Allison Savoie
Graduate Student
Ocean Acidification, Ocean Carbon Cycling, Climate Change, Coral Reefs, Oyster Reefs
Research
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE:
August 2020-Present- Doctoral Research with Dr. Kathryn Shamberger, Texas A&M University, studying carbonate chemistry across various calcifying environments.
Analyzed carbonate data collected pre- and post- Hurricane Harvey along the West Texas continental shelf.
Analyzing carbonate chemistry samples and data from coral reefs at the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the northern Gulf of Mexico from 2015-2019. Collecting and analyzing samples from deep-sea scleractinian reefs in the North Pacific Ocean to look at environmental factors affecting carbonate chemistry, dissolution, and reef distribution. The data for these projects was obtained through DIC/TA sample analysis on a VINDTA, SAMI pH/CO2 sensors, and measuring calcium carbonate blocks deployed at each site.
August 2018-August 2020- Master’s Thesis Research with Dr. Christopher Hayes, University of Southern Mississippi, studying carbon dynamics in the northern Gulf of Mexico.
Collected and analyzed samples from northern Gulf of Mexico and Mississippi Sound using instruments including: Coulometer, Alkalinity Titrator, Fluorometer, and Spectrophotometer to understand carbon dynamics and coastal acidification in the area.
April 2017-May 2018- Undergraduate Honors Senior Thesis Research with Drs. Silvia Newell and Mark McCarthy, Wright State University, studying uptake and regeneration of ammonia using stable isotope techniques in the Aransas River.
Analyzed samples from Aransas Tidal Freshwater Zone on the OX-MIMS and Lachet Nutrient Auto Analyzer for nitrogen uptake and regeneration experiment.
May-August 2017- NSF REU with Dr. James McClelland, University of Texas Marine Science Institute, studying phytoplankton communities and nutrient dynamics in the Aransas River.
Analyzed samples from Aransas River Tidal Freshwater Zone for dissolved nutrients on a nutrient analyzer and phytoplankton abundance and community composition using a flow cytometer and chlorophyll extraction.
FIELD EXPERIENCE (114 DAYS TOTAL):
September-October 2022- CTD sampling/operations, SAMI pH/CO2 instrument recovery, and ROV operations for Defying Dissolution Cruise aboard R/V Kilo Moana in the North Pacific Ocean Watch lead for CTD operations and sampling for TA/DIC, radiocarbon, trace metals, nutrients, POM, and microbiology. Responsible for recovery and data processing of 2 SAMI CO2 and 2 SAMI pH instruments at ~650 to750m. Livestreaming, datalogging, and video logging for ROV Jason/Medea operations (45 days).
August-October 2021- CTD sampling/operations, SAMI pH/CO2 instrument deployment, and ROV operations for Defying Dissolution Cruise aboard R/V Kilo Moana in the North Pacific Ocean Watch lead for CTD operations and sampling for TA/DIC, radiocarbon, trace metals, nutrients, POM, and microbiology. Responsible for preparation and deployment of 2 SAMI CO2 and 2 SAMI pH instruments at ~650 to750m. Livestreaming and datalogging for ROV Lu’ukai operations (43 days).
January 2020- Float deployment for Ocean of Things program through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency aboard the R/V Point Sur in the Gulf of Mexico. Assisted with deploying ~150 floats (4 days).
October 2019- Teaching Assistant on Graduate Student Cruise aboard the R/V Point Sur in the Chandeleur Sound. Collected water quality samples for class along with alkalinity and DIC samples for my own research. Instructed first year graduate students on proper sampling techniques for each parameter (nutrients, DO, alkalinity, & salinity) (2 days).
September 2019- Glider deployment and sample collection aboard R/V Point Sur. Assisted with the deployment of three gliders and collected samples for alkalinity and DIC (2 days).
August 2018-November 2019- Monthly beach sampling from Waveland to Biloxi, MS for Master’s thesis work (12 days).
December 2018- Mississippi Sound Sampling for radon survey on a small sampling boat (1 day).
October 2018- Graduate Student Cruise aboard the R/V Point Sur to the Deepwater Horizon site. Collected samples for alkalinity, DIC, and thorium analyses (2 days).
Summer 2017- Three boat sampling trips on Aransas River for undergraduate research in Texas and an additional boat sampling day in the Gulf of Mexico (4 days).
