A Day in the Life as a Sustainable Engineer

I landed in Boston on August 1st where I hailed a taxi to take me to Portsmouth. I checked into my hotel, laid down my bags, and opened the flyer with the concierge’s dinner recommendations. I only had one night in the city before I’d spend a month on a biological field station 7-miles offshore. Solo travel has never phased me. In fact, I prefer it. That night I took myself to almost all the places on the recommendation list. I had a glass of white wine and tuna ceviche at an oyster bar, a skinny margarita, and guacamole at the local Mexican joint, and a proper meal at a place I can’t remember overlooking Badgers Island. Once my tummy was full and my mind content, I strolled North Mill Pond, checked out the local boutiques, and made it back to the hotel a little past sunset. I was in need of a good rest to prepare for the day ahead.

The next morning, I towed my bags over cobblestone and side streets in search of the port where the ferry would pick me up. Once I arrived, I noticed other interns and research students lingering in line to get checked in and meet their advisors. I met my fellow colleagues – all undergraduate students from Cornell or the University of New Hampshire. I seemed to be the only one out of college since Covid-19 pushed back my internship for more than a year. I had originally accepted this offer in June 2020, but due to the state of the world, I couldn’t commence work until August 2021.

It's funny how life works that way. It’s best not to have a rigid plan, but to be fluid and ready to pivot when opportunity strikes.

I had spent the months prior working in coral restoration in the Florida Keys, and traveling throughout Hawaii and Jamaica, before beginning my next adventure on the Isle of Shoals.

We cruised the Atlantic Ocean for about 45 minutes before arriving at the rocky ledges of Appledore – a beautiful 95-acre island home to Shoals Marine Laboratory. One by one, Shoals staff passed up our luggage from the vessel to the land where tractors loaded up our belongings and trudged them over rocky dirt roads to drop them off at our accommodation. The dorms were weathered and rustic and the land was lush and wild. Solar panels and wind turbines lined the perimeter and fresh produce sprouted from Celia Thaxter’s historic garden. Trails led through verdant landscapes and opened up to the ocean. Several thousand Herring and Great Black-Backed Gulls soared the estate, marking their property and not having a problem notifying visitors of their unduly existence. The island's flora and fauna were buzzing as much, if not more, than the resident scientists and professors collecting data and maintaining the land.

As a sustainable engineer, I was tasked with five different projects. I helped Shoals monitor the energy output of the 10-kW wind turbine and compared the data to the theoretical outputs of the system. I was also tasked with helping to fine-tune the island’s green grid with the goal of reducing the overall electrical production from fossil fuels to less than 5%. I monitored the production of water via reverse osmosis and the use of well water and provided Shoals with recommendations for sustainable water treatment best practices using the existing equipment. And lastly, I collected energy output data from the island’s refrigeration system and compared those values to previous years.

Every morning, I woke up to the sound of seagull cries and mozied over to Kittering Hall for breakfast. The food was always so fresh, as it came straight from the garden or from the sea. I’d spend my mornings walking through tumbleweeds and muddy waters to check on the solar panels, my afternoons getting work done in the office, and my evenings swimming in the cold Atlantic waters. Living on a fully sustainable island was an interesting testament to my ability to adapt to different living conditions. I only showered once or twice a week, drank water desalinated from the sea, and befriended more gulls than people.

Professionally, it was a fascinating opportunity to address the engineering challenges encountered when operating and maintaining electrical, drinking water, wastewater management, and saltwater systems on a remote island. I discovered my interests in offshore wind energy and building off-grid systems. At the end of my stint, I delivered a public presentation for Shoals Sustainability Symposium and wrote a written report with recommendations for improvements and changes to the existing infrastructure.

On the ferry ride back, I was flushed with appreciation. For the diversity of experiences I’ve had in the marine biology and environmental engineering realm. For the connections I’ve made all over the United States and beyond. For the seagulls, mosquitos, lavender fields, and rocky coastline. In just a month, that little island had filled up my cup and I was overflowing. Thank you, Appledore.