Student Blogs & Vignettes

Christa Baranowski

ABOUT MY RESEARCH

As someone who was born and raised in South Florida (and has moved all over the state), I have heavy motivation to do my part in helping the vastly unique environment we have here. My current research interests include analyzing spectra data alongside supportive array data to shed light on relationships with various plankton and their natural environments via the Ocean Observatories Initiative's various AC-S locations. I was fortunate enough to attend their Sensor Summer School, which was intense but didn't deter me from the task. I hope to learn more about how natural events, nutrient fluctuations, and chemical changes in our oceans are influencing the base of the oceanic food web around the world. I would love to be able to tie that information back to how it is affecting Florida - but maybe that's for my PhD! There is still so much for me to learn (like coding!), and I am so excited to see where this path takes me. 

WHY USF CMS?

As a USFSP Alumni, I always knew about the College of Marine Science but was not formally introduced until I started my journey into graduate school. Obviously, I knew that the St. Pete campus was a winner, but learning about the great people who work and study here, as well as the amazing resources and support the college has been an eye-opener that makes me feel incredibly welcomed. There are many reasons to choose USF CMS, but for me, it was the supportive atmosphere and plethora of opportunities, especially as a smaller college. It seems like almost all the professors have an open-door policy, and since most grad students get offices on campus, you can always find help!