Student Blogs & Vignettes

Sean Beckwith

About my research

After focusing on ocean chemistry during my Master’s degree, I’m shifting my interest to the technology behind the measurements, such as sensors that capture the temperature, salinity, oxygen content, light availability and nutrient levels in the coastal waters around Florida. I am pursuing a Ph.D. with Dr. Mark Luther, director of the USF Center for Maritime and Port Studies. Working closely with the CMS Ocean Technology Group, I will analyze the data retrieved by sensors carried aboard underwater gliders, potentially utilizing machine learning practices to elucidate trends in the large amount of data collected by the gliders.

The glider data, along with data from several other partners, including USF’s Coastal Ocean Monitoring and Prediction System, are utilized by scientific networks like the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System and the Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association. These groups perform quality control on the data before disseminating to various ocean sectors and to the general public.

Why USF CMS?

Pinellas County is home for me. I grew up here and returned after living away and abroad. After the positive experience I had while completing my Master’s at CMS, I knew that I need not go far to find an excellent faculty (on par with any group in the country), an incredibly supportive staff, and great students. I love the water that personifies this area and still have many beaches to explore and infinitely many more offshore locations. Researchers at CMS have developed many strong connections with agencies and institutions in the area, around Florida, and, increasingly, in far flung regions of the globe, like Antarctica. This is an exciting place to live and work.