Beginning on February 6, 2024, Logan Brenner, assistant professor of environmental science, joined a team of researchers working on the International Ocean Drilling Project’s (IODP) Expedition 389: Hawaiian Drowned Reefs. The project, located in Bremen, Germany, is expected to last three weeks before concluding with a media day at MARUM, the Center for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen.
Brenner and her colleagues are splitting, examining, and analyzing samples taken from the cores of corals on the shallow ocean floor surrounding Hawaii. This research marks the first time in history that any group of scientists has obtained a continuous record of environmental data from coral fossils in this location. Much of Brenner’s research centers on coral-based paleoclimate; she studies the composition of modern and fossilized coral to reconstruct the ocean environment they grew in. The new IODP project is an exciting opportunity for her to further these efforts with an international group of fellow scientists. The team’s collaborative efforts will provide valuable insights into the mechanisms that cause climate change and the impact of these changes on reef growth and health.