INVITED TALKS:
Savoie, A. M. Wright State University: Earth & Environmental Sciences Colloquium (March 2020)
Savoie, A. M. USM’s Gulf Park Campus: Women in STEM Meeting (Sept. 2019)
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS:
Savoie, A. M. Freshwater endmembers impacting carbonate chemistry in the Mississippi Sound. University of Southern Mississippi Department of Marine Science thesis defense, defended virtually June 2020.
Savoie, A. M., Moody, A., Dillon, K., Shiller, A. M., Howden, S. D., Hayes, C. T. Freshwater Endmembers Influencing the Dissolved Inorganic Carbon System of the Mississippi Sound. 2020 Ocean Sciences Meeting in San Diego, CA.
Savoie, A. M., Hayes, C. T., Howden, S. D. Carbonate Chemistry in Mississippi and Louisiana Coastal Waters. NOAA OA Community Meeting and Mini-Symposium in Miami, FL, 2020.
Savoie, A. M., Hayes, C. T. Riverine Impacts on the Dissolved Inorganic Carbon System in the Mississippi Sound. 13th Graduate Climate Conference in Woods Hole, MA, 2019.
Savoie, A. M., Newell, S., McCarthy, M. J., Hayes, C.T., McClelland, J.W. Dishes to Defense: Adventures of an Undergrad in Research. Association for the Science of Limnology and Oceanography, Aquatic Sciences Meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico, 2019.
Savoie, A. M., Rosen, J., Howden, S., Hayes, C. T. Carbon Dynamics On and Off the Continental Shelf of the Gulf of Mexico. Association for the Science of Limnology and Oceanography, Aquatic Sciences Meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico, 2019.
Savoie, A. M., Wei, H., Newell, S. E., McCarthy, M., McClelland, J. W. Phytoplankton Abundance, Size distribution, and Community Composition in the Aransas River Tidal Freshwater Zone. Wright State Earth and Environmental Science Honors Senior Thesis Defense in Dayton, Ohio 2018.
Savoie, A. M., Wei, H., Newell, S. E., McCarthy, M., McClelland, J. W. Phytoplankton Abundance, Size distribution, and Community Composition in the Aransas River Tidal Freshwater Zone. Coastal & Estuarine Research Federation, 24th Biennial Conference in Providence, Rhode Island 2017.
Savoie, A. M., Wei, H., McClelland, J. W. Phytoplankton Abundance, Size distribution, and Community Composition in the Aransas River Tidal Freshwater Zone. REU Research Symposium in Port Aransas, Texas 2017.
Selected Publications
Savoie, A. M., Moody, A., Dillon, K., Howden, S. D., Shiller, A. M., Hayes, C. T. (2022) Impact of local rivers on coastal acidification. Limnol. Oceanogr. https://doi.org/10.1002/lno.12237
Savoie, A. M., Howden, S., Shiller, A., and Hayes, C. T. (2020) “Freshwater endmembers impacting carbonate chemistry in the Mississippi Sound”, Master’s theses, 761. https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/761
Savoie, A. M., Wei, H., Newell, S. E., McCarthy, M., McClelland, J. W. “Nitrogen uptake and regeneration influence on phytoplankton abundance and community composition in the Aransas River tidal freshwater zone”, Undergraduate Honors thesis, 2019.
INVITED TALKS:
Savoie, A. M. Seawater Carbonate Chemistry & Ocean Acidification. Wright State University's Oceanography lecture, presented virtually October 2021.
Savoie, A. M. Freshwater endmembers impacting carbonate chemistry in the Mississippi Sound. Texas A&M University’s Oceanography Department Seminar, presented virtually January 2021.
Savoie, A. M. Impact of local river on ocean acidification in the Mississippi Sound. Wright State University’s Earth & Environmental Sciences Colloquium, presented virtually March 2020.
Savoie, A. M. Research, Internships, and the NSF GRFP: Advice from a Fellow Student. Women in STEM Meeting at USM’s Gulf Park Campus in Long Beach, MS, September 2019.
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS:
Savoie, A. M., Shamberger, K., Smith, S., Hicks, T., DiMarco, S., Knap, A. Impacts of Hurricane Harvey on carbonate chemistry along the Texas continental shelf. Ocean Sciences Meeting, virtual, 2022.
Savoie, A. M. Freshwater endmembers impacting carbonate chemistry in the Mississippi Sound. University of Southern Mississippi Department of Marine Science thesis defense, presented virtually June 2020.
Savoie, A. M., Moody, A., Dillon, K., Shiller, A. M., Howden, S. D., Hayes, C. T. Freshwater Endmembers Influencing the Dissolved Inorganic Carbon System of the Mississippi Sound. Ocean Sciences Meeting in San Diego, CA, 2020.
