Matthew Knight

Undergraduate Student, UW (Leg 2)

I am a senior at the University of Washington majoring in biological oceanography. I came to the UW from Oak Park, Illinois out a curiosity for the oceans and a realization that some of the greatest research potential in my lifetime will revolve around the vast ocean system. I have worked at the Armbrust lab on campus for two years now, working on genomics projects involving the marine diatoms Thalassiosira pseudonana and Pseudo-nitzschia. The VISIONS’11 cruise will now be a great complement to my on-shore academic career. I am very excited to be able to take part in the operations of a deep sea ROV such as the ROPOS and to have the opportunity to take part in the early stages of the Ocean Observatories Initiative. Projects such as these will truly revolutionize our understanding of the Juan de Fuca Ridge system and our understanding of the ocean environment as a whole.