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Billy D'AndreaBilly D'Andrea studies the natural variability of Earth’s climate system using single-cell algae as an indicator of past temperatures. He is a NOAA Postdoctoral Fellow working at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and develops and applies molecular and isotopic techniques to reconstruct past climate change from lake sediments. Billy loves the Arctic and worked in southwest Greenland for seven years prior to beginning research in northwest Norway this summer.

Project Page: Trans Fat, Algae and Arctic Climate Change

All Posts By Billy D'Andrea


Diamond Hunters Stole Our Helicopter!

KANGERLUSSUAQ, GREENLAND-- A Canadian resource exploration company, Hudson Resources Inc., has been searching for diamonds in Greenland for years. Unfortunately, they found some not far from Kangerlussuaq. This is a big problem for scientists... {Read More »}



Limno Toolkit

KANGERLUSSUAQ, GREENLAND-- Limnology is the study of freshwater systems, like lakes. Have a look at this video to to see us do modern limnological sampling, recover sediment samples from last season, and introduce you to some of our equipment... {Read More »}



Peregrine Falcons

NEAR KANGERLUSSUAQ, GREENLAND-- My spirits were high hiking out from the back lakes, a solo half-day walk, when I happened upon a Peregrine Falcon scrape. In this video, meet these amazing birds of prey, once endangered due to the use of pesticides like DDT... {Read More »}



Getting to the Back Lakes: Crossing LimnaeaSo

KANGERLUSSUAQ, GREENLAND-- For the first few days of field work, I was joined by collaborators N. John Anderson and Chris Barry from the UK. I took advantage of the extra muscle to get to some lakes I wouldn't have otherwise... {Read More »}



Alkenones: Natural Thermometers

KANGERLUSSUAQ, GREENLAND-- To understand how Earth's climate system has changed over time, we need to find, develop and use natural recorders of temperature and precipitation. One natural thermometer comes in the form of alkenones: trans-fats produced by certain algae... {Read More »}



Getting to Greenland

KANGERLUSSUAQ, GREENLAND-- We start our Greenland field season with the 109th wing of the Air National Guard, who pack us along with our gear into C-130 cargo planes. Come fly the friendly skies. {Read More »}



Lake Coring in Greenland & NYC

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND-- Lake sediments are perfect for investigating past environments and climate change. But when your study lake is frozen over and the sediments lie more than 100 feet down, extracting them takes some ingenuity... {Read More »}



IPY: The Next Generation, Pt. 2

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND-- In May 2008, I attended the Next Generation of Polar Researchers Symposium : an IPY workshop for young polar scientists. We are the polar scientists of tomorrow (and today) and we all have ideas we’d like to put into action. {Read More »}



IPY: The Next Generation

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND-- You might not know this (most people don’t,) but 2007-2008 is an International Polar Year (IPY). More than 60 countries, including the… {Read More »}



Why Paleoclimate?

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND-- Here's an example of something that inspires me to try to reconstruct past climate. {Read More »}