Department of Earth, Environmental & Planetary Sciences

A recent study, supported by Alianza Coachella Valley, reveals the alarming environmental and public health risks posed by the Salton Sea’s ongoing environmental crisis, and highlights the urgent need for comprehensive solutions to mitigate the risks faced by nearby communities. “The community based approach is essential to the success of the research. Our research aims to inform action and that action will only be impactful and equitable if impacted communities are front and center in all decision-making,” said Mara Freilich, DEEPS Assistant Professor, corresponding author on the study, and PI of the NASA grant, ‘Earth Observations for Resilient Salton Sea Communities.’

According to new research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, conducted during three research cruises from 2017 to 2019 in the Mediterranean Sea, scientists discovered that tiny ocean organisms are transported to deeper waters by currents called intrusions, significantly impacting the ocean's ecosystem. “We found that because these organisms are so small, they can be swept up by ocean currents that then bring them deeper than where they grow,” said Assistant Professor Mara Freilich. “It’s often a one-way trip for these organisms, but by taking this trip, they play a critical role in connecting different parts of the ocean.”

Ayushman Choudhury ’25 is a rising senior studying Applied Mathematics-Computer Science and Music and a research assistant in the Mara Freilich Lab, where he investigates ocean flux dynamics in the Southern Ocean. In our third Student Research Story, Ayushman emphasizes his passion for using computer science and mathematical modeling to improve our understanding of climate change and help fight the climate crisis.

Assistant Professor Mara Freilich and graduate student Élise Beaudin embarked on the Submesoscale-Mesoscale Ocean Dynamics Experiment (S-MODE) mission this past April to study the role of surface layer submesoscale eddies on climate and biological elements in the upper ocean.