I am a current Earth Science Master’s student in the Biochemistry of Boreal Ecosystems Research Group (BBERG) supervised by Dr. Sue Ziegler. My work will hopefully contribute to a deeper understanding of how climate change is impacting soil processes in these boreal regions. I am focused on utilizing stable isotope techniques to better understand soil organic C and N cycling. Specifically, I am interested in compound-specific stable isotope analysis of amino acids in C and N.
Before my Master’s, I completed an honors Bachelor of Science degree with a double major in Earth & Climate Science and Biochemistry at Bates College, Maine, USA. My senior thesis, supervised by Dr. Beverly Johnson, was a 2-year-long project that reconstructed trophic level and ocean current changes over the past 5,000 years using paleo cod bones from the Gulf of Maine. This was done by analyzing δ15NAA on samples from indigenous shell heaps.
Additionally, I am also interested in blue carbon sequestration, specifically in salt marshes. I was involved in Dr. Beverly Johnson’s lab as a research assistant, working on carbon sequestration in Maine’s salt marshes using different field sampling techniques and lab analysis (where I first became interested in stable isotopes!).
Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or are curious about anything! You can contact me at slturtle@mun.ca.