Mountain Talk: Frontiers in Ocean Science
0The oceans cover over 70% of Earth’s surface, comprising 99% of its habitable space and playing a crucial role in oxygen production. Most ocean environments exist in complete darkness, beyond the reach of sunlight. This vast volume of water constitutes the world's largest biome.
Established in spring 2024, the Lehigh Oceans Research Center is a hub for collaborative oceanographic research, aiming to understand and predict how biological systems respond to environmental changes from the surface to the deep sea. This presentation will introduce the center's faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and students and highlight key research initiatives.
About the speaker:
Jill McDermott is the director of Lehigh Oceans. She is a geochemist and a Frank Hook Associate Professor in the Earth and Environmental Sciences Department at Lehigh University. She investigates the aqueous and volatile geochemistry and biogeochemistry of seafloor hydrothermal vents and ancient terrestrial fracture waters tapped by deep mines.
McDermott earned her B.A. in chemistry from Dartmouth College, an M.S. in geochemical systems from the University of New Hampshire, and a Ph.D. in chemical oceanography from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Joint Program. She received the Carl-Gustaf Rossby Award, given for the best Ph.D. thesis within MIT's Program in Atmospheres, Oceans, and Climate; the George Panteleyev Award from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; and Kavli and Gulf Research Program fellowships from the National Academy of Sciences. McDermott also received the Lehigh Paul J. Franz Jr. and Class of ’68 Faculty Fellowship.
She serves on the Deep Submergence Science Committee, a national committee of scientists who provide support and advice to the operator and supporting funding agencies of the U.S. underwater vehicle fleet, including HOV Alvin, ROV Jason, and AUV Sentry.