Amy Mueller

Name & Institution:
Amy Mueller
University of Washington School of Oceanography

Academic Background:
Environmental Chemistry, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Current Area of Interest:
Developing new sensors, instrumentation, and signal processing methods to address critical gaps in our understanding of natural and engineered systems.  Right now I am focusing on increasing the resolution at which we can measure iron in marine environments to improve our ability to predict ecosystem response to changing human and environmental forcings (fisheries, management policies, changing climate).

Why did you sign up for the cruise?
To better understand the engineering and logistical (physical and administrative) challenges of deploying measurement/monitoring systems in the ocean, since my experience to date has all been in smaller inland lakes and estuaries.  I was also excited to work with a range of autonomous/remotely operated systems to see how they compare with what I have used in the past and think about how I might be able to integrate new sensing tools onto these platforms.

What did you learn?
We are always at the mercy of the ocean!  Planning is critical to even have a chance for things to run smoothly, but at the end of the day all operations are driven by weather and wave conditions.  Also:  choosing the right team is incredibly important.  Being able to trust the instinct and reliability of both the ship’s crew and the other scientists will allow everyone to focus on the real challenges of collecting data in an environment that is not naturally conducive to work getting done easily.