Dr. Paerl.

@aslo.org

Our #PTp latest article #EPLS Donoso-Tapia et al.. 2025 article about deserpentinization and reserpentinization in 🇪🇨 Raspas complex was feature in New Studies on Serpentinites of ⁦‪@AAPG‬⁩ CORE ELEMENTS ⁦‪@UNC‬⁩ ⁦‪@UNC_EMES‬⁩
newsletters.aapg.org/new-studies-...

Flyer highlighting presentations from members of UNC EMES at the ASLO meeting. The text reads: Department of Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences Oral Presentations Friday, March 28 2:30 PM W201ABCD Selfish Uptake of Polysaccharides by Marine Heterotrophic Bacteria at Elevated Hydrostatic Pressure (SS10B-9105) Dr. Chad Lloyd Postdoctoral Scholar 3:00 PM W208 Alleviation of Phytoplankton Light Limitation by Salinity Intrusion in a CDOM Rich, Oligohaline Estuary (CS09-8766) Dr. Mingying Chuo Postdoctoral Scholar

This afternoon, postdoctoral researchers Chad Lloyd and Mingying Chuo will present their research on the effects of pressure on polysaccharide update by bacteria and how light limitation during salinity intrusions impact phytoplankton.

Logo for the 2025 ASLO Meeting. On top of a background image of an ocean wave, the text reads Taking the Aquatic Pulse Aquatic Sciences Meeting 26-31 March 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

We are at #ASLO25!

Yesterday morning, graduate student Mary Kate Rinderle kicked of the EMES presentations with her talk, characterizing a cyanobacteria-driven regime shift within Lake Mattamuskeet, NC using long-term monitoring datasets, in session SS42A.

@aslo.org

Dark blue flyer with a picture of MS student Aundre Jackson and the following text - "MS Thesis Defense of Aundre Jackson Wednesday March 26 at 10:30 am Murray 3204 and Zoom. To what extent does V. fischeri use T6SS weapons to invade an already colonized territory?"

Please join us tomorrow morning to celebrate Aundre Jackson as he defends his Master's thesis! While at UNC, Aundre's research has focused on the question, to what extent does V. fischeri use T6SS weapons to invade an already colonized territory?

See you at 10:30 am tomorrow in Murray Hall or Zoom!

Flyer that says Give UNC 3-25-25 and lists three department names - Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Marine Sciences, and Environment, Ecology and Energy Program. There is a donation box in the bottom right corner with a pink heart

Collage of photos showing EMES researchers at work in the field as well as photos of lab work and the new mural on the Institute of Marine Sciences building.

It's giving...Earth! Marine Science! Environment!

Happy #GiveUNC Day! Your donation supports the incredible work of students and faculty across disciplines in EMES, from funding research travel to awarding outstanding student accomplishments. Share your love for #UNC, share your love for Earth💙🌎

Not much can beat a Carolina spring day!

Haw River Assembly

The most unique finds were a license plate and a full outfit (including 3 pairs of shoes - check out the first photo)!

Thank you to the Haw River Assembly for organizing the Clean-Up-A-Thon! To learn more, visit their website www.hawriver.org

Member of the UNC Global Hydrology Lab, Jack Dechow, standing in a parking lot with 8 orange bags of trash. He is smiling and giving two thumbs up.

Lexi Henny and Alayna Smith, members of the UNC Global Hydrology Lab, are standing behind vines where they have been picking up trash. Alayna is holding an orange bag of trash.

Isabela Arauz, member of the UNC Global Hydrology Lab, leans down to pick up trash from among some ivy. She is holding an orange trash bag and smiling.

Group selfie of members of the UNC Global Hydrology Lab. From left to right are Lexi Henny, Maks Fuks, Jack Dechow, Tamlin Pavelsky, Isabela Arauz, Alayna Smith and Julianne Davis.

To celebrate Orange County Creek Week and World Water Day, members of the UNC Global Hydrology Lab participated in the 35th annual Haw River Clean-Up-A-Thon on Saturday!

In 1.5 hours, the UNC team pulled 14 bags of trash from Booker Creek in Chapel Hill.
@globalhydro.bsky.social @iarauz.bsky.social

Aliyah is the first African American student to earn a PhD in Marine Sciences at UNC. Thanks to her incredible mentorship and work as CEO and founder of the non-profit Mahogany Mermaids, Aliyah is helping the next generation find their place in STEM.

Learn more on her website! aliyahgriffith.com

Dark blue flyer with a picture of PhD candidate Aliyah Griffith and the following text - "Congratulations to our newest doctor Aliyah Griffith on the successful defense of her dissertation, coral reef structure, community composition shifts, and the complexities of coral reef management across three regions in the Greater Caribbean and Florida, on March 17!

We are thrilled to wish Aliyah Griffith a very happy (belated) Ph.D. defense day! 🪸🎉

On Monday March 17, Aliyah defended her dissertation on coral reef structure, community composition shifts, and the complexities of coral reef management across three regions in the Greater Caribbean and Florida.

The J. David Lowell Field Camp Scholarship is GSA's annual award for undergraduate students to attend summer field camp. Students are awarded $2,000 each to attend the #FieldCamp of their choice based on diversity, financial need & merit. Learn more & apply by 9 April here: geosociety.co/JDL

Dark blue flyer with a picture of MS student Jack Baer and the following text - "MS Thesis Defense of Jack Baer Friday March 21 at 12:00 pm Murray 3204 and Zoom. Design storms underestimate flood hazard and risk derived from stochastic storm transposition."

It's a double defense day! Join us at 12 pm in Murray Hall or on Zoom for the MS thesis defense of Jack Baer! Jack will be sharing his research on how design storms underestimate flood hazard and risk derived from stochastic storm transposition.

As a member of the Environment, Ecology and Energy (E3P) program, Nick has conducted his PhD under the advisement of Dr. Fodrie at the Institute of Marine Sciences. We can't wait to hear the culmination of all his hard work!

Dark blue flyer with a picture of PhD candidate Nicholas Funnell and the following text - "Ph.D. Dissertation Defense of Nicholas Funnell Friday March 21 at 9:00 am IMS 222 and Zoom. The Influence of Ecological Interactions and Environmental Context on Shellfish Mariculture and Restoration Outcomes in North Carolina"

Set the coffee pot up tonight so you'll be on time for some great science in the morning! At 9 am tomorrow, please join us at the Institute of Marine Sciences or on Zoom for Nick Funnell's PhD defense.

@nickfunnell.bsky.social

So proud of our PTp graduate Anna Strickland, who is laser💥 GSZ metamorphic minerals at @UCSB LASS #AGeS_Grad @UNC_EMES

Welcome to BlueSky! We’re excited to have you over here with us!

Marchetti Lab has now joined Bluesky and is Standing up for Science #standupforscience2025

In front of a packed room (and even busier Zoom room), Lauren led the way as the first PhD student from Dr. Antonia Sebastian's Flood Hazards lab to defend their dissertation. Fantastic work, Lauren!