Savoie, A. M., Hayes, C. T., Howden, S. D. Carbonate Chemistry in Mississippi and Louisiana Coastal Waters. NOAA OA Community Meeting and Mini-Symposium in Miami, FL, 2020.
Savoie, A. M., Hayes, C. T. Riverine Impacts on the Dissolved Inorganic Carbon System in the Mississippi Sound. 13th Graduate Climate Conference in Woods Hole, MA, 2019.
Savoie, A. M., Newell, S., McCarthy, M. J., Hayes, C.T., McClelland, J.W. Dishes to Defense: Adventures of an Undergrad in Research. Association for the Science of Limnology and Oceanography, Aquatic Sciences Meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico, 2019.
Savoie, A. M., Rosen, J., Howden, S., Hayes, C. T. Carbon Dynamics On and Off the Continental Shelf of the Gulf of Mexico. Association for the Science of Limnology and Oceanography, Aquatic Sciences Meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico, 2019.
Savoie, A. M., Wei, H., Newell, S. E., McCarthy, M., McClelland, J. W. Phytoplankton Abundance, Size distribution, and Community Composition in the Aransas River Tidal Freshwater Zone. Wright State Earth and Environmental Science Honors Senior Thesis Defense in Dayton, Ohio 2018.
Savoie, A. M., Wei, H., Newell, S. E., McCarthy, M., McClelland, J. W. Phytoplankton Abundance, Size distribution, and Community Composition in the Aransas River Tidal Freshwater Zone. Coastal & Estuarine Research Federation, 24th Biennial Conference in Providence, Rhode Island 2017.
Savoie, A. M., Wei, H., McClelland, J. W. Phytoplankton Abundance, Size distribution, and Community Composition in the Aransas River Tidal Freshwater Zone. REU Research Symposium in Port Aransas, Texas 2017.
SERVICE & SYNERGISTIC ACTIVITIES:
Summer 2021- Aggie STEM Summer Camp Teacher, TAMU
Spring 2021- Unlearning Racism in Geosciences (URGE) program participant, presented virtually
Fall 2019-Summer 2020- Student Senator Representative for the Division of Marine Science in the College of Arts & Sciences, USM
Fall 2019-Summer 2020- Member of Graduate Student Association for the College of Arts & Sciences, USM
Summer 2019- Summer 2020- President of Student Oceanographic Society, USM
Summer 2019- Volunteer speaker for high school student outreach event at USM’s campus on Stennis Space Center, MS
Spring 2019- Summer 2020- Secretary of Marine Technology Society, USM
2019 & 2020- Volunteer for National Ocean Sciences Bowl: Hurricane Bowl, Ocean Springs, MS
2018-2020- Volunteer at Infinity Science Center, Pearlington, MS
2018-2020- Volunteer for Sustaining Our Urban Landscape (SOUL), New Orleans, LA
2018-2020- USM Student Oceanographic Society and Marine Technology Society monthly beach clean-ups, Bay Saint Louis, MS
2017-2018- Co-Presenter at Dayton Children’s Water Festival, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH
2019- Room Monitor, ASLO Aquatic Sciences Meeting
FIELD EXPERIENCE (114 DAYS TOTAL):
September-October 2022- CTD sampling/operations, SAMI pH/CO2 instrument recovery, and ROV operations for Defying Dissolution Cruise aboard R/V Kilo Moana in the North Pacific Ocean Watch lead for CTD operations and sampling for TA/DIC, radiocarbon, trace metals, nutrients, POM, and microbiology. Responsible for recovery and data processing of 2 SAMI CO2 and 2 SAMI pH instruments at ~650 to750m. Livestreaming, datalogging, and video logging for ROV Jason/Medea operations (45 days).
August-October 2021- CTD sampling/operations, SAMI pH/CO2 instrument deployment, and ROV operations for Defying Dissolution Cruise aboard R/V Kilo Moana in the North Pacific Ocean Watch lead for CTD operations and sampling for TA/DIC, radiocarbon, trace metals, nutrients, POM, and microbiology. Responsible for preparation and deployment of 2 SAMI CO2 and 2 SAMI pH instruments at ~650 to750m. Livestreaming and datalogging for ROV Lu’ukai operations (43 days).
January 2020- Float deployment for Ocean of Things program through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency aboard the R/V Point Sur in the Gulf of Mexico. Assisted with deploying ~150 floats (4 days).
