Ashley Lobao Senior Thesis Interview
Interview by UW Oceanography undergraduate Lauren Bayne, March 2020.
What is your research project about and how did you come up with this idea? When did you think of this project and what helped you decide on the topic?
My research project is a focus on a phenomenon that occurs on the edge of eddies or rings called: thermohaline intrusions, specifically those found on the edge of Agulhas rings. These intrusions can be key to the mixing of the ring into the surrounding waters. I came up with this idea after reading many papers about the Agulhas and its properties as well as with the help of my thesis mentor Charlie Eriksen who is a physical oceanographer professor in our program. It took me quite some time to think of my topic, most of my research occurred over the summer before my senior year. It was only until week 4 or 5 of fall quarter that I had a solid question I wanted to answer.
What are your goals for this project once finished?
I don’t really have any future goals for this project, besides completing it at this moment. This might change when I get closer to completing it.
What excited you about performing this research and what made you nervous?
The most exciting aspect was actually applying what I have learned in classes to the real world and in South Africa of all places. What concerned me was that I was unsure of whether or not I had learned enough to do it.
How did you perform this on the Thompson? What were your steps and what tools did you use? Did you have to change things to be able to do them off the coast of south Africa?
My project entailed collecting data with the UCTD (Underway CTD) which collects conductivity, temperature, and depth measurements while the ship is underway between stations. There were some technical errors with the UCTD and its winch, however these were efficiently fixed by the Marine Techs on board.
Did anything unexpected occur on the cruise? If so, how did you manage to fix this? Was there any kind of team work on the ship?
There were many unexpected events that occurred on this cruise, for example there was a stomach bug on board with us which made adjusting to the new environment quite a struggle. Despite the uneasy stomachs, many of the students rallied and I believe came to have a great time in all. There are many opportunities for teamwork on the ship, including, but not limited to, working with your watch to get the science tasks on board completed to a set standard.
What was your favorite part of the cruise?
My favorite part of the cruise would have to be my Watch group! We definitely bonded during our shifts and I will always cherish the memories that I had made with them.
Throughout the entire project what was the most challenging part for you?
So far in this thesis I haven’t struggled much. However, I have a feeling that now that I have returned from gathering data, the next step of processing it will be my greatest challenge.
How does this thesis project affect your feelings about graduating and post undergraduate life?
It’s an acting reminder that I am almost done with college and that have to begin my ‘real’ adult life. It’s quite daunting.
