RAMP 2012 Expediton Scientist Profile –
Lauren and Simon Freeman, PhD Students at Scripps Institute of Oceanography

Lauren and Simon Freeman. Credit: C. Wiener and M. Onuma

Role on the expedition:
Acoustic Hydrophone Scientists

How we became interested in marine science:
We always really liked being in and around the ocean. I (Simon) graduated with an undergraduate degree in engineering and marine science, and wanted to find a way to combine the two. I came to Scripps knowing that it was a famous institution for underwater acoustics, and that is what I wanted to pursue.

What methods do you use for your research:
The deep water EARs (ecological acoustic recorders) are deployed from the ship using one of the cranes on the fantail to drop the instrument over the water. There is a weight attached to the bottom of the EAR so that it can be dropped down to about 250 meters. The shallow water EAR's are deployed using a team of SCUBA divers at around 20-25 meters. A suitable site is picked, and the EARs are then attached to the ocean floor in a safe place (not on the corals), and then picked up a few days later for data analysis.

Why we love science:
We really like the sense of discovery and that you are always doing something new and different all the time. You get to answer questions that people do not know the answers to, that makes it more fun than most other jobs I can think of. If we had a lot of money and could do whatever we wanted, we would still do something similar to what we are doing right now.

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