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Dyllan Furness, College of Marine Science

In a field that revolves around the ocean, Orion Scharton-Witmer has built an impressive r茅sum茅 on the water: 16 scientific cruises aboard large research vessels, some 70 small boat expeditions, and more than 130 days on the water, all while earning his master's in physical oceanography at the USF College of Marine Science.

A recent graduate, Scharton-Witmer credits that degree and the hands-on experience he gained at USF with landing a job as a research fellow and marine technician at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia.

"Growing up, I probably spent more time in the water than on land," he said. "But I didn't have specific instrumentation skills when I arrived at the college. The skills I gained here are what really helped me get this prestigious job doing what I want to do."

Scharton-Witmer joined Yonggang Liu's in June 2023, bringing with him an affinity for math and physics, familiarity with circulation modeling, and a bachelor's degree in oceanography from the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

He quickly found an outlet for these interests at the College of Marine Science. After arriving in St. Petersburg, Scharton-Witmer was introduced to the lab's operational team, which maintains an array of surface buoys and subsurface moorings in Tampa Bay and the Gulf, each equipped with a suite of instruments for recording ocean data. Jay Law, a research scientist and head of the lab鈥檚 field operations, invited Scharton-Witmer on a research cruise and encouraged him to earn his scientific diving certification.

Within a few weeks, he embarked on his first trip aboard the , where Law and graduate student Sam D鈥橝ngelo served as mentors and taught him the ropes of mooring operations.

"I feel a deep connection to the ocean, and being on these vessels keeps the connection close while working." he said. "I like the truth of the observational data that these instruments record from the water while they're in the field."

Collecting data from the instruments can involve long hours and rough conditions. On a recent cruise in the Gulf, Scharton-Witmer worked the night shift, 4 p.m. to 4 a.m., deploying and retrieving sampling devices, buoys, chains, and anchors from the deck of the Weatherbird II. In the ship's lab, he troubleshot issues with tools and instruments with skills he developed at the college.

"This is the side of science most people don't get to see," Scharton-Witmer said while tinkering with a box of mechanisms used to open and close nets for biological sampling.

Working alongside Lillian Ring, a recent environmental science and geographic information systems graduate from USF and field technician in the Ocean Circulation Lab, he tested, lubricated, and adjusted the devices, carefully labeling the most reliable ones.

"I went into oceanography to work in this kind of environment," he added later. "I like fixing things. I like the sweaty, dirty, manual-labor side of science and data collection."

Many of these data are used to inform the circulation models that forecast the movement of water along Florida's coastline. Scharton-Witmer's master's thesis involved expanding his lab group鈥檚 modeling coverage by developing a new application for the East Coast of Florida.

"These circulation models can help us understand how the movement of water can influence issues of societal importance, from red tides to safe maritime navigation, through the integration of observing platforms and circulation models," he said.

Scharton-Witmer received several awards to support his degree, including internal fellowships from the College of Marine Science and a travel grant from the Hydrographic Society of America that allowed him to present his research at the Ocean Sciences Meeting in Glasgow, Scotland. Additional funding came from the Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

For students hoping to pursue a career in marine science, Scharton-Witmer encourages them to develop as well-rounded oceanographers with a strong foundation in physical principles of the ocean and a focus on building technical skillsets.

"Go into the field, go offshore, and see how the work is done," he said. "No matter your discipline, being actively involved in collecting your data gives you a new appreciation of the data. Don't be afraid of uncomfortable situations or let a lack of knowledge hold you back from trying something new."