I’m the chief scientist and I’ve been working here at Loihi since 1993. My overarching questions are: (1) what populations of Bacteria and Archaea make up the communities found in association with the hydrothermal vents at Loihi? (2) How do these populations change over time as the volcano cycles through eruptive episodes? and (3) Which populations are most important with respect to geochemical cycling, like the iron cycle?

Where is your hometown?

Glenhaven, Washington.

What is your career?

Professor.

What is your education and training?

B.S. in biology and M.S. microbiology at Oregon State University. Ph.D. in biological oceanography from University of Hawaii.

What inspired you to choose your career and which persons were your role models?

When I was six I watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon. Since I have a fear of heights, I figured that oceanography was the best way to get to do some neat exploring. Later when hydrothermal vents were discovered and found to be driven by chemosynthetic microbes, I was hooked.

What are some of your favorite things about life at sea?

The people you get to meet and get to work with. This isn’t a job for the weak at heart. You have to love it. The science is great fun too.

What do you do in your free time?

Fly fishing at my one of my secret spots. Hiking with my family.

Anything else you’d like to say?

Loihi is a fascinating place to have a microbial observatory; we are just now starting to understand some of the microbial processes that occur here as well as other submarine volcanoes from around the world. I am extremely fortunate to be able to be a part of such a fantastic team of microbiologists and earth scientists and to get to use assets like the R/V Kila Moana and Jason to better study this hydrothermal system.

Contact information:

Western Washington University
Biology Department MS# 9160
516 High Street Bellingham, WA 98225
Email: cmoyer@hydro.biol.wwu.edu
Website: http://fire.biol.wwu.edu/cmoyer/research.html

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