Professional Products

Education, Outreach and Program Dissemination

2022 Cruise/Cohort Website (designed and managed by students): https://scientistatsea22.eckerd.edu/

2023 Cruise/Cohort Website (designed and managed by students): https://scientistatsea23.eckerd.edu/

2024 Cruise/Cohort Website (designed and managed by students): https://scientistatsea24.eckerd.edu/

2025 Cruise/Cohort Website (designed and managed by students): https://scientistatsea25.eckerd.edu/

Social Media: facebook, twitter, Instagram (SAS, Eckerd College, FIO, USF, USGS and personal feeds)

Recruitment through the EC Diversity Leadership Scholarship program, Sloan Foundation E-STEM program, EC First Year Research Program

Reports to EC faculty meetings and Saint Petersburg Ocean Team

Annual S-A-S Research Symposium (December). Disseminate results of the first- year program to approximately 60 guests including professionals from academia, governmental agencies (from local to federal levels) and private industry, as well as members of the public.

WUSF Radio, Eckerd students complete their second research cruise in the Gulf with a focus on oil spill recovery. Jessica Meszaros.  January 4, 2024. https://www.wusf.org/environment/2024-01-05/eckerd-students-complete-their-second-research-cruise-in-the-gulf-with-a-focus-on-oil-spill-recovery

SAS introduction and recruitment presentation (John Hilliard) Shorecrest High School Marine Science Club, Spring 2024.

Vargas, A.*, Schwing, P.T., Larson, R.A., Brooks, G.R., Rivera, D*., 2023, Scientist at Sea: Pathways to the Geosciences at Eckerd College, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

ED13A-02 Scientist at Sea Program at Eckerd College: Integrating Education With Research to Enhance Recruitment and Diversity in Geosciences. Rebekka Larson1, Patrick Schwing2, Gregg Brooks2, Steven A Murawski3, Julie N Richey4, Sherryl Gilbert5, Caitlin E Reynolds6, Kylee Rullo7, Eric Tappa8 and Eric Plage9, 2024 ASLO Ocean Sciences Meeting, New Orleans, USA.

Scientist at Sea: Pathways to the Geosciences at Eckerd College.  K. M. Laguna, A. Vargas, D. Rivera, R. Larson, P. Schwing, G. Brooks; GOMCON 2024

Kasey Laguna (Panel member): GOMCON 2024, Eckerd College Gulf Scholars Program (NASEM Funded)

EC Undergraduate Theses

Gabe Mopps

Thesis Title: Using Machine Learning Methodologies to Identify Planktic and Benthic Foraminifera.  Eckerd College, B.S. (Marine Science), 2024.

Jodi Murray

Thesis Title: Radioisotope adsorption rates in resuspended deep Gulf of Mexico and East Pacific Ocean sediments.  Eckerd College, B.S. (Marine Science), 2024.

Ali Henes

Thesis Title: Spatial and Temporal Patterns of 210PbXS Inventories in the Northern Gulf of Mexico Bottom Sediments.  Eckerd College, B.S. (Marine Science), 2024.

Rachel Flickinger

Thesis Title: Establishing Biogenic Silica as a Proxy for Deep Sea Mining in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, Pacific Ocean.  Eckerd College, B.S. (Marine Science), 2025.

Evan Baran

Thesis Title: Continuing Trends of Benthic Foraminifera Resilience and Community Characterization in the Northern Gulf of Mexico Following the Deepwater Horizon Event (2011-2023).  Eckerd College, B.S. (Marine Science), 2025.

Aidan Webster

Thesis Title: Comparison of Wet vs Dry and Split vs Unsplit Foraminifera Sampling. Eckerd College, B.S. (Marine Science), 2025.

Kate Murray

Thesis Title: Investigating the Sediment Record of Barium in Northeast Gulf of Mexico.  Eckerd College, B.S. (Marine Science), 2025.

Rosie Cruikshank

Thesis Title: Marine Records of Metal Contamination from Anthropogenic Sources Using XRF: Northwest Cuba.  Eckerd College, B.S. (Marine Science), 2025.

Cassandra Guzman (U. Texas, Austin)

Thesis title: POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF THE 2021 PINEY POINT WASTEWATER EMERGENCY DISCHARGE INTO TAMPA BAY, FL.  Eckerd College, B.S. (Marine Science), 2023.

