Getting their feet wet in marine science

CSUB geology students intern at Scripps Institution of Oceanography

By California State University, Bakersfield

September 21^st, 2022

Choosing the right career path can be a daunting task and often an internship can help make the choice easier. This was at least part of the motivation for California State University, Bakersfield geology majors Monica Hinson and Hannah Warner when they signed up for a marine science internship this past summer.

The internship was part of the Geopaths project, a National Science Foundation-funded collaboration between CSUB, Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) and the University of San Diego (USD). The immersive, hands-on research internship gave Hinson and Warner a month-long idea of what it would be like to work as a geoscientist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, Calif.

The internship included conducting research and learning new skills at the Scripps Geoscience Facility. Under the guidance of Geological Collections Manager Alexandra Hangsterfer, Hinson and Warner processed and analyzed cores of seafloor sediment collected as part of Geopaths research voyages. Using state-of-the-art techniques and equipment, the students took X-rays of the cores and created a basic database for each Geopaths core collected off the coast of San Diego from water depths between 300 meters to more than 2000 meters.

The experience was challenging, but rewarding. As Hinson explains, “I was taken out of my comfort zone and challenged mentally and academically, an experience that so few are lucky to experience as an undergraduate student.”

In the middle of their internship Warner and Hinson participated in a four-day research voyage aboard the Scripps Vessel, R/V Roger Revelle. The Revelle is among the largest class of research vessels in the U.S. Fleet. Working alongside scientists, students and educators from CSUB, SIO and USD, Hinson and Warner actively participated in the deployment and recovery of research equipment, as well as the collection and processing of deep-sea research samples. The interns operated the equipment and employed the techniques used to collect the deep-sea sediment cores they are working on. When they returned to SIO, Warner and Hinson worked on the cores they had helped collect at sea.

“Our collaborations with Scripps and the University of San Diego enabled us to provide this very unique internship opportunity for CSUB students," said Dr. Tony Rathburn, CSUB geologist and PI for the Geopaths Project. "Monica and Hannah were completely immersed in life at Scripps, enabling these land-locked students to get a much better idea of what life as a marine scientist would be like.”

The internship was transformative for both Hinson and Warner.

“The Scripps internship has given me the courage to pursue higher education," Hinson said. "I met some amazing individuals from diverse backgrounds with various struggles and they all seemed to love what they do. I hope to achieve the level of education where I am comfortable in my career and am also doing my part to contribute positively to the well-being of nature and society.”

Warner agreed.

“Altogether, it made for the best experience I have ever had," Warner said. "I learned so much within a month that I can use down the line in my career and in daily life as well.”

Of course, research is not all that you do as an oceanographer at Scripps. Scripps researchers also typically participate in community outreach and help to educate the public about marine science through the Scripps Birch Aquarium, located a short walk up the hill from SIO.

Warner and Hinson had a booth at an educational outreach event at the aquarium, informing visitors about their project. As a result of their involvement with the aquarium, the interns were able to go behind the scenes and view the new penguin exhibit before the live exhibit was opened to the general public.

In addition to tours of Scripps collections and participating on a fossil-oriented field trip with a Scripps researcher, living in an apartment in La Jolla also enabled Warner and Hinson to take advantage of local activities, such as kayaking, strolling along the beach and having lunch watching the waves break along the shore.

After an internship experience that most students can only dream about, Hinson and Warner have narrowed their choices of career path, and revised their visions of a dream job. For Hinson, “The internship at Scripps solidified the choice for me to pursue higher education in the field of oceanography.”

“This experience gave an insight to potential careers and lifestyles that I didn’t know were an option for me,” said Warner. “I am very grateful that this internship has opened doors for me. This has helped me realize that when I take advantage of opportunities and work hard, I can achieve whatever it is that I desire in life.”