Isabella Checa ’25

Major

Geosciences

Project Title

Contrasting Air-Sea Carbon and Oxygen Fluxes in the Southern Ocean

Certificate(s): Journalism

I aimed to unravel the connection between air-sea carbon and oxygen fluxes in the high-latitude Southern Ocean. My project focused on understanding the region’s carbon sink behavior by deciphering the relationship between dissolved oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations in data from biogeochemical floats in the Antarctic Southern Zone and Seasonal Ice Zone. I interpreted O2 and CO2 concentrations relative to surface saturation by making graphs and interpreting data from autonomous floats in the Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations Modeling project. The experience enriched my analytical skills and expanded my knowledge of biogeochemistry, climate systems, the program Python, coding and scientific analysis. The most captivating aspect was decoding covariation patterns, notably in the Seasonal Ice Zone, where O2 and CO2 displayed a more direct correlation. I plan to incorporate the skills and information I learned into my upcoming junior paper. This experience solidified my aspiration to contribute to climate science and oceanography research and has given me a better understanding of the research process in the oceanography community. I hope to underline the importance of interdisciplinary research and its potential to illuminate critical aspects of our planet’s changing dynamics.



Internship Year

2023

Project Category

Oceans and Atmosphere

Organization(s)

School of Oceanography, University of Washington - Seattle, Washington

Mentor(s)

Alison Gray, Assistant Professor, Physical Oceanography, University of Washington; Channing Prend, Postdoctoral Scholar, School of Oceanography, University of Washington