Student Blogs & Vignettes

Siarah Hall

ABOUT MY RESEARCH

I am broadly interested in how energy, especially light energy, moves through the environment. Since light ultimately drives most dynamics within a system, it is extremely important to understand how we can detect and interpret its interactions to gain insight into how energy is allocated and exchanged within a system. More specifically, I am currently interested in what we can learn from ocean color, and how something like the shade of beautiful turquoise waters can reveal critical information about our changing oceans. 

Under the direction of Drs. Chuanmin Hu and Brian Barnes, my research will apply remote sensing and other tools to study the optically complex waters of Florida Bay, and how light interacts with the ecologically important seagrass meadows that define the region. This work aims to deepen our understanding of optical properties within the bay, and how variable light regimes might influence other processes such as primary productivity, nutrient cycling, and ecosystem functions. 

Why USF CMS?

The series of events that led up to me joining the Optical Oceanography Lab here at CMS provided undeniable affirmation that I am in exactly the right place. Through receiving my B.S. in coastal environmental science from LSU and a series of internships and research experiences, my path guided me straight into optics, and straight here. It culminated one day when I was having lunch with a past mentor who introduced me to optics in the first place. As a recent graduate, I was interested in pursuing optics in graduate school and had just begun thinking about potential advisors. I came across Dr. Hu’s work and noticed there were a few papers in collaboration with my mentor. When I asked him about Dr. Hu and their work, he said “Oh, he is right behind you. Would you like to meet him?” A few months later, here I am!

With the opportunity to work under such renowned scientists and learn from distinguished professors who are leading their own respective fields – joining CMS was an obvious decision for me. Since joining the college and learning about the research, technology, collaborative community and more, my decision has only been reaffirmed over and over. I am ecstatic and grateful for this opportunity and look forward to pushing boundaries and making the most of it!