51Ç鱨վ

By: Maya Reid

From rivers to the ocean, potable water to wastewater, Alfonso Macias Tapia has a zeal for the water, and he is pursuing a Ph.D. in Ocean and Earth Sciences at 51Ç鱨վ. While finishing his master's degree at Chiapas Polytechnic in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Mexico, Tapia participated in a science research cruise where he met 51Ç鱨վ Professor Margaret Mullholland, and he was convinced that Mullholland's research aligned directly with his interests.

Tapia is from Tuxtla Gutierrez, Mexico, and he received a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental engineering from Chiapas Polytechnic University. His journey into the world of water began with a research experience in a laboratory that did water quality analysis along the water continuum. "This got me completely interested in water quality in general, but traveling to natural places to collect samples gave me a different taste of the magic, complexity, and relevance of the research on this end of the water research spectrum," said Tapia.

"I met Alfonso when I was chief scientist on a research cruise to the Eastern Tropical North Pacific," said Mullholland, Ocean & Earth Science professor. "He impressed me with his eagerness to learn about all the research we were doing and his ability to quickly pick up and master methods." On-board the research cruise, Tapia was heavily recruited by scientists from University of Southern California and Princeton University. "I was delighted when he chose to come to 51Ç鱨վ," said Professor Mullholland.

"After that cruise, I got the opportunity to do an exchange semester working at Dr. Mullholland's lab here at 51Ç鱨վ," said Tapia. "Seeing her enthusiasm for science and participating in the projects that she and her group were working on convinced me that 51Ç鱨վ was the next step in my career."

At 51Ç鱨վ, Tapia's research consists of studying the effects of tidal flooding on the water quality in the Chesapeake Bay. In the early years of this research, his focus remained on general characterization of floodwater and getting public volunteers who could help collect and process floodwater samples. "These results gave us a first impression of what is happening on the water while it is inundating parts of the city that are in low lying areas," said Tapia. Further experiments and data analysis helped him understand the parameters that control the magnitude and direction of tidal flooding on water quality. "For instance, how much rain has occurred before the inundation of the land, what are the current biochemical conditions on the estuary (i.e. bloom conditions), what weather conditions are inducing the flooding (i.e. wind)," said Tapia. "For this, we are collecting samples at multiple inundation events occurring in different years." With the data Tapia has collected, he expects to capture the chemistry signature of flooding under different weather conditions. "Additionally, we are using almost-daily nutrient concentrations from two points of the river to see if we can observe variations in the background values after tidal flooding events," said Tapia.

As an international student at 51Ç鱨վ, Tapia has made it a priority to make a difference on campus as a part of the Graduate Student Organization for the Department of Ocean & Earth Sciences. "I enjoy being able to help new graduate students find a place to live, give advice on balancing classes and research, and helping student get familiar with the university activities that benefit the whole organization," said Tapia.

He shares some advice on why graduate students should consider 51Ç鱨վ's Ocean & Earth Sciences Department. First, 51Ç鱨վ has world reknown faculty that will greatly enrich one's experience in science. "Also, it is very likely that you end up working regionally in one project and globally in another, giving you a range of recognition which is crucial when looking for jobs after graduate school," said Tapia. There are resources that graduate students can access in the Ocean & Earth Sciences Department that will extend ones research to great lengths. Additionally, graduate students can earn one of the many scholarships in the OES department to receiving money to attend research meetings. The opportunities at 51Ç鱨վ are endless.

Tapia plans on staying in academia to expand the knowledge of nutrient cycling in coastal areas. He believes that it is his job to push science to gather knowledge on topics that can be useful for society and nature and wants to impact the world by working to make that knowledge reach the places in which it could be useful.