Publications

Brooks, G.R., Larson, R.A., Schwing, P.T., Romero, I.C., Bosman, S.H., Chanton, J.C., Diercks, A.R. (Submitted2025), Potential for redistribution of DwH-impacted bottom sediments to down-slope depocenters: eastern Gulf of Mexico. Anthropocene.

Martina M. Plafcan*, Patrick T. Schwing, Isabel Romero, Gregg R. Brooks, Rebekka A. Larson, Bryan J. O’Malley, Christopher D. Stallings (2024).  Benthic foraminifera in Gulf of Mexico show temporal and spatial dynamics of

microplastics.   Marine Pollution Bulletin  Volume 200, 116090, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116090.

Schwing, P.T., Chanton, J.C., Bosman, S., Brooks, G.R., Larson, R.A., Romero, I., Diercks, A. (2023).  Radiocarbon derived Holocene sediment accumulation rates in the Gulf of Mexico: Implications for organic matter transport and aging.  Deep Sea Research I, 193, 103959, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2022.103959

Larson, R.A., Schwing, P.T., Guzman, C.*, Rivera, D.*, Wischmeyer, D.*, Murray, J.*, Quiambao, R.*, Murawski, S.A., Brooks, G.R. (2023).  Assessing the Benthic Impacts of the Piney Point Discharge.  Florida Scientist 86 (2), 35-49.

Annual Eckerd Student Research Symposium

17th Annual Eckerd College Student Research Symposium, March, 2025

Eighteen first author poster presentations by SAS students and alums, 5 of which won outstanding presentation awards.

16th Annual Eckerd College Student Research Symposium, March, 2024

Nineteen first author poster presentations by SAS students and alums, three of which won outstanding presentation awards.

15th Annual Eckerd College Student Research Symposium, March, 2023

Thirteen first author poster presentations by SAS students and alums, 2 of which won outstanding presentation awards.

Conference Presentations

* Denotes a S-A-S student participant

Cory, A.*, Schwing, P., Garrett, M., Larson, R., Brooks, G., Lam, T., Rind, T.*, Cooper, J.*, Khoury, N.*, Price M., 2026, Evaluation of Change in Benthic Health on the West Florida Shelf and its Relationship to Harmful Algal Blooms, AGU Ocean Sciences Conference, Glasgow, Scotland.

Larson, R., Schwing, P., O’Malley, B.J., Malatia, A., Brooks, G., Durkee, H.*, 2026, A Radioisotope Landscape Approach in Deep Sea Investigations, AGU Ocean Sciences Conference, Glasgow, Scotland.

Rind. T.*, Schwing, P., Larson, R., Brooks, G., O’Malley, B.J., 2026, Using Benthic Foraminifera to Create a Decadal-Scale Comparison of Ecological Status Throughout the Northern Gulf of Mexico, AGU Ocean Sciences Conference, Glasgow, Scotland.

Schwing, P.T., O’Malley, B., Rivera, D.*, Iannotta, I., Wheat, J.*, Lynch, M.*, Flieg, J., Malatia, A., Galliher, B., Larson, R., Brooks, G., 2026, Establishing comprehensive geochemical baselines from various geological settings in the Clarion Clipperton Zone, AGU Ocean Sciences Conference, Glasgow, Scotland.

Shipley, S.*, Larson, R., Schwing, P., Diercks, A.R., Brooks, G., 2026, Investigating Downslope Transport Deposits in the Northern Gulf of America Using Mass Accumulation Rates, AGU Ocean Sciences Conference, Glasgow, Scotland.

Wheat, J.*, Schwing, P., Larson, R., Brooks, G., O’Malley, B.J., Rivera, D.*, Lynch, M.*, Rind, T.*, 2026, Mineralogical and Elemental Characterization of Pre-Mining Geochemical Conditions from Various Geoforms and Habitat Types in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, AGU Ocean Sciences Conference, Glasgow, Scotland.

Flieg, J., Schwing, P.T., Lynch, M.*, Flickinger, R.*, Rivera, D.*, Larson, R., Brooks, G., O’Malley, B., 2025, Using Biogenic Silica as a sediment distribution proxy following seafloor mining operations in the Clarion Clipperton Zone, Underwater Minerals Conference, St. Petersburg, FL, USA.

