By Megan Sam
That’s the question driving Arianna Martin, a Ph.D. candidate in civil and coastal engineering at the University of Florida. She’s exploring how the behavior of small seafloor-dwelling animals might affect locating and identifying unexploded ordnances (UXOs) — leftover bombs or munitions buried in subaquatic sediments.
Central to Martin’s research is a device referred to as portable free fall penetrometer, a tool that’s dropped into the seabed to collect data on soil properties. She uses it to study how animals affect the sediment, helping her determine whether the seafloor is stiff or soft, which in turn reveals how sediment might be covering or uncovering buried UXOs.
“Scientists already have a solid grasp of processes like soil consolidation — where soil volume decreases over time as water is squeezed out — and bearing capacity, which is how much stress soil can withstand before it fails,” said Martin. “But most research doesn’t account for the activity of animals that disturb the sediment.”
Martin’s fieldwork draws on data from the Gulf Coast of Florida to the York River in Virginia, and as far as Nova Scotia in Canada. In each location, she looks at how different soils and species interact — insights that could help predict where UXOs are hiding and how accessible they might be.
Her passion for the work is rooted in both personal and academic interests. Growing up in Jamaica, she saw how fast coastal areas like Hellshire Beach were disappearing. Her love of history, especially World War II, drew her to this research, and the hands-on, field-based nature of the work makes it all the more rewarding.
“I love how hands-on this research is,” said Martin. “We go into the field, gather our own data, test it, analyze it and have meaningful discussions about what it tells us. I enjoy being involved in every part of the process and learning from such a collaborative team.”
As she wraps up her first year of doctoral studies, Martin is analyzing her data and working on her first publication.
Her advisor, Nina Stark, Ph.D., CCS associate director, is impressed by Martin’s dedication and growth.
“Arianna is enthusiastic and highly committed to her work,” said Stark. “In this first year, she had to master many geomechanical and physical processes at the water-seabed interface and learn how to implement them in analysis. Arianna is making a significant contribution to the research team as a researcher and person.”
In the coastal and marine geotechnics research group led by Stark, Martin has also found a strong sense of community with her lab mates.
“On field days, you see everyone in their element,” said Martin. “Everyone’s so passionate about what they do, and excited about what you’re doing. You’re with the people you belong with.”