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October 26, 2009 Wright State students investigate mercury levels as part of Atlantic Ocean scientific research trip 
Three Wright State University students just returned from an Atlantic Ocean expedition to investigate mercury levels under the direction of Chad Hammerschmidt, Ph.D., an assistant professor in Wright State’s Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and one of the three most active scientists in the world studying environmental mercury.
Hammerschmidt said the mercury levels are important because this chemical appears in many types of seafood we consume that come from the ocean, like swordfish and tuna. When humans ingest too much, it can lead to neurological problems and harm unborn children. “Our students spent nine days off the New England coast working with sophisticated equipment to sample air, water, plankton and sediment to determine concentrations of various forms of mercury,” said Hammerschmidt, an oceanographer who researches mercury cycling in the environment. He said the Wright State group joined with other students and research scientists on the RV Endeavor, which is owned by the National Science Foundation and operated by the University of Rhode Island. Lisa Romas and Melissa Tabatchnick, both from Dayton, and Katlin Bowman from Columbiana, along with Wright State post-doctoral researcher Geraldine Nogaro from Fairborn, and Hammerschmidt were among the 14 scientists and students on the research trip. Other institutions represented included the University of Connecticut, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Wesleyan University and MIT. “It was exciting for me to apply what I learned in a research lab to an actual field experience,” said Bowman, a senior honor student majoring, like all the other Wright State students on the expedition, in earth and environmental sciences. For Tabatchnick, a graduate student in her first trip at sea, the highlight was “getting to work with world−class scientists and getting to know them on a personal level.” Bowman added that the trip was challenging because their duties involved working at all hours of the day and night and with little time for any recreation or socializing. The weather also was a factor. The 1,100-mile trip was cut short by two days because of high seas. “The ocean got pretty rough, with 15-foot swells breaking over the Endeavor and several people getting sea sick. The safety of everyone on board is critical, so we decided to return to port before the weather became dangerous,” said the Wright State scientist. Hammerschmidt, a mercury researcher for more than 10 years, said the scientific work involved taking samples at nine specific locations to determine mercury levels in air, water, plankton and sediment. At each station, sampling devices were lowered to the bottom of the ocean, and this varied from about 600 feet along the continental shelf to more than two miles when the shelf dropped off to some of the deepest portions of the Atlantic Ocean. “As scientists, we know that mercury levels decrease the farther from land that you go, but we don’t really have all the answers to know why this occurs,” he said. “And because seawater has the lowest levels of mercury, it is a real challenge just to detect these amounts. Our goal from this trip, and all the mercury studies we do in the ocean, is to develop a better understanding of the sources of mercury, the effects humans have on these processes and importance of the continental shelf in affecting mercury levels in water and fish. “This cruise was undoubtedly the most comprehensive examination of mercury cycling in the ocean that has ever been conducted,” Hammerschmidt said. "We collected hundreds of samples of sediment, plankton and water. Now it will take up to a year to process the samples and document our scientific findings.” Funding for the project comes from a three-year, $500,000 NSF grant Hammerschmidt shares with a researcher from the University of Connecticut. # # # NOTE: For more details, Hammerschmidt can be contacted at (937) 775-3457 or chad.hammerschmidt@wright.edu. Photo: A high-resolution photo can be found at http://www.wright.edu/news_events/news/seatrip_lg.jpg. Cutline: A group of researchers and students travels through Cape Cod Canal. From L-R: Dr. William Fitzgerald (UConn), Prentiss Balcom (UConn), Lisa Romas (WSU), Tristan Kading (Wesleyan Univ.), Michael Finiguerra (UConn), Katlin Bowman (WSU), Dr. Chad Hammerschmidt (WSU), Melissa Tabatchnick (WSU), Dr. Carl Lamborg (WHOI), Jenay Aunkst (UConn).  Click on the photo above to see a high-resolution version suitable for printing.
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