Marine Geologist
Sea-going Researcher
Photo by Dave Cress, MBARI
Overview
Marine Geologists research the structure, composition, and processes of the ocean floor and coast. They focus on subjects such as sedimentology, plate tectonics, earthquake and tsunami hazards, hydrothermal vents, underwater volcanoes, coastal erosion, and seafloor mapping to better understand the natural processes underlying ocean dynamics.
Day-to-day work
As part of the scientific process, marine geologists often spend time aboard research vessels to collect data. On these research cruises, marine geologists may use oceanographic instruments to collect data or visit specific sites of interest. While out at sea, they could use seafloor mapping techniques to gain a better understanding of the bathymetry of the seafloor, use ROVs to make observations and collect physical measurements, or use AUVs to collect autonomous surveys. Essentially, marine geologists (and many other researchers) conduct at-sea research that contributes to marine science.
Much like other researchers, marine geologists also spend time analyzing data and writing about their findings. They use a variety of analysis techniques to investigate their topic of interest. Often, during the analysis or data collection stage of the process, they will discover something else they are curious about. This spark of interest will lead to another research question that builds on the previous one, more data collection, and so on. In addition, they spend time writing proposals and research papers. The proposals will fund future research, and the papers communicate what they have found to other scientists and the public.
Meet Dr. Bill Chadwick
Senior Research Associate at the Cooperative Institute for Marine Ecosystem and Resource Studies
Bill Chadwick was studying geology as an undergraduate when Mount St. Helens in Washington State erupted. This sparked his interest in active volcanoes, and after working with the U.S. Geological Survey and completing a doctorate, he came to work at OSU’s Hatfield Marine Science Center. He currently uses seafloor mapping, underwater monitoring instruments, and ROV’s to study underwater volcanic seamounts. He has been the Chief Scientist on many research expeditions to the Axial Seamount off the Oregon Coast and various other locations in the Pacific. His main piece of advice for people completing their education is that "it will do you little good to spend excessive amounts of time worrying about the future; instead, focus on continuing to do something you enjoy.”
This photo was taken by Marley Parker at ML Parker Media
Read the interview with Bill Chadwick!
Bill Chadwick is a Senior Research Associate at OSU’s Cooperative Institute for Marine Ecosystem and Resource Studies (CIMERS), researching underwater volcanoes. He is currently focusing on a project that involves monitoring the Axial Seamount, located about 300 miles offshore of Astoria, Oregon. Bill uses seafloor monitoring instruments connected to a fiber-optic cable to obtain real-time measurements of the Axial Seamount’s volcanic activity, allowing his team to better predict and model volcanic eruptions. One of his favorite experiences was seeing an underwater volcano erupting.
Bill's days vary depending on what he is currently focusing on. His days at sea are usually long but filled with excitement. Due to the expensive nature of research cruises, when the crew and Bill are at sea, there is often little downtime as they work to make to make the most out of the time they have. On land, Bill spends his time analyzing data or writing papers and proposals. While this may seem like the less interesting part of his job, Bill emphasized that this is an integral part of any research or scientific job, because scientific results have to be shared to have an impact. As he describes it, his days usually consist of either dreaming about future research projects, doing research to obtain data, or working with data already collected.
Bill’s favorite part of his work is the feeling of discovery. For example, he recently went on a cruise to the Mariana Islands region in the western Pacific, where his team remapped an underwater volcano. Through this expedition, they found some exciting discoveries that motivated Bill to write a proposal for further research in the Mariana region. He refers to the feeling of being surprised by something or figuring out something new as “the juice” that keeps him going.
Bill was in college studying geology when Mount St. Helens erupted. Through a connection to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), he spent his Winter break working at the site. He emphasized that before this experience, he was unsure what his life would look like after graduation and was feeling a lot of pressure to “figure it all out”. He realized that you don’t have to have it all figured out; you just have to keep doing what you love. For him, that meant going back to work with the USGS for a couple of years, completing graduate school, and eventually landing a job studying hydrothermal vents and submarine volcanoes at the Hatfield Marine Science Center.
Bill mentioned the most helpful skill he has as a researcher is writing, because most of the cool things he has been able to work on have been the product of a successful written proposal. He developed this skill by writing funding requests in college, then graduate school, and has continued to develop and use his writing skills to write proposals and research papers as part of conducting his research.
As the Chief Scientist aboard research vessels, Bill must be organized but adaptable. He mentioned that being at sea is unpredictable and must factor flexibility into any research cruise schedule he creates, allowing him to prioritize necessary tasks whilst still ensuring the team makes the most of their time at sea.
For marine science careers, Bill recommends getting a taste of working on a ship at sea, whether that is through volunteering, internships, or work experience. He also recommends networking as much as possible and asking people doing the kind of work you’d like to do how to get involved. Networking and making connections can lead to opportunities or can make you stand out to potential employers.
For Bill, people’s enthusiasm and level of interest are often what draw him in. Those who have “done their homework” -- such as researching the project beforehand, reading related papers, or having an interest in a related field-- are set apart from the crowd.
Bill mentioned that instead of trying to figure out his entire future and feeling anxiety around such a big decision, he wishes he had realized that was impossible and instead simply focused on the near future, the next chapter, and taken it one chapter at a time.
Bill’s main challenge during his job search was figuring out what he wanted to do once he finished his doctorate program. His goal had been to go back to the U.S. Geological Survey and working with them again, but unfortunately, that wasn’t an option. He instead took a job as a marine geologist at Hatfield, even though he wasn’t sure how it would pan out. He emphasized that sometimes your current path has lots of uncertainty. He didn’t know when taking the job at HMSC that it would lead him to 30+ years of rewarding research opportunities.
The first resource Bill mentioned was the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences (CEOAS) at Oregon State University and the wide range of opportunities within CEOAS. For people interested in the more technical aspects of maritime operations, he pointed to the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) and UNOLS MATE program. Lastly, suggested contacting research ship operators, including those at OSU, the University of Washington, and Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Bill’s main piece of advice for people interested in marine geology, research aboard ships, and students in general is that uncertainty is ok; you can’t know everything in advance. Just focus on what interesting, fun, and exciting thing you want to do NEXT.
"Don't worry about figuring out the rest of your life, it's a waste of time"
- Bill Chadwick
Photo courtesy of Hatfield Marine Science Center