Principal Investigator
Dr. Songjie He
Assistant Professor
Division of Coastal Sciences
School of Ocean Science and Engineering
The University of Southern Mississippi
703 East Beach Drive, Ocean Springs, MS 39564
Graduate Students
Francis Driscoll
I am a first-year master’s student in Dr. He’s Coastal Biogeochemistry Lab at the University of Southern Mississippi’s Gulf Coast Research Lab. Before USM, I spent time monitoring forest ecology in Maine and studied methane emissions from abandoned oil and gas wells in Louisiana. While working inland, I realized I belong by the water and joined Dr. He’s lab to apply my field work experience and interest in carbon dynamics to coastal research. Nothing is better than a day on the marsh.
I’m fascinated by carbon’s role in coastal ecosystems, ocean chemistry, and the atmosphere, as well as the critical position of wetlands at the land-sea interface. My research focuses on vertical methane and carbon dioxide fluxed in marshes in the Gulf Coast, using flux chambers to study carbon emission from the marsh and its influencing factors. I’m excited to contribute to the understanding of wetland carbon dynamics in the Gulf Coast at USM.
Vivian Tidd
I am a first-year graduate student earning their master’s degree in coastal sciences here at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory of USM! I recently graduated from Union College, located in Schenectady New York, where I received my bachelor’s degree in Geosciences. I decided to join the biogeochemistry lab because their work in observing carbon cycling in coastal and wetland environments aligns closely with my interests that I have obtained through previous work. In the fall of 2024, I had the incredible opportunity to explore different series of nutrient cycling and learning how to analyze these processes in Bocas del Toro, Panama. From this experience I knew that I wanted to further my career in the field of biogeochemistry, and I look forward to doing so in this lab!
My master’s research focuses on spatial carbonate chemistry distributions within the marsh systems of the Barataria Basin, located on the coast of Louisiana. Known for its pristine wetlands and productive estuary systems, the Barataria Basin is a vital ecosystem for supporting a wide variety of organisms, many of which are fundamental to commercial fisheries which impact our local economy. Therefore, it is essential that we have a better understanding of the nutrient dynamics in this basin, and how these dynamics have been altered by anthropogenic activity: to allow for accurate future projections and better restoration efforts. I am looking forward to working in Dr. He’s lab and developing a greater awareness towards the processes occurring here on the Gulf Coast.