Larson, R., Schwing, P., O’Malley, B., Rivera, D., Malatia, A., Durkee, H*., Brooks, G., 2025, A Radioisotope Landscape Approach to Evaluate Deep Sea Sedimentary Records, Underwater Minerals Conference, St. Petersburg, FL, USA.

Rivera, D.*, Schwing, P., O’Malley, B., Larson, R., Brooks, G., 2025, A Refined Suite of X-Ray Analysis Techniques for Evaluating Deep-Sea Mining Sediment Plume Impacts, Underwater Minerals Conference, St. Petersburg, FL, USA.

Cruickshank, R.*, Larson, R., Martinez-Suarez, A., Schwing, P., Brooks, G., 2025, Heavy Metal Contamination in Sediments from Anthropogenic Sources Offshore of Havana Bay, Cuba, Poster, ASLO Aquatic Sciences Conference, March 26-30, Charlotte, N.C., USA.

Selby, S.*, Larson, R., Schwing, P., Brooks, G., 2025, Using 210Pbxs to Track Downslope Transport of Sediments in the Southern Gulf of Mexico: A “Pulse Index” and Mass Accumulation Rate Approach, Poster, ASLO Aquatic Sciences Conference, March 26-30, Charlotte, N.C., USA.

Baran, E.*, Schwing, P., Brooks, G., Larson, R., 2024, Continuing Trends of Benthic Community Health Characterization in the Northern Gulf of Mexico, Gulf of Mexico Conference, Tampa, FL, USA.

Cory, A*, Schwing, P., Garrett, M., Larson, R., Brooks, G., O'Malley, B, Lam, T., Mopps, G.*, Dauzvardis, G., Inga, B.*, 2024, Examining Relationships Between Karenia brevis and the West Florida Shelf Benthos, Gulf of Mexico Conference, Tampa, FL, USA.

Flickinger, R.K.*, Van Mierlo, S.*, Riefsteck, M., Schwing, P.T., Larson, R.A., Brooks, G.R., 2024, Characterization of the Radium-226 Activity Budget from Produced Waters in the Northern Gulf of Mexico, Gulf of Mexico Conference, Tampa, FL, USA.

Gitler, S.*, Schwing, P., Rivera, D.*, Larson, R., Brooks, G., Murray, K.*, 2024, Tracking the Footprint of Drilling Mud by Identifying Barite in Sediments Using X-Ray Diffraction, Gulf of Mexico Conference, Tampa, FL, USA.

Knudsen, J.P.*, Shipley, S.A.*, Fry, L.T.*, Henes, A.*, Schwing, P., Brooks, G., Larson, R., 2024, Assessing the Preservation of the Deepwater Horizon Blowout in the Northern Gulf of Mexico Through Spatial and Temporal Lead and Thorium Inventories and MAR Analysis, Gulf of Mexico Conference, Tampa, FL, USA.

Laguna, K.M.*, Vargas, A.*, Rivera, D.*, Larson, R., Schwing, P., Brooks, G., 2024, Scientist at Sea: Pathways to the Geosciences at Eckerd College, Gulf of Mexico Conference, Tampa, FL, USA.

Murawski, S.A., Schwing, P., Larson, R., Van Mierlo, S.*, Flickinger, R.*, 2024, Are We in Hot Water?: Potential Radiological Threats of Produced Water Discharges from Offshore Oil and Gas Facilities in the Gulf of Mexico, Gulf of Mexico Conference, Tampa, FL, USA.

Truong, H.*, McCartney, H.*, Towne, J.*, Horwin, C.*, Murawski, S., Schwing, P.T., Larson, R.A., Brooks, G.R., 2024, Assessing Elemental Composition and Radioisotopes of Tuna Vertebrae in the Northern Gulf of Mexico, Gulf of Mexico Conference, Tampa, FL, USA.

Cuson, S.*, Fry, L.*, Korpanty, C., 2024, The Sedimentological and Ecological Signature of Dredge Fill Deposition on an Estuarine Seagrass Meadow, Boca Ciega Bay, Florida, AGU Ocean Sciences Conference, New Orleans, LA, USA.

Henes, A.*, Larson, R., Brooks, G., Schwing, P., 2024, Investigating Spatial and Temporal Patterns of 210Pbxs Inventories in the Northern Gulf of Mexico, AGU Ocean Sciences Conference, New Orleans, LA, USA.

