About Me
Hello, I’m Kayla Emerson! I’m a senior at the Outer Banks Field Site majoring in Environmental Science with minors in G.I.S. and Food Studies. This semester I spent my internship time on my senior honors thesis with Dr. Lindsay Dubbs as my advisor. Throughout my time at UNC I was able to be a part of a few really cool research projects and knew I wanted to dive more into independent research when I came to the field site. My research interests lie in the dynamics of wetlands and hydrological landscapes and their role in the storage and movement of carbon and nutrients. I find the movement of water and all that it holds through ecosystems fascinating, and important to combating climate change and understanding the effects of pollution.
My Project
My project dates back to March 2022 when I emailed Linsday asking if she would advise me through my senior honors thesis. Lindsay has a background in biogeochemistry and environmental gas fluxes (and is a stellar human being in general), so I was excited to get the chance to work with her. We spent the spring and summer planning a project for me to join and develop into something of my own, and forming my committee of mentors that would guide me through this process. Luckily, Lindsay found a way for me to hop onto a project that Dr. David Lagomasino and Dr. Sean Charles had just begun. David is an ECU professor and PI of the Coastal Oceans and Observing Lab and Sean is a post doc in the lab. David and Sean’s project focuses on sediment dynamics of the marshes in the Currituck Sound that have historically been used for waterfowl hunting.
To bring my own spin to the project, I am focusing on the groundwater and surface water of the marshes. I’m measuring basic parameters of the water such as dissolved oxygen, pH, and salinity. I am also processing water samples for dissolved organic carbon and nutrients, including nitrate and phosphate. What makes my project unique is that I am sampling marshes in the Currituck Sound and the marsh surrounding the Coastal Science Institute. These ecosystems have vastly different salinities and face different directions and are therefore influenced by different winds. My research aims to compare the carbon storage and nutrient profiles of water in marshes of differing salinities and wind influences.
Field Work
If you know me, you know that field work is my favorite part of research. This semester I got to do field work at two locations and even take a boat to my sites! When sampling in Currituck, we hauled CSI’s Carolina Skiff all the way up north and spent the day on the sound. David, Sean, and I gathered more people to help us out in the field and enjoyed their company. Upon anchoring at each marsh, I would hop out of the boat, find my way to the center of the marsh, and work with the groundwater well. After collecting my samples, I helped David and Sean collect sediment tiles and cores. As we made our way back to the boat, we tried our best to not fall in any holes and prevent Juncus puncture wounds. Field work is always a fun challenge and makes for great memories.
The second location I sampled at was the marsh surrounding CSI. Rebekah, 2021 OBXFS alum and now lab technician, and I take kayaks out on the sound to reach the new research boardwalk. We paddle out to the marsh edge, pull our kayaks onto shore, then hoist ourselves on the boardwalk. As we walk over the marsh, I hop on and off the boardwalk to collect water samples, CO2 samples, and measure water parameters.
Takeaways
Although this semester was full of a lot of fun out in the field, it was also very challenging. Planning, conceiving, and conducting a research project is no small task. When I wasn’t out in the field, I was working independently on my literature review and organizing ideas into something I can conceptualize. However, being challenged academically is really important and I have an amazing team supporting me through this process. I’ve learned that research can be collaborative, even if you are alone, and there is always someone to answer your questions.
Unlike the rest of my peers, my project doesn’t end this semester. My Honors Thesis will continue next semester and culminate in a oral and written defense in April. As I wrap up my time here in the Outer Banks, I’m putting my field supplies away, and getting ready to spend more time at coffee shops on my laptop analyzing my data and writing my manuscript. I may have a lot on my plate and more in front of me, but I’m so excited for what the future holds.
Thank You
As my time at the Outer Banks comes to an end and the field season ends, I want to thank everyone who has been a part of my Honors Thesis this semester. Rebekah, thank you for joining me on field work days and sharing laughs with me as we stumble through marshes and try to not make a fool of ourselves. David and Sean, thank you for letting me join your project this semester. Thank you for answering all of my questions when we are out in the field and providing a different lens for me to understand the complex wetlands we are studying. Kriddie, thank you for being my role model in science. You taught me that science doesn’t have to be serious and to enjoy every moment of the process. I wouldn’t be doing this project if it wasn’t for your encouragement and teaching. From coding to climbing mountains, you always inspire me to go the extra mile.
Lindsay, thank you most of all for taking a chance on me and choosing to advise me through my project. Thank you for making connections for me and allowing me to lean on familiar faces. Thank you for guiding me on the right path when it comes to developing research questions and creating a project of my own. Thank you for your patience with me as I challenge myself and learn new aspects of the research process. I am so grateful that I get to continue to work with you and my other mentors next semester and make you proud with my final product come April.