Hugh Ducklow, Principal Investigator
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Hugh is a professor of marine science. He is interested in marine bacteria and other microscopic organisms called picoplankton. Hugh looks at the ways bacteria grow and act in marine habitats. This field of research is known as microbial ecology. Hugh has done research in such different habitats as the Hudson River, the Chesapeake Bay, the North Atlantic Ocean, the equatorial Pacific, the Southern Ocean, the Black Sea, the Great Barrier Reef, the Arabian Sea, the Ross Sea, the Sargasso Sea, and Antarctic coastal seas. For an interview with Hugh, click here.

Rebecca Dickhut, Principal Investigator
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Rebecca is an associate professor of marine science. She is interested in organic pollutants and the way they move and change in the environment. She uses chemistry, geology, biology, and physics to help her understand these processes. Rebecca wants to know how rivers, oceans and the atmosphere move toxic substances around the world. This will help people learn how to manage these harmful substances. She does research in the Chesapeake Bay, river estuaries, and Antarctic coastal seas. For an interview with Rebecca, click here.

Helen Quinby, Research Associate
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Helen analyzes water samples that have been taken from the world’s oceans. She measures the presence, growth and action of bacteria, using a variety of laboratory methods. Helen has participated in two previous expeditions to Antarctica. This time, she will remain at VIMS, where she will analyze the samples from this current expedition. For an interview with Helen, click here.

Michele Cochran, Research Associate
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Michele analyzes air and water samples that have been taken from the atmosphere and from the world’s oceans, rivers, and lakes. She measures the presence of organic pollutants in these samples. She uses chemical processes to do this. Michele also has studied toxic materials in soil and plant samples, looking at how these substances affect agriculture and livestock. For an interview with Michele, click here.

Amy Chiuchiolo (pronounced "Q-Q-LOW"),
Graduate Student
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Amy has already completed a college degree in environmental science. She has worked on many research projects, and now she is studying to get a graduate degree. Amy is especially interested in ecology. She is asking research questions about persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the coastal Antarctic waters. She will be looking at POPs in the base of the Antarctic food web. She is studying ice algae, phytoplankton, and zooplankton in coastal Antarctic seas. For an interview with Amy, click here.

Susan Cowles
Susan joins this team as a member of the program "Teachers Experiencing Antarctica and the Arctic." Susan teaches classes in adult basic skills development at Linn-Benton Community College, Corvallis, Oregon. She also directs the Science & Numeracy Special Collection for the National Institute of Literacy. For an interview with Susan, click here.