PhD Candidate in Oceanography
MSc in Oceanography (2023)
Research Interests
My dissertation explores new ways of modeling carbon exchange between the ocean and atmosphere by leveraging observations from a growing, global fleet of drifting oceanic robots called Argo floats. Our regression model, CRUSOE, is a novel machine learning approach to reconstructing the variability of carbon uptake in the dynamic Southern Ocean (i.e. the region around Antarctica) each year. Incredibly, this region is thought to make up around 40% of global oceanic uptake but remains difficult to observe and understand due to its remote location and harsh conditions. The novel surface ocean carbon product generated by CRUSOE will provide a key missing piece for improving the quantification of the Southern Ocean carbon sink, which will ultimately be essential for reducing uncertainties in the Global Carbon Budget.
Highlighted Projects
Publications
JGR Machine Learning and Computation (in prep.)
A novel regression framework for reconstructing the Southern Ocean carbon sink using merged ship and float observations Song, S., Formo-Kihle, O., Gray, A. R.*AMS Artificial Intelligence for the Earth Systems (2026)
Random forest regression using autonomous in situ ocean observations: Inferring small-scale nutrient variability during a Southern Ocean field experiment Song, S., Lavin, P. D., Gray, A. R.*, Nachod, Z., Balwada, D., Dove, L. A., Thompson, A. F.Nature Scientific Reports (2018)
Mathematical Modeling and Analyses of Interspike-Intervals of Spontaneous Activity in Afferent Neurons of the Zebrafish Lateral Line Song, S., Lee, J. A., Kiselev, I., Iyengar, V., Trapani, J. G., & Tania, N.Science Advances (202)
Establishment of paternal methylation imprint at the H19/Igf2 imprinting control region Liao, J., Song, S., Gusscott, S., Fu, Z., VanderKolk, I., Busscher, B. M., ... & Szabó, P. E.
Conferences and Presentations
*oral presentation
Additional Experience
- Foundations of Ocean Sensors (UW), Python Assistant Instructor (2023)
Dean A. McManus Excellence in Teaching Award, Runner-up (2023 Oct) - UW Program on Climate Change, Graduate Steering Committee Member (2022–2024)
- UW Graduate Application Mentorship Program, lead (2021–2023)
- UNOLS R/V Endeavor, EN-681 (Gulf Stream, 7 days at sea, 2022 May)
- CCGS Amundsen, ArcticNet (Baffin Bay/Greenland, 20 d.a.s., 2019 Jul–Aug)