Skip to content

Welcome to the Chemical Sensors Lab (CSL)

Our research group is in the Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering (AOPE) Department at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). Our goal is to advance our understanding of ocean chemistry and its role in the current age where human activity is significantly impacting climate. We are an interdisciplinary lab that develops new sensors and sensing platforms to study ocean chemistry and to measure microplastics in the ocean. We aim to smartly sense the ocean. Here in the Chemical Sensors Lab, we strive to create a space that values, celebrates and includes people with diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and experiences.

We bring rapid sensing technologies to remote environments.

Diane's Vent, Pescadero Basin

Deep Ocean Gas Sensing

We develop sensors to enable an improved understanding of deep sea hydrothermal vents, seeps, and submarine volcanoes.

Read More

plastic

Marine Plastics & Microplastics

Our research centers around the theme of using technology to drive our ability to robustly quantify and identify ocean plastics. We utilize spectroscopic techniques to study the fate of plastics in the marine environment.

Read More

DSC_0289

Chemical Mapping

In collaboration with WHOI scientists D. Nicholson and Wankel, we developed the ChemYak, a chemical sensing platform based on the JetYak, an autonomous surface vehicle (ASV/kayak) that enables spatial analysis of surface waters.

Read More

IMG_1715

Oil

We have investigated the use of portable X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) for identification of oil sources.

Read More

We chemically explore the deep ocean.

Latest Lab News

Robots to the Rescue

By syoungs | August 1, 2023

Humans can dive deeper into the world’s oceans than ever before with Alvin

By syoungs | March 23, 2023

MIT senior Sylas Horowitz has been developing a high-performance, remotely operated vehicle (ROV) that can collect water samples from beneath a sheet of Arctic ice

By syoungs | March 23, 2023

WHOI scientists discuss the chemistry behind Sri Lanka’s flaming plastic spill

By syoungs | February 2, 2023

5 WHOI women making waves in ocean science and engineering

By syoungs | February 2, 2023

Sargassum serendipity

By syoungs | February 2, 2023

Live from hydrothermal vents in the Guaymas Basin

By syoungs | February 2, 2023

A Conversation with Dr. Anna Michel

By syoungs | February 1, 2023

Sniffing out methane in the deep sea

By syoungs | February 21, 2022

The spread of plastics and oil in Sri Lanka from the wreck of M/V X-Press Pearl

By syoungs | February 21, 2022

Study Outlines Challenges to Ongoing Clean-up of Burnt and Unburnt Nurdles Along Sri Lanka’s Coastline

By syoungs | February 21, 2022

Dr. Anna P.M. Michel is appointed as WHOI’s New National Deep Submergence Facility Chief Scientist

By syoungs | February 21, 2022

Designing exploratory robots that collect data for marine scientists

By syoungs | February 21, 2022

WHOI’s Chemical Sensors Lab teams up with TripleRing Technologies to continue microplastic sensing efforts

By syoungs | February 21, 2022

Colson interviewed by The Academic Times regarding his novel Microplastic Sensor

By syoungs | April 15, 2021