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, eat sausage and fix motorbikes.
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.
Kaitlyn Nickel
Kaitlyn is a graduate student in the Subhas lab and is co-advised by Mak Saito. She grew up just outside of Baton Rouge, Louisiana and attended Louisiana State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in chemistry and a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies. Following this, she completed a master’s degree in oceanography and coastal sciences at LSU on POC export in the Ross Sea using radioisotope tracers under advisement of Kanchan Maiti. At WHOI, she will be exploring enzyme kinetics and proteomes of polar diatoms to further elucidate carbon cycling in polar environments. In her free time she loves reading, cooking, working out (a necessity since she also loves eating everything she cooks), and daydreaming about her next cruise to the Southern Ocean.
Summer Students and Interns
Geovanni Serrato (SSF, 2026)
Hey I'm Geovanni Serrato and I am a part of the SSF program 2026 cohort. My home institution is the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) at UC San Diego where in 2024 I transferred from Crafton Hills College with an Associates in Geology and Environmental Science. I currently major in Geosciences with a concentration in Geological Oceanography. My research interests are rooted in biogeochemistry and hydro-biogeochemistry; I love interdisciplinary science. My project for the summer involves investigating the physiological responses in larval lobsters to OAE conditions. I am excited to be a part of a lab that allows me to apply the knowledge I have accrued at my home institution and other summer research programs, while also teaching me a whole new set of practical skills. I am enthralled by the science communication that the Subhas Lab facilitates, and I look forward to participating in upcoming summer events (as I hope to be an active science communicator in my future). My hobbies include dancing, reading, writing and eating new food with my fiancée!
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!
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!
Esmeralda Garcia (PEP, 2023)
My project has been focused on the carbonate chemistry side of ocean alkalinity 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. Because of PEP, I’ve gained all kinds of new skills and abilities like networking and computer programming.
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
Mohammed is a carbonate geochemist who is now an Assistant Professor in the Department of Oceanography at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa; he studies 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.
Lukas Marx
Lukas is now the Lead Scientist at Röst sjávarrannsóknasetur - Marine Research Center. 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.