Inga, B.*, O’Malley, B., Schwing, P., Larson, R., Jones, D., 2024, Analyzing the Decadal-Scale Effects of the OMCO 1979 Deep-Sea Mining Experiment on Seafloor Changes and Sedimentation Using Short-lived Radioisotopes (Pb-210), AGU Ocean Sciences Conference, New Orleans, LA, USA.

Larson, R., Schwing, P., Brooks, G., Murawski, S.A., Richey, J.N., Gilbert, S., Reynolds, C.E., Rullo, K., Tappa, E., Plage, E., 2024, Scientist at Sea Program at Eckerd College: Integrating Education With Research to Enhance Recruitment and Diversity in Geosciences, AGU Ocean Sciences Conference, New Orleans, LA, USA.

Mopps, G.*, Prior, J., O’Malley, B.J., Schwing, P.T., Rivera, D.*, Griesenauer, E., 2024, Using Machine Learning Techniques to Identify and Characterize Foraminifera in the Gulf of Mexico, AGU Ocean Sciences Conference, New Orleans, LA, USA.

Murray, J.*, Brooks, G., Larson, R., Schwing, P., Rivera, D. *, O’Malley, B., 2024, Comparing and Tracking Radioisotope Adsorption Rates in Seawater and Deep Ocean Sediments, AGU Ocean Sciences Conference, New Orleans, LA, USA.

Murray, K.*, Rivera, D.*, Larson, R., Oliver, M.*, Gitler, S.*, Brooks, G., Schwing, P.T., 2024, The use of Barium in Deep-sea Sediments to track Oil Drilling Activities, AGU Ocean Sciences Conference, New Orleans, LA, USA.

Pass, K.*, Larson, R., Lopez, C., Kaminski, S., Sangiorgi, F., de Zwaan, S., Villanueva, L., Brooks, G., 2024, Correlation of HAB Resting Cyst Abundance with Sediment Texture and Composition in Coastal West-Central Florida: Processes and Controls of HAB Events, AGU Ocean Sciences Conference, New Orleans, LA, USA.

Schwing, P.T., O’Malley, B.J., Inga, B.*, Chernoch, S., Larson, R., Brooks, G., 2024, Short-lived radioisotopes are effective tools for constraining the extent of deep sea mining collector sediment plumes, AGU Ocean Sciences Conference, New Orleans, LA, USA.

Rivera, D.*, Schwing, P.T., O’Malley, B.J., 2024, Tracking Sediment Plume Deposition by Mineralogic and Elemental Signature: Results from the First Full Scale Deep-Sea Mining Test in 44 Years, AGU Ocean Sciences Conference, New Orleans, LA, USA.

Wheat, J.*, Larson, R., Babilonia, R., Raineault, N., Arellano, A.R., Puckett, N., Joy, S., 2024, Evaluation of Oolitic Limestone/Sediment in Hubbard Springs in the Northern West-Florida Shelf, AGU Ocean Sciences Conference, New Orleans, LA, USA.

Kapuler, A.*, Murray, J.*, Randall, S.*, Reifsteck, M.*, Larson, R.A., Brooks, G.R., Schwing, P.T., 2023, Scavenging and Tracking of Radioisotope Particles in Environments (S.T.R.I.P.E.): A Pilot Study, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

Rivera, D.*, Schwing, P.T., O’Malley, B.J., 2023, Elemental and mineralogic characterization of sediments from the Clarion-Clipperton Zone after the first full scale deep-sea mining collector test in 44 years, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

Schell, J.*, Schwing, P.T., Larson, R.A., Brooks, G.R., 2023, Stable Carbon Isotope Analysis from Benthic Foraminifera in the Northern Gulf of Mexico, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

Schwing, P.T., O’Malley, B.J., Inga, B.*, Chernoch, S., Larson, R.A., Brooks, G.R., 2023, Short-lived radioisotopes are effective tools for constraining the extent of deep sea mining collector sediment plumes, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

Vargas, A.*, Schwing, P.T., Larson, R.A., Brooks, G.R., Rivera, D*., 2023, Scientist at Sea: Pathways to the Geosciences at Eckerd College, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

Guzman C.*, Larson R., Schwing, P., Henes A.*, Rivera, D.*, Chernoch, S., Murray J.*, Brooks G., 2023, Potential Impacts of the 2021 Piney Point Wastewater Emergency Discharge into Tampa Bay, FL, ASLO Aquatic Sciences Meeting, June 4-9, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.