October 2019- Teaching Assistant on Graduate Student Cruise aboard the R/V Point Sur in the Chandeleur Sound. Collected water quality samples for class along with alkalinity and DIC samples for my own research. Instructed first year graduate students on proper sampling techniques for each parameter (nutrients, DO, alkalinity, & salinity) (2 days).
September 2019- Glider deployment and sample collection aboard R/V Point Sur. Assisted with the deployment of three gliders and collected samples for alkalinity and DIC (2 days).
August 2018-November 2019- Monthly beach sampling from Waveland to Biloxi, MS for Master’s thesis work (12 days).
December 2018- Mississippi Sound Sampling for radon survey on a small sampling boat (1 day).
October 2018- Graduate Student Cruise aboard the R/V Point Sur to the Deepwater Horizon site. Collected samples for alkalinity, DIC, and thorium analyses (2 days).
Summer 2017- Three boat sampling trips on Aransas River for undergraduate research in Texas and an additional boat sampling day in the Gulf of Mexico (4 days).
Education
Texas A&M University, College Station, TX: Ph.D. expected May 2024, in Oceanography.
University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS: M.S. August 2020, in Marine Science.
Wright State University, Fairborn, OH: B.S. May 2018, in Earth and Environmental Science, summa cum laude.
Awards
2020-2024- Texas A&M College of Geosciences Merit Fellow
2018-2023- NSF Graduate Research Fellow
Spring 2018- Nominated Top Scholar of Earth and Environmental Sciences Department, WSU
Fall 2015-Spring 2018- Highest Honors in Earth and Environmental Science Department, WSU
Fall 2016- Spring 2018- Co-Chair of the College and Science and Math Dean’s Circle at WSU
Fall 2016-Spring 2018- Sigma Gamma Epsilon Earth Science Honor Society Member at WSU
September 2017- Sigma Gamma Epsilon Centennial Convention at Eastern Illinois University Chapter Delegate and Resolutions Chair
Additional Information
Teaching experience and development:
2021-2022- Mentor for undergraduate student, Jose Martinez, TAMU, College Station, TX
2020-2022- Mentor for undergraduate student, Mahima Yogesh, TAMU, College Station, TX
2019-2020- Professional in Preparation program participant, USM, Hattiesburg, MS
October 2019- Teaching Assistant for Graduate Student Teaching Cruise.
Summer 2019- Mentored undergraduate student, Evan Rohde, USM, Stennis Space Center, MS
May 2018- August 2018- Intern at the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency in the Southwest District Office, Dayton, OH
Spring 2017- Teaching Assistant, Introduction to Chemistry, WSU
Summer 2016- Spring 2018- Learning Assistant, General Chemistry I, WSU
Fall 2017- Learning Assistant, Dynamic Earth, WSU
Fall 2017- Supplemental Instructor, Dynamic Earth, WSU
Spring 2012-Summer 2018- Assistant Aquatic Coordinator and Lifeguard Instructor at the Kettering Recreation Center, Kettering, OH
PERTINENT COURSES:
*Data Methods & Graphical Representation, *MATLAB Programming for Ocean Sciences, *Physical Oceanography, *Marine Chemistry, *Marine Geology, *Biological Oceanography, *Isotope Biogeochemistry, Advanced Aquatic Geochemistry, Environmental Microbiology, Global Biogeochemical Cycles, Quantitative Analysis, Organic Chemistry I & II, Elementary Statistics, Environmental Field Techniques, Geographic Information Systems, NAUI Open Water, Advanced, and Nitrox Diver certification.
*Courses taken at graduate level.
LABORATORY SKILLS:
Versatile Instrument for the Analysis of Dissolved Inorganic Carbon and Total Alkalinity (VINDTA), UIC Coulometer, Apollo SciTech Alkalinity Titrator, Lachat Nutrient AutoAnalyzer, Shimadzu ASI-V TOC/TDN Analyzer, OX-Membrane Inlet Mass Spectrometer, Atomic Absorption/Emission Spectrophotometer, ICP Optical Emission Spectrophotometer, Agilent UV/Visible Spectrophotometer, Shimadzu Spectrofluorophotometer, Microplate Spectrophotometer, Turner Designs 10-AU Fluorometer, Isotope Ratio-Mass Spectrometer sample preparation, Accuri C6 Flow Cytometer, YSI and Eureka sondes.
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS:
2018-present- Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography
2018-2020- Marine Technology Society
2019-2020- Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Oceanic Engineering Society
Advisor: Dr. Kathryn Shamberger
