Research fellow: Natalie Gambrell
Hometown: North Kingstown, RI
School: Roger Williams University
Major, minor: Biochemistry, Psychology

For Natalie Gambrell, bringing greater understanding to the impact of climate change on marine life and ecosystems means digging deep in the ocean floor for answers.

Working with chemistry Associate Professor Stephen K. O’Shea, Gambrell says her Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) experience with Rhode Island NSF EPSCoR focuses on assessing the last 40 years of soil composition in Narragansett Bay. To do this, she explains, researchers shoved a long metal tube into the sediment floor and pulled out soil cores.

“First, we’re trying to find the composition of water in the soil core sample to see if we can detect the CFCs, or chlorofluorocarbons, which are toxic and harmful to the environment,” says Gambrell, a rising senior. “The second part of the project is to break down the soil core into segments so we can see what is in the soil at different levels.”

CFCs were produced industrially on a large scale, starting in the early 1930s, as ideal candidates for such applications as refrigerants and solvents. Determined hazardous for depleting the ozone, CFCs were phased out by an international agreement, the Montreal Protocol, starting in 1989.

Gambrell points to little ceramic pots filled with soil from each level. The samples are baked at high temperatures in several rounds to distill the composition, she explains. The third stage, based on what the researchers find in the soil composition, involves spiking the soil samples at different levels with an oxidizing agent to explore whether the CFCs will degrade faster.

Explains Gambrell: “The main thing is to see if we can get rid of CFCs in the soil, if it would be possible to spike soil samples in the environment with an oxidizing agent and get rid of the CFCs.”

More broadly, the research aims to develop a scientific understanding of the Earth system and its response to natural and human-induced changes to allow improved prediction of climate, weather, and natural hazards.

Gambrell says she conducted some research previously, but the work in the O’Shea lab marks new territory for her and offers experience with equipment and techniques. Additionally, the SURF program has provided an opportunity to network with other students in her field of interest.

“I liked that SURF involved other researchers from around the state and that we would be sharing our projects and interacting with other people,” Gambrell says, explaining why she applied for the fellowship. “Most of my friends are not science majors.”

She says she also jumped at the chance to work in the O’Shea lab and learn how to use the equipment along with the potential to continue her research during the next academic year.

“This is my first full-time research experience and I really like it,” Gambrell adds. “Lab is generally my favorite part of class.”

Looking ahead to next spring, after she graduates, Gambrell says she particularly enjoys the chemistry part of her SURF project, yet remains open to other possibilities. Graduate school definitely sounds interesting, she says, but she has yet to nail down exactly what direction she wants to pursue.

Story and photo by Amy Dunkle