Beckett Colson is a doctoral candidate in the MIT-Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) Joint Program in the Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering. He is advised by Dr. Anna Michel at WHOI. Beckett is actively developing three in situ oceanographic instruments: 1. a deep-sea high-precision carbon system instrument using laser spectroscopy for monitoring total dissolved carbon dioxide (DIC) and the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2); 2. a low-cost, multi-gas instrument for monitoring dissolved oxygen, carbon dioxide, and total dissolved gas; and 3. a high-throughput microplastics instrument for continuous water monitoring without the need for filtration or manual particle identification. Beckett’s goal as a researcher is to develop instrumentation to collect data needed to inform policy decisions for positive change.
Beckett holds an S.B. in Mechanical and Ocean Engineering from MIT (2-OE). Outside of research, he enjoys cooking, sailing, and tinkering. He is interested in collaborating with others to start citizen science initiatives to increase community engagement in ocean science and conservation.