Student, Scientists, Are First to Witness Historic Scientific Event

Here's something you might not know: There are volcanoes underwater. And they do erupt. One Millersville cccc student and newly minted alumna was on a research cruise 1,300 miles off the coast of Costa Rica when exactly that happened.

Samantha Reynolds '25, along with a team of scientists and researchers traveled on a month-long research cruise aboard the AT50-36 to that area for the express purpose of studying hydrothermal vents, also known as underwater volcanoes.

It was a historic moment: it was the first time scientists witnessed a volcanic eruption in the deep mid-ocean ridge, meaning they had captured both chemical and physical data in real-time. Only a handful of other eruptions have been witnessed in real-time, making this eruption significant in many ways. The New York Times even wrote a piece about this scientifically significant moment, published in May of this year.

"Comparing the footage from the day before to how it looks now is shocking," shares Reynolds. "Instead of the extensive ecosystem full of tubeworms, eelpout fish and deep-sea lobsters, it is now covered in brand new, shiny basalt (dark-colored, fine-grained volcanic rock.)"

With the findings from the cruise, researchers aim to better understand what Reynolds called "a real mystery in the hydrology world. There's a presence of something called black carbon in the ocean." The substance is often found after underwater volcanic eruptions. Reynolds says, "We already ruled out some places black carbon doesn't come from. We now know it doesn't come from rivers through the process of radiocarbon dating. Now, we want to know if it comes from hydrothermal vents, like the Tica vent we studied."

Now, the wait begins. The only way to see black carbon is to test it using radiocarbon dating, which in simplified terms, requires a very expensive, powerful machine and a lot of time. "Samples need to go through a ton of filtration and handling. We won't have the results for a few years."

The significance of this event to the scientific community lies in the data and its implications. "It's particularly important to a team of researchers from Turkey, including Dr. Mustafa Yücel who was a part of the research cruise, where two other eruptions were records. Yücel was a principal investigator on the project, and They studied the aftermath of an underwater volcanic eruption from 20 years ago, and they observed the entire hydrothermal ecosystem rebuild itself overtime - kind of like a forest fire." The cycle of destruction and rebirth holds valuable information for scientists.

How did the Reynolds end up in the middle of the ocean and a historic event? "I always wanted to study ocean science," she shares. When you think about the study of oceans, Lancaster County probably doesn't come to mind. And yet, in land-locked Pennsylvania, MIllersville University offers a bachelor's degree in oceanography, and it's been rated as one of the best in the country.

Reynolds says that one of the reasons she chose Millersville is because of the University's affiliation with the Chincoteague Bay Field Station, located on the coast of Virgina. The field station is owned and operated by the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, giving students direct access to multi-disciplinary, educational and research opportunities. "I took a summer course at the field station that cemented my interest in MU's program," explains Reynolds. "I really wanted really wanted to go to a small college, and have more access for research opportunities that would be harder at a bigger school. And, if land locked school keeps an ocean program, it must be pretty good."

Reynolds took advantage of many opportunities that came her way a Marauder, including undergraduate research. She was a McNairy Library Research Fellow, a started doing research. "There are often faculty members who are looking for students to help with their various labs. I connected with Dr. Ajoy Kumar, who knew I was interested in research, and I helped him complete three of his research projects." Through working with Kumar as a McNairy fellow, the professor connected Reynolds with a Research Experiences for Undergraduates internship at the University of Delaware where she traveled to Delaware to study salt marshes and how they influence methane production.

Through that experience, Reynolds worked with a professor at the University of Delaware who liked her work and asked if she wanted to attend the research cruise with her, where they witnessed the underwater eruption. "I and some other undergraduate students worked on social media and research projects on the ship," she shares. "My main duty was to disassemble, clean, and reassemble major samplers after they are returned from each day's DSV Alvin dive. I had to take a pause from classes in the spring semester because of the timing of the cruise, but my professors were wonderful and help me make arrangements for my coursework and finals."

On the heels of graduation of her May 2025 graduation, Reynolds' started graduate school at Temple University where she's working with a professor to study Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, also known as PFAs or forever chemicals, in urban gardens. She hopes to go on and earn a doctorate as well. "Along with my passion for oceanography, pollutants are a huge area of interest for me," she says. "I want to go on to study water pollutants."

For Reyonlds, her time on the cruise was significant in more way than one: "My personal takeaway is that [this type of research] is for me. Water is so important in our everyday lives," she shares. "It was so incredible to be on the bow of ship, sunning or stargazing. As a young person, this was a significant experience. I know my future is in oceanography."