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New year, new students

Posted by Chukwuka Oji, Caroline Fradette, Sanjana Varanasi, Kitty Kam on January 21, 2022 in News
New members of CERC.OCEAN (left to right): Caroline Fradette, Chukwuka Orji, Sanjana Varanasi.
New members of CERC.OCEAN (left to right): Caroline Fradette, Chukwuka Orji, Sanjana Varanasi.

In the new year of 2022, we welcome two master's students and an undergraduate student to join us in the CERC.OCEAN lab - Caroline, Chukwuka and Sanjana. Learn more about our new members and their upcoming projects in below:


Caroline Fradette

My name is Caroline Fradette. I recently graduated with a BSc degree in Environmental Chemistry and a minor in Marine Sciences from the University of California, San Diego.  In the last year, I was a student intern in Dr. Andrew Dickson’s lab at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. In there, my work focused on quantifying the carbon dioxide system in the seawater and searching for better ways to assess uncertainties in measurement and calculation. I’ve always been curious about how we can know for certain a measurement is credible and how to minimize error by thinking outside of the box (I guess I’ll never grow out of the asking “why?†phase). My research with CERC.OCEAN will focus on detecting measurable changes of carbon chemistry in the Bedford Basin when applying air-sea capture techniques. In collaboration with Planetary Hydrogen (a Nova Scotian company), this study will be a step towards a better understanding in ways to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Chukwuka Orji

My name is Chukwuka Orji. I hold a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture (with a major in Soil Science) from the University of Maiduguri, Nigeria. As a Soil Scientist, my research focused on soil pollution and its effects on soil physical properties, and the interaction with soil chemical and biological properties. These properties determine soil health upon which our lives depend on. My background and research experience ignited my interest in a multidisciplinary approach to solving the environmental issues (both terrestrial and aquatic) that impact our lives. While my past research mainly concentrated on the terrestrial environment, I hope to shift the focus of my future research onto the aquatic ecosystem. Specifically, my master’s research will be about aquatic nitrogen cycling and using nutrient ratios as tracers to understand the drivers of biogeochemistry in the aquatic ecosystem.

Sanjana Varanasi

My name is Sanjana Varanasi, and I am currently a third-year undergraduate student majoring in Ocean Sciences at Dal. My research interests are ocean acidification and marine carbon cycle. I am specifically interested in these areas due to the vast impacts of climate change on marine environments, and I want to contribute to protecting oceanic systems using these knowledges. My current role with the CERC.OCEAN group will help building my skills to measure carbon chemistry in the laboratory and in the field using oceanographic instruments. In the final year of my degree, I hope to pursue an Honour’s thesis relating to the Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement Project in the Bedford Basin.