Crew Spotlight: Bryan

Next up on crew spotlights is one of our newest shipmates, Dr. Bryan Barney.  Bryan joined us at our last port stop, Rarotonga, and has been a very knowledgeable and helpful resource for some of us in science and project work.  He is a research scientist who is fascinated by the melding of different fields, such as genetics and computer science, and he self-describes himself as a molecular ecologist and a nerd.  Bryan has many scattered interests, but at the core truly cares about what matters to him: family and marine life.  When he's not spending time with his wife and 8 year-old daughter, Bryan dabbles with his saltwater aquariums and the occasional nerdy board game.  Originally, he worked with pharmaceuticals and biotech, but has since transitioned to teaching and post-doctorate activities.  On board the Robert C. Seamans, Bryan is performing PCR experiments on the environmental DNA (eDNA) we collect from our water samples.  It is thought to be the first time PCR has ever been performed on a ship! When asked what's the hardest thing for him to explain, he said it would be dispelling the myth that everything is caused by genetics alone.  Here's Bryan:

- Robby Haag

BRYAN

Hometown: San Jose, CA

Hobbies: Reef aquariums, nerdy board games

Favorite Book:  Steinbeck's Log from the Sea of Cortez or Cannery Row, anything Steinbeck really

Favorite Vacation Spot: Maui

What draws you to sailing: Adventure and a historical connection to early naturalists like Darwin or Wallace!

What are you looking forward to most on this trip: Sequencing on-board!

Favorite sea creature (or the one you relate with the most: The lowly nudibranch - so cool!

QUOTES ABOUT BRYAN:

Bryan is the ship's DNA dad 

   -a Stanford@SEA student

Even though he just joined the ship, Bryan takes care of us all.  He drove us all over Rarotonga to collect samples for our projects.  He waited for two hours on the beach in the rainstorm while we collected algae from the lagoon.

   - a Stanford@SEA student

I'm always inspired by how hard Bryan works.  You can always find him working away in the lab or reading up on what he's studying.  He's a wonderful teacher and always excited to share his knowledge.

   -a Stanford@SEA student