RAMP 2012 Expediton Scientist Profile –
Scott Godwin, Resource Protection Specialist

Scott Godwin. Credit: C. Wiener and M. Onuma

Role on the expedition:
Chief Scientist

How I became interested in marine science:
Marine invertebrate zoology is really interesting to me; I dig sea cucumbers, sea stars, crabs, and taxonomy. I love nature and the ocean and really enjoy working on coral reefs.

What methods I use for my research:
We use the basics of monitoring and surveying transects. A transect is a line stretched out to a certain length along the ocean floor. Most surveying relies on subsampling; you cannot look at every square inch of the ocean, so if you look at a small part of it and extrapolate from that you can at least get an estimate. We also use photographs, apply marine species identification, and look at the abundance and density of the corals to get an idea of what is out there.

Advice for future marine scientists:
Take courses that are focused on marine science. You will have to go through a lot of school and low paying jobs; however, most of the things I have learned were gained on the job. Volunteer as much as you can, do education and outreach, and internships so that you can narrow down your interests.

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