Amanda Semler graduated with a PhD in Earth System Science from Stanford University in June of 2024. She is currently working in her PhD lab as a researcher and field technician to finish a few ongoing projects before searching for jobs. Her PhD focused on characterizing the microbial diversity and geochemistry of hydrocarbon seeps – in particular, those on the northern U.S. Atlantic Margin and in Monterey Bay. Local seep microorganisms consume the methane emitted from seeps before it can reach the water column and atmosphere, and therefore serve as an important biofilter on greenhouse gas emissions. During her PhD, Amanda tied sequencing and metabolic gene abundance data with porewater geochemical measurements to showcase the conspicuous impact of local biogeochemical conditions on metabolic potential.
Amanda received a B.Sc. in Geology and a B.Sc. in Environmental Studies from the University of Southern California and was the salutatorian of her graduating class. She loves being in the field, and she has participated in four other research cruises that have focused on a variety of topics: seep microbiology, rates of autotrophy by deep-sea microorganisms, and nitrogen fixation in sediments. She is extremely excited to join this team of scientists exploring the unsampled seeps of the Chile Margin.
Cruises:
