
OUR TEAM
Eric Attias
Research Assistant Professor
Eric’s research focuses on dynamic Earth processes, particularly lithosphere-biosphere feedback interactions. His group at OCEEMlab specializes in marine electromagnetic (EM) imaging techniques, augmented by seismic and potential field methods and coupled with rock physics modeling. These techniques are analyzed jointly with other datasets, including sediment cores, bathymetric, oceanographic, and biogeochemical data.
RESEARCH THEMES
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Dynamics of melting ice sheets, methane, and oceanic carbon cycle
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Slab rollback and toroidal/poloidal mantle flow role in intraplate volcanism
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Volcanic hot-spot plume convection dynamics
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GeoH2 generation beneath ultraslow-spreading and subduction zones
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Interplay between volcanic plumes, groundwater flux, and marine biodiversity
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Quasi-periodic earthquake cycles of oceanic transform faults
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Onshore-offshore hydraulic functioning of submarine freshwater
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Hydrothermal circulation and seafloor mineralization
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Time-lapse monitoring of subsea CO2 storage sites
ACADEMICS
Ph.D., Geophysics, University of Southampton, National Oceanography Centre, UK
MRes., Geology & Geophysics, University of Southampton, UK
B.Sc., Oceanography (Magna Cum Laude), Ruppin College, IL
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Research Assistant Professor, Institute for Geophysics, Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, 2023-current
Guest Investigator, Geology & Geophysics, WHOI, 2023-2024
Research Associate III, Geology & Geophysics, WHOI, 2022
Research Affiliate Faculty, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, Department of Earth Sciences, Univ. of Hawai‘i, 2020–2022
Visiting Scientist, Earth and Planetary Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 2021
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, Department of Earth Sciences, Univ. of Hawai‘i, 2018–2020
INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE
Senior geophysicist, Japan. Seafloor minerals mapping using an AUV Plume Hunter sensor suite, Ocean Floor Geophysics Inc., 2022
Senior geophysicist, Norway. Seabed mineral exploration at mid-ocean ridge using an AUV-Self-Potential (SP) system, Ocean Floor Geophysics Inc., 2021
Senior geophysicist, Japan. Seafloor massive sulphide exploration using an AUV-SP system, Ocean Floor Geophysics Inc., 2019
Scientific consultant, Japan. Gas hydrate 3-D marine CSEM experiment, Ocean Floor Geophysics Inc., in collaboration with Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 2017
Field geophysicist, Japan. Marine CSEM gas hydrate survey, Ocean Floor Geophysics Inc., in collaboration with Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 2015
ROV Pilot/Tech, Mediterranean Sea, Oceaneering International Inc., 2011-2012
Senior hydrographer, Tanzania. Hydrographic survey at Dar Es Salaam marine port, EDT Offshore, 2008-2010



Tony Wass
Senior Subsea Engineer
ACADEMICS
Master’s Certificate in Project Management, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada 2014
Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical), Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada 1990
Diploma of Mechanical Engineering Technology, Camosun College, Victoria, BC, Canada 1988
INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE
- Senior Subsea Engineer & Offshore Project Manager, Ocean Floor Geophysics, BC, Canada,
Full-time employment, remote working, often on vessels, 2015-2022
- Self-employed, on contract to OFG, Cellula Robotics, University of Victoria, CSSF/ROPOS,
CanPac 2008-2015
- Subsea Engineer / ROV Supervisor, Global Marine Systems, UK 2000-2008
- Design Engineer / Project Manager, DWT Engineering, Victoria, BC 1990-2000
ASSOCIATIONS
Tony is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia (APEGBC).


Nathan Ehrenholz
AUV Subsea Engineer
ACADEMICS
BASc, Mechatronic Systems Engineering, Simon Fraser University, Canada, 2013-2017
INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE
- Technical Applications Engineer, Norbit Subsea, Portland, OR, USA, 2024-Present
- Affiliated Subsea Engineer, OCEEMlab, Austin, TX, USA, 2023-Present
- Subsea Robotics Engineer, Ocean Floor Geopysics, BC, Canada, 2020-2024
- AUV Robotics Engineer, International Submarine Engineering, BC, Canada, 2017-2020

Ming Zhang
Visiting Professor
RESEARCH INTERESTS
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Employing electromagnetic (EM) methods for solving complex geophysical problems associated with environmental geology
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Develop a MATLAB-based Conjugate Gradient Algorithm for EM inverse modeling
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Coding novel forward modeling methods for various EM data
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Interpretation of subsurface resistivity structures using joint-inversion schemes
ACADEMICS
Ph.D., Geophysics, Jilin University
Visiting Ph.D., Geophysics, Memorial University of Newfoundland
B.S., Measurement and Control Technology and Instrumentation, Jilin University
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Assistant Professor, Jilin University, China, 2024-Present
Postdoctoral fellow, Jilin University, China, 2021-2024


Tanner Acquisto
Postdoctoral Fellow
RESEARCH INTERESTS
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Crustal-scale geophysical characterizations of subduction zones in 2D and 3D
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The formation and hydrothermal evolution of the oceanic crust and upper mantle
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Seismic tomography and waveform inversion
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Joint analysis of coincident seismic and CSEM data
ACADEMICS
Ph.D., Marine Geophysics, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory - Columbia University, New York, NY, 2024
M.Res., Exploration Geophysics, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, FR, 2018
B.Sc., Geophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 2017


Yanyi Wang
Colloborative PhD student
RESEARCH INTERESTS
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Geophysical methods for monitoring CO2 storage
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EM and Seismic joint inversion
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Double-dealing intelligence geophysical applications
ACADEMICS
Ph.D. (2022-2027), Earth Exploration and Information Technology, Institute of Applied Geophysics, School of Geosciences and Info-Physics, Central South University, China. Project: In collaboration with UTIG's OCEEMlab, ICM-CSIC, Uni. of Southampton, and NGI.
B.A., Geophysics, Institute of Applied Geophysics, School of Geosciences and Info-Physics, Central South University, China, 2022
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Teaching Assistant, Graduate Course on Scientific Writing and Academic Ethics, Central South University, 2023
Teaching Assistant, Undergraduate Course on Marine Geophysics, Southern University of Science and Technology, 2022
Summer Student Fellow, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, 2021
Elora Le Gall
MS.c. intern student
RESEARCH INTERESTS
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Numerical modeling of Earth's mantle and crust viscosity
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Shear wave seismic tomography
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Joint 3D modeling of MT and seismic data
ACADEMICS
MS.c., ESPCI Paris - PSL, the institution of science and engineering in Physics and Chemistry, FR, 2025
BS.c., Paris-Saclay University, double major in Physics and Geosciences, FR, 2022
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Research assistant, IFPEN - An international ERC Karst Synergy project, France, 2024
Research team member, Geosciences Lab, Paris-Saclay University, France, 2022
Lab assistant, FAST Lab, Paris-Saclay University, France, 2022

Former Graduate Students & Postdoctoral Fellows
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Ema L. Parker, Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, 2023 – 2024
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Bailey L. Fluegel, MIT–WHOI Joint Program & UTIG’s OCEEMlab, 2022 – 2024
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Dr. Dallas Sherman, Institute for Geophysics, UT Austin, 2023 – 2024
