When Addison Looney woke up to an email titled, “Yellowstone Research Opportunity,” she didn’t hesitate to sign up. A few months after being accepted to join the project, she boarded a plane that took her to Montana for two weeks.
“On the way to Yellowstone, I had so much excitement for what was to come, that I wasn’t even scared of flying,” said Looney. She was not alone in this adventure. Three other students from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette accompanied her on this unique journey.
For two weeks, four Ragin’ Cajuns worked on a research project in Yellowstone alongside Dr. Alicia Cox. Cox now serves as the assistant professor of water resources in the School of Geosciences at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
For one of her first feats as a UL faculty member, she led four future biologists and geologists through many different research expeditions in the national park.
The trip had two main scientific focuses. Participants sampled water around natural geysers. The research centered on the Biscuit Basin, which is located a few miles north of Old Faithful. Biscuit Basin is the subject of sampling because of the hydrothermal explosion that occurred there in the summer of 2024.
“I started sampling there right after that in September,” said Cox. The goal was to discover the geochemical process that caused the eruption. On the most recent trip in July, the geyser was sampled three times in response to the formation of a new spring close by. “We wanted to get as much information about the formation of the new spring as we could,” said Cox.
The samples ranged from water to sediment and measured qualities such as pH and mineral levels. Students had hands-on opportunities to read meters in the field and transcribe data. Samples from this project have been sent to researchers at the University of Maryland and a PhD student at Montana Tech who specializes in acidic photosynthesis.
Looney, a third-year biology student, said that the most influential part of the trip was having access to some of the geysers and pools that the public cannot see. Their work gave them a deeper look into the vibrant ecosystems of Yellowstone that most people will never have the chance to experience. Looney also emphasized the personal impact this trip had on her.
“It is intensely physically and mentally challenging to brave the wilderness,” she said. The project required them to live without most modern comforts, cook their own food and hike through miles of forest. The terrain and scenery were nothing like what we have here in South Louisiana. There is over a 7,000 foot elevation difference between Lafayette and Yellowstone, which required adjustment.
“I was just hoping that they would get out and see what fieldwork is like and start to develop their own interests and research questions based on what they saw,” said Cox. She emphasized the life-changing impact that a trip like this can have on an individual, and the positive impact it has had in her life. In the years to follow she hopes the program grows and more students have the chance to experience this kind of project.
Though this kind of work can be tedious and requires patience, Cox explains the importance of exploring and understanding the natural world. “This sort of sampling is important because it gives us more information about how life could have possibly formed,” she said.
These geysers and pools hold secrets about some of the first organisms on this planet. Discovering the past is key to understanding environmental issues of our modern day. The natural world has inspired a sense of wonder for the scientists that took part in the expedition, one that we should all share about the unique habitat around us.