Billy Brazelton

Billy Brazelton is a graduate student in the University of Washington's Oceanography and Astrobiology programs. He likes to study life in extreme environments. Lost City is an especially interesting site because of its potential as an analog for the early Earth. On this cruise he hopes to learn something about the anaerobic oxidation of methane that may be occurring in and around the vents. He will be testing water samples for anaerobic methane oxidation activity with Marv Lilley’s group. He will also attempt to culture the microbes that are carrying out the oxidation processes once back onshore, in collaboration with his advisor John Baross. These organisms should tell us more about the ecology of hydrothermal vents and possibly shed light on the nature of one of the first ecosystems to evolve on the planet.