ARCUS Community Member Profiles highlight our individual members and member representatives. They are short, easy-to-read profiles to help the ARCUS community get to know one another and support connections across disciplines and perspectives. This article summarizes the featured Profile of Hannah Holland-Moritz, Postdoctoral Research Associate at University of New Hampshire. For more information, please download the attached Member Profile and the transcript of a related interview.

Hannah Holland-Moritz collecting environmental data and moss from the Chandalar Shelf area, Alaska, in 2019. Photo courtesy of Chathu Ranathunge.
Hannah Holland-Moritz collecting environmental data and moss from the Chandalar Shelf area, Alaska, in 2019. Photo courtesy of Chathu Ranathunge.

What do you study?

For several years, I've worked on microbial communities that live on mosses and how those communities might be relevant to Arctic and boreal nutrient cycles. Now, I've shifted my focus slightly to study the microorganisms that live in and around permafrost. Specifically, I'm interested in how they change when permafrost thaws, and if that change will make the Arctic a source of greenhouse gasses, or a sink of greenhouse gasses as the climate warms.

What excites you about this work?

Although I am driven by the fact that my work will help us make better predictions about the future of greenhouse gas release from the Arctic under climate change, I am most excited about the wonder and beauty of the microscopic creatures that live beneath our feet. The soils in the Arctic are home not just to plants and animals, but also to millions of tiny microorganisms who can move and interact with each other and their environment. Many of them are brand new species and—even for the ones that aren’t—we are learning new things about their lives all the time.

Polytrichum moss. Sometimes called “Goldilocks” or “Haircap Moss.” Photo courtesy of Hannah Holland-Moritz.
Polytrichum moss. Sometimes called “Goldilocks” or “Haircap Moss.” Photo courtesy of Hannah Holland-Moritz.

What else would you like to work on?

I'm new to ARCUS, so at the moment, I'd like to learn more about out what kind of work is going on and if my background can be useful to anyone.

When you aren't doing Arctic research, where might we find you?

I really like photography. When I graduated from high school, my parents gave me a nice camera as a graduation gift. That camera has been one of the greatest gifts I've ever received. I mostly take landscape photographs, but I've been trying to branch out more into portraits and street photography. I enjoy how reflective photography makes me and the creative process of composing a shot. It's a beautiful way to observe and interact with the world around me.

As an amateur photographer, Hannah seeks to tell stories through pictures—stories of the world as she sees it, or as she wants someone else to see it. Photo courtesy of Hannah Holland-Moritz.
As an amateur photographer, Hannah seeks to tell stories through pictures—stories of the world as she sees it, or as she wants someone else to see it. Photo courtesy of Hannah Holland-Moritz.

Connect with Hannah Holland-Moritz

Website: https://hhollandmoritz.github.io
Twitter: @hhollandmoritz

Download Member Profile Documents

Download Member Profile (PDF - 2 MB)

Download Member Profile Transcript (PDF - 79 KB)