Kevin Schmidt

Home country: USA

University enrolled: University of Cape Town (South Africa)

Area: Applied Marine Science/Environmental Sciences

Instrument: Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler - ADCP

Science theme: Atmospheric circulation in the South Atlantic region

About myself: Kevin Schmidt is a marine scientist who specializes in both ecology and oceanography. He is currently enrolled in the Applied Marine Science taught MSc program through the Marine Research Institute (Ma-Re) at the University of Cape Town (UCT) in Cape Town, South Africa. He completed his BSc/Hon in 2013 in ecosystem ecology at the University of Delaware, College of Earth, Ocean and Environment. Kevin has been actively involved in the Oceanography department during his research at UCT, and the focus of his MSc is on the wind field variability of the Southern Ocean. He is in close collaboration with the Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observatory, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The data he uses comes from robotic ocean gliders called Wave Gliders which are deployed during Southern Ocean Seasonal Cycle Experiment (SOSCEx) research expeditions. Kevin is onboard the R/V Meteor on the M124 Cruise to learn more about sensor technologies and how he can incorporate them into his scientific interest in climate variability. He intends to integrate climate variability studies with conservation ecology through the use of sensor technologies. His primary objective is to bridge the gap between biology and oceanography through the application of ocean sensor data in ecological surveying techniques and conservation management strategies.