A Last-Minute Science Dash to an Erupting Volcano

Researchers plan an oceanographic expedition to understand why a phytoplankton bloom developed as molten lava flowed into the sea east of Hawaii's Big Island.

Written byJef Akst

| 6 min read

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When Kīlauea volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii began spewing tons of molten lava into the ocean in May 2018, microbial oceanographers Dave Karl of the University of Hawai'i and Ricardo Letelier of Oregon State University started to wonder what effects it was having on the nearshore marine ecosystem. Certain nutrients in volcanic ash and lava are known to support phytoplankton growth, so the pair figured that new life might sprout up around Kīlauea as a result of the eruption.

Letelier, who studies marine microorganisms’ responses to environmental disturbance, is used to monitoring satellite data for patches of chlorophyll that could suggest the presence of phytoplankton. After speaking with Karl, he began pulling satellite images showing lava entering the water around Kīlauea. “Very, very soon, we started seeing the evolution of a long, long filament that seemed to be chlorophyll,” Letelier recalls.

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Meet the Author

Jef Akst
Jef (an unusual nickname for Jennifer) got her master’s degree from Indiana University in April 2009 studying the mating behavior of seahorses. After four years of diving off the Gulf Coast of Tampa and performing behavioral experiments at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, she left research to pursue a career in science writing. As The Scientist's managing editor, Jef edited features and oversaw the production of the TS Digest and quarterly print magazine. In 2022, her feature on uterus transplantation earned first place in the trade category of the Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism. She is a member of the National Association of Science Writers.
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