Fall 2021 Issue
Nicole Ertle '19 selected ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ for its strong marine science program. "I was able to take advantage of different research opportunities in which the academics were applied in the field to foster a better understanding of the science.", said Ertle.
It was during a trip off Long Beach Island where they were finding relict fluvial deposits - evidence that a river once ran there that put the pieces of her course and fieldwork together. She explained, "We had covered that geomorphology in a coastal processes course earlier that month. It was pretty special and one of those 'everything is coming together' moments."
While a student at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, she was able to assist the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in bathymetric surveys [Bathymetry is the measurement of the depth of water in oceans, rivers, or lakes. Bathymetric maps look a lot like topographic maps, which use lines to show the shape and elevation of land features. - National Geography.com] on the R/V Petrel, and conducted her own current profiling surveys under faculty. Ertle felt this opportunity helped her prepare for a career in hydrography.
Ertle graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Marine Science - Oceanography in 2012. She found her dream job working with fellow ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ alumni at the Philadelphia District of United States Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) as a hydrographic survey technician. Her duties include running various surveys - from the beaches to the back bays - and processing that data which includes bathymetric, topographic, turbidity, water current, and other geospatial data.
