The Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center’s Samples Repository provides space and services for processing and sampling of materials and collections.
Brian Buczkowski
I work on a variety of projects that include developing preservation and management strategies for scientific collections, obtaining and processing geological samples from coastal and marine environments, as well as performing laboratory analyses related to grain size, mineralogy, and sedimentary character.
Brian Buczkowski is the curator of collections for the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center’s (WHCMSC) Samples Repository in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. This Samples Repository serves as the primary storage location for all geological, biological, and geochemical samples collected through USGS research by, or in the permanent custody of, the WHCMSC. Local storage facilities consist of walk-in refrigerated and frozen cold rooms, ambient temperature storage, as well as an analysis and sampling facility. Brian also participates in Bureau-wide and interagency groups, such as the British Ocean Sediment Core Research Facility (BOSCORF) Advisory Group, USGS Geologic Materials Repository Working Group, and the Curators of Marine and Lacustrine Geological Samples Group, tasked with curating scientific collections as well as developing scientific collections management and preservation solutions. He also serves as the curator of collections for the United States Extended Continental Shelf (ECS) Project, and has provided input and guidance for the development of policy and procedures for access and distribution of physical samples collected as a part of ECS research.
In addition to his duties as curator, Brian also manages the WHCMSC Sediment Analysis Laboratory: a Center-wide resource that performs analyses relating to grain size, mineralogy, and sedimentary character of samples collected by WHCMSC scientists and their partners. He is also the project manager for the usSEABED Project, contributes to the National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program, serves as Co-chair of the Collections Steering Committee, and is a member of the Peer Support Worker program.
Professional Experience
2002-2008: Geologist I (collections manager), Integrated Statistics contracted to the U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole, MA
2008-present: Physical Scientist (curator of collections and lab manager), U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole, MA
Education and Certifications
B.S., Geology, The State University of New York at Buffalo
A.L.M., Museum Studies, Harvard University Extension School (expected graduation May 2025)
Affiliations and Memberships*
American Alliance of Museums
Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections
Massachusetts Geological Society
The Explorers Club (FN'15)
Geological Society of America
Science and Products
Surficial sediment character of the Louisiana offshore continental shelf region: A GIS compilation
The Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center’s Samples Repository provides space and services for processing and sampling of materials and collections.
The Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center’s Samples Repository provides space and services for processing and sampling of materials and collections. Sample photography uses a Nikon1 D90 SLR camera mounted to the ceiling directly above the layout table in the sample preparation area.
The Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center’s Samples Repository provides space and services for processing and sampling of materials and collections. Sample photography uses a Nikon1 D90 SLR camera mounted to the ceiling directly above the layout table in the sample preparation area.
Core racks filled with split cores in D-tubes in the K.O. Emery Geotechnical Wing walk-in refrigerator
Core racks filled with split cores in D-tubes in the K.O. Emery Geotechnical Wing walk-in refrigerator
Woods Hole Core Lab Manager, Brian Buczkowski, giving a tour of the lab to local teachers participating in a professional development workshop
Woods Hole Core Lab Manager, Brian Buczkowski, giving a tour of the lab to local teachers participating in a professional development workshop
Sample preparation and processing area in the K.O. Emery Geotechnical Wing at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole, MA
Sample preparation and processing area in the K.O. Emery Geotechnical Wing at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole, MA
Storage vans, referred to as the "Freezer Farm" sit outside the Woods Hole Science Center
Storage vans, referred to as the "Freezer Farm" sit outside the Woods Hole Science Center
Science and Products
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 13
Surficial sediment character of the Louisiana offshore continental shelf region: A GIS compilation
The Louisiana coastal zone, comprising the Mississippi River delta plain stretching nearly 400 km from Sabine Pass at the Texas border east to the Chandeleur Islands at the Mississippi border, represents one of North America’s most important coastal ecosystems in terms of natural resources, human infrastructure, and cultural heritage. At the same time, this region has the highest rates of coastalAuthorsS. Jeffress Williams, Matthew A. Arsenault, Brian J. Buczkowski, Jane A. Reid, James Flocks, Mark A. Kulp, Shea Penland, Chris J. Jenkins - Science
- Data
- Multimedia
Filter Total Items: 27Core Splitter
The Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center’s Samples Repository provides space and services for processing and sampling of materials and collections.
The Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center’s Samples Repository provides space and services for processing and sampling of materials and collections.
Samples Repository ceiling mounted camera systemThe Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center’s Samples Repository provides space and services for processing and sampling of materials and collections. Sample photography uses a Nikon1 D90 SLR camera mounted to the ceiling directly above the layout table in the sample preparation area.
The Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center’s Samples Repository provides space and services for processing and sampling of materials and collections. Sample photography uses a Nikon1 D90 SLR camera mounted to the ceiling directly above the layout table in the sample preparation area.
Walls and carts of coresCore racks filled with split cores in D-tubes in the K.O. Emery Geotechnical Wing walk-in refrigerator
Core racks filled with split cores in D-tubes in the K.O. Emery Geotechnical Wing walk-in refrigerator
Brian Buczkowski, Woods Hole Core Lab Manager giving a tourBrian Buczkowski, Woods Hole Core Lab Manager giving a tourWoods Hole Core Lab Manager, Brian Buczkowski, giving a tour of the lab to local teachers participating in a professional development workshop
Woods Hole Core Lab Manager, Brian Buczkowski, giving a tour of the lab to local teachers participating in a professional development workshop
Sample preparation and processing areaSample preparation and processing area in the K.O. Emery Geotechnical Wing at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole, MA
Sample preparation and processing area in the K.O. Emery Geotechnical Wing at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole, MA
Storage vans, referred to as the "Freezer Farm"Storage vans, referred to as the "Freezer Farm" sit outside the Woods Hole Science Center
Storage vans, referred to as the "Freezer Farm" sit outside the Woods Hole Science Center
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government