SEAS Cruise 2007 : People
Stefan Sievert - Microbiologist
- What do you do? Where do you work?
- I study microbes in the ocean. I work at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
- What is your role on this cruise?
- We are collecting different kinds of samples (hydrothermal fluids, rocks) and do incubations to find out what kinds of microbes are there and what they are doing.
- What is your education/training?
- I have a MS in biological oceanography and a PhD in marine microbiology.
- What inspired you to choose your career?
- I actually grew up quite far away from the ocean and only saw it the first time at an age of 14. Nevertheless, I was always fascinated by it, mainly by seeing documentaries on TV and by reading books. Jules Verne was one of my favorites. Later on, I got particularly drawn into the field of marine microbiology, because microscopically small organisms drive basically all processes in the oceans.
- Please describe your family:
- My wife, Christel, is an accounting clerk by training and currently works at a toy store in Falmouth, MA. I have a son, Lukas (8 years old), and a daughter, Helen (5 years old). Lukas plays soccer and just started playing piano. He also loves reading. Helen is a whirlwind and she is taking ballet classes and also plays munchkin hoops. She loves the movie Lion King. We all enjoy living close to the ocean.
- What are some of your favorite things about life at sea?
- You cannot be closer to the ocean and experience its forces than being on a ship. So that is great. It is also nice to have time to just focus on doing science, without much distraction. The ultimate thing is of course being down with the sub and seeing everything first hand.
- What do you do in your free time?
- During my free time on the ship I enjoy reading and listening to music. Watching a video and chatting with other cruise participants is fun, too. People come from all places and have great stories to tell. In general, I enjoy doing things outdoors, like hiking, and biking, in particular with the family. SCUBA diving is one of my favorite activities as well.
