During the last month of my REU, I focused on both analyzing data I had collected and conducting fieldwork on the water. Given data availability and time constraints, I refined my project to examine how the smoke plume traveled and how ash was distributed following the fires. While my original goal was to understand how ash deposition influenced phytoplankton growth, I realized that characterizing plume transport and aerosol deposition is far more complex and that this complexity must first be understood before we look at ash impacts on biology.
I decided to center my analysis on smoke transport and ash deposition, using available data proxies to identify where in the water the ash settled during and after the burn period. I presented these findings in a poster at the Scripps REU symposium and will be sharing them again as an oral presentation with the CCE-LTER (California Current Ecosystem Long-Term Ecological Research) community on September 12th. Presenting my poster was rewarding as it gave me the chance to discuss my research with oceanographers from diverse fields (e.g., modelers, benthic ecologists, and microbial biochemists) who challenged me to think about my results and next steps from new perspectives.
I am continuing this project as my senior thesis, where I aim to flesh out spatiotemporal relationships between bioavailable ash and anomalous algal blooms in the California Current Ecosystem. Beyond my own research, I also joined field campaigns, including a Los Angeles Sanitation Cruise, where I helped collect aerosol and water quality data during the ongoing Santa Barbara fire, and a California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program cruise, where I worked alongside scientists and community members to tag and measure fish populations. Both experiences deepened my appreciation for how collaborative science can address pressing questions within ocean research.
Overall, the CCE-LTER REU was an incredibly formative experience that strengthened my skills as both a scientist and an ocean advocate. It has affirmed my commitment to pursuing a PhD and a career in ocean science, where I hope to continue studying how environmental stressors shape phytoplankton communities and broader ecosystem health.
- NICHOLE RUIZ '26