For his senior capstone project under St. Mary’s College of Maryland’s marine science program, Robert Koontz ’24 boarded a ship set for the Bering Sea as a student researcher on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Arctic Ecosystem & Climate cruise.
Koontz was invited by Visiting Professor of Biology and Marine Science Christina Goethel. The two joined several scientists on the August 2024 cruise, whose mission was to collect data and monitor changes to the ecosystem. The results are added to over 20 years of previously collected data, allowing scientists to monitor ongoing changes in the Arctic.
This was Goethel’s 20th trip of this nature and a first for Koontz, though he has had sea experience as a veteran of the U.S. Navy with 13 years of service.
“The project that I directly worked under was the eDNA (environmental DNA) sequencing project. I was directly responsible for filtering over 120 samples of water to later process in a lab to identify marine mammal migration patterns,” Koontz said.
Geothel said the combination of Koontz’s interest in a capstone project, his “excitement and willingness to do the work,” and his previous experience at sea with the U.S. Navy made him a good fit for the research trip.
While on the month-long cruise, Koontz was able to assist several scientists on various aspects of data collection. Goethel said she was impressed with Koontz’s “understanding and willingness to just do what needed to be done even if it is not directly related to his project.,”
In November 2024, Koontz and Goethel were featured in a NOAA article titled “The power of collaboration in advancing Arctic research.”
In the article, Koontz says, “[Dr. Goethel] did a great job at introducing me to these other scientific teams and then allowed me to build my own connections, which helped me to build my own sense of belonging on the cruise.”
Outside of his specific duties, Koontz said he enjoyed witnessing life on the Bering Sea.
“I’ll remember seeing the ice floes and polar bears the most. Just being able to see the natural and harsh landscape that these animals survive in.”
Koontz's experience is an example of the Honors College Promise where every student at St. Mary’s College is guaranteed the opportunity to engage in research, internship or international experience.
