I am a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Earth System Science at Stanford University, where I study ammonia-oxidizing Archaea (AOA) both in laboratory enrichment cultures and in Monterey Bay. My research aims to examine the effects of environmental changes on AOA abundance, diversity, and metabolic activity using a suite of molecular techniques including quantitative PCR, sequencing, and biogeochemical rate measurements. During this cruise, my goal is to examine depth distribution profiles of ‘active’ microorganisms (including AOA) using 16S rDNA/rRNA sequencing and relate this diversity to measured rates of autotrophic and heterotrophic production, as well as ammonia oxidation.