People in the Subhas Lab
Adam V. Subhas
Adam is an associate scientist and the lab's PI. He studies the marine calcium carbonate cycle, and how it interacts with other aspects of carbon cycling in the ocean. In his spare time, he enjoys playing drums and ultimate frisbee.
Kali
Kali is the lab mascot! She enjoys running in the woods, chasing squirrels, and taking naps.
You!
Are you interested in marine biogeochemistry? Organisms that grow shells? Carbon sequestration?
Technical Staff and Postdocs
Matt Hayden
Matt Hayden is the lab's technician. Here he is glowing with the energy of the sea. He loves to surf and fix motorbikes.
Lukas Marx
Lukas is a postdoctoral investigator in the Subhas Lab. He grew up in central Germany, where he received a B.S. in Biotechnology/Bioinformatics. He then received an international M.S. in global ocean change by studying at universities in Belgium, France, Norway, Portugal and Spain. Lukas successfully gained his PhD in marine biogeochemistry with special focus on nutrient and carbon cycling and the involvement of marine microbes in the Atlantic Ocean from the University of Portsmouth, UK in 2023. At WHOI, he aims to integrate biological and chemical aspects of marine biogeochemical cycling in light of ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) research. Outside the lab, he enjoys playing the guitar and practices Muay Thai.
Graduate Students
Chloe Dean
Chloe is a graduate student in the Subhas Lab. She grew up in Central Oregon and attended the Oregon Institute of Technology, where she received a B.S. in Environmental Sciences, with minors in Chemistry, Biology and Sustainability. At WHOI, she studies marine biogeochemical cycling, and aims to explore biologically mediated carbon cycling through the lens of global climate change. Outside of the lab, she enjoys birding and hanging out with her cat (often at the same time).
Emily Burdige
Emily is a graduate student in the Subhas lab and is co-advised by Mak Saito. She grew up near Virginia Beach and completed her undergrad at James Madison University where she received her degree in Chemistry with a minor in math. Her project at WHOI focuses on the enzyme kinetics and proteomics of Carbonic Anhydrase, an important enzyme in regulating carbon dioxide uptake in phytoplankton. She aims to better understand the global carbon cycle within the ocean and how diatoms can act as a sink for CO2.
In her free time she is enjoys reading, painting, dog-sitting, and biking (definitely not at the same time). Additionally, she is involved in various outreach groups aimed at reducing barriers to accessing higher education.
Interns
Colby Firnrohr (CC-CREW, 2024)
Hi! My name is Colby Firnrohr and I’m a current student at Cape Cod Community College majoring in Blue Economy. I love snorkeling, scuba diving, camping, woodworking, and collecting LEGO sets. I am interested in aquaculture and would love to work as an oyster farmer or as an underwater welder! I had the amazing opportunity to intern at Subhas Lab working on building the drifters for Project LOC-NESS; a research program to study ocean alkalinity enhancement on the Northeast Shelf and Slope of the U.S. I would love to return to WHOI and continue learning and broadening my STEM experiences!
Summer Students
Esmeralda Garcia (PEP, 2023)
Ocean alkalinity enhancement—the method of adding alkaline minerals to the ocean to increase the buffering capacity—may help combat rising global temperatures by removing carbon dioxide from the ocean. My project has been focused on the carbonate chemistry side of enhancement and how it affects small, yet abundant, unicellular phytoplankton called coccolithophores. To do that, I’ve been using sodium hydroxide to increase the alkalinity of seawater and recording its effect on coccolithophores’ photosynthesis efficiency, calcification rates, and growth rates.
My internship has helped me gain a deeper understanding of marine science and how interdisciplinary this field can be. I’ve been able to listen to research presentations about research conducted here in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, and all over the world. I hadn’t heard the term alkalinity before this internship. I now can define it and know about field and lab experiments going on around the world, including aboard the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Science’s Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study. Because of PEP, I’ve gained all kinds of new skills and abilities like networking and computer programming.
Yasmin Hamilton (SSF, 2023)
I am a junior at Amherst College majoring in Geology, with an unofficial double-major in Sociology focused on environmental, racial, and socioeconomic justice. My project this summer focuses on the impact of changing seawater conditions on the calcification and growth rate of Coccolithophores. I am excited to learn more about biogeochemistry, the carbon cycle, and alkalinity this summer, as well as developing more lab skills. In my free time, I enjoy running, rock-climbing, crocheting, and discovering new foods to cook and/or eat!
Aaron MacDonald (PEP, 2022)
For my project, I’ve been studying how increasing ocean alkalinity—the ability for the ocean to buffer acids—affects small, unicellular phytoplankton called coccolithophores. To do this, I’ve been increasing the alkalinity of seawater that my treatment coccolithophores are in to see if it affects their growth rate and health.
Over the course of the summer, I’ve had a major change in how I view the STEM field. It’s been great to experience how far STEM stretches as a discipline. This internship has shown me that there are many ways to get involved in STEM, and that there is no set path to achieving your goals.
Daniel Hill (SSF, 2020)
My name is Daniel Hill and I am a rising senior at Oberlin College majoring in Chemistry and Math. My research interests focus mainly on chemical processes that affect the earth’s climate which could help us better understand the impact we have on the planet. I am excited about and interested in expanding my knowledge into another area that has large implications on global climate and chemical composition: marine geochemistry. At Oberlin, I play on the club ice hockey team and am in the Outings Club. I love the outdoors and go on an annual camping trip to North Florida where I swim, snorkel, and kayak in the freshwater springs of the panhandle. In my free time, I enjoy reading (mostly fiction), playing ukulele, biking, and needle felting.
Aundre Jackson (PEP, 2020)
Hi, my name is Aundre Jackson and I am a senior at North Carolina Central University. I major in Environmental Science and I have been able to accomplish a research project with tools I’ve been provided with at NCCU. I had the opportunity to do a research project at NCCU with C.elegans Chemotaxis behavior and their reproduction, which involves collecting physical data and lab work.
Katherine Muniz (PEP, 2020)
I'm currently an Environmental Studies major at Wellesley College. I am interested in environmental chemistry, climate change, and ocean science. A fun fact about me is that I'm obsessed with ice cream and love exploring new flavors and shops wherever I go.
Alumni
Mohammed Hashim
I am a carbonate geochemist; I study the geochemistry of sedimentary carbonate minerals (aragonite, calcite, and dolomite) found in marine sediments and rocks. These minerals represent vast archives of Earth’s surface evolution and are crucial components in modern and ancient biogeochemical cycles. They represent a large carbon sink and play a dynamic role in regulating oceanic and atmospheric chemistries.