For Nikolai Sarlo ’26, recipient of the Harry W. Freeman Endowed Scholarship – Biology, the College of Charleston opened the door to his passion for seafloor mapping. Through mentorship, study abroad and hands-on research with NOAA and the BEAMS program, Sarlo has developed the skills and connections to pursue a promising future in ocean exploration and mapping.
Nikolai Sarlo ’26, was in search of the perfect place to study marine biology. Having taken many childhood trips to Charleston, he knew the location was ideal, but what really sealed the deal for the Greer, South Carolina, native was the supportive community and the financial aid he received.
“When going through the application process, CofC really stood out,” says Sarlo. “They were willing to help financially and gave me individualized attention unlike any other school I was considering.”
Sarlo also wanted to travel and knew the College could make that a reality. When the opportunity arose to study abroad in Scotland during his junior fall semester, he didn’t hesitate.
“While in Scotland, I was able to continue with my marine biology and geology studies,” shares Sarlo. “Instead of focusing on the ocean, we focused on creeks, brooks and ponds. It was a very cool experience, and I was fortunate to be there!”
Finding a True Passion
It was upon returning to Charleston that Sarlo discovered his true calling — seafloor mapping. He is now a biology major with a double minor in geoinformatics and marine geology.
“I got into seafloor mapping sort of on a whim,” says Sarlo. “It was an extra class that I could take, and Dr. Leslie Sautter (faculty emeritus of geology and environmental geosciences), a former course instructor of mine, highly recommended it. After the first class or two, which was taught by the wonderful Lauren Maurizio (adjunct professor of geology and environmental geosciences), I was hooked. Not only was it something I enjoyed doing, but the instructor also made the course hundreds of times better for me.
“I had also heard great things about Professor Cabaniss (Haley Cabaniss ’15, assistant professor of geology and environmental geosciences and director of Benthic Acoustic Mapping (BEAMS) program),” adds Sarlo. “You could say I kind of chased her down. I’m so glad I did. I found myself falling more in love with the concept. Seafloor mapping has both a creative and exploratory side that really spoke to me.”
Sarlo quickly bonded with Cabaniss. Her passion for seafloor mapping further sparked his own curiosity about the field. Sarlo says he loves the combination of data analysis and creative problem solving that the work demands.
Researching Submarine Volcanos
Through a SURF or Summer Undergraduate Research with Faculty grant, Sarlo is working alongside Cabaniss to expand a submarine volcano database and identify traits that help identify which ones pose a threat and which do not. Their work involves significant mapping and comparison with an existing satellite survey, which revealed more than 43,000 submarine volcanoes.
Sarlo is also working with Norman Levine, professor of geology and director of Santee Cooper GIS Laboratory and Lowcountry Hazards Center, to revise and enter data to help with the Risk, Impacts, & Strategies for Coastal Communities Analysis for Rhode Island, Delaware and South Carolina for Santee Cooper GIS and Remote Sensing Laboratory,
“You can tell which volcano is dangerous based on its shape and depth,” explains Sarlo. “It takes us hours and is a very tedious process to go through each one.”
For Sarlo, the discoveries he makes are worth the effort. He honed his skills through BEAMS, a unique program at the College of Charleston that offers undergraduate-focused training and research with the mission to develop a strong and qualified workforce of ocean surveyors in support of the academic, research and operational marine communities.
“This past March, I was fortunate to attend The Hydrographic Society of America’s US HYDRO conference with the BEAMS program,” says Nikolai. “While there, I made fantastic contacts, presented research I had been conducting and got closer to both students and others who are associated with the BEAMS program.”
Sarlo completed the BEAM capstone course, Seafloor Research, in the 2025 spring semester and earned BEAMS Distinction.
“Students in this program learn about the geology of the seabed, the fundamentals of sonar theory and data processing and pursue an independent research project,” explains Cabaniss. “Nikolai was well prepared for this research project because of his training in the BEAMS Program.”
Aboard the Nancy Foster
A perk of the project was conducting research on a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ship.
NOAA coordinated a training cruise for students at several different academic institutions to help them learn about the acquisition of hydrographic data. Sarlo and other students were taught how to plan, execute and troubleshoot hydrographic surveys. They helped collect and process 487 square nautical miles of bathymetric data, about the equivalent of 9,863 football fields.
“It was the best thing I have ever done through the College,” says Sarlo. “I went on a five-day trip on the NOAA vessel Nancy Foster. We were surveying the seafloor about 100 nautical miles off the coast of South Carolina, in hopes of finding deep-sea corals.
“On top of learning so many skills and working on one of the coolest boats in the NOAA fleet, I made lifelong connections with students from around the country that I will cherish for the rest of my life,” adds Sarlo. “I would deeply encourage any student who can get this opportunity to fight tooth and nail for it; it was one of the most valuable things I have done during my academic career, with the bonus of friends and memories for the rest of my life. And, yes, we did end up finding deep-sea corals!”
Cabaniss admires Nikolai’s passion for the field: “Nikolai has a passion for maps that is contagious. This, paired with his curiosity about submarine environments and his desire to engage in science that benefits society, makes him the perfect student to take on this work.”
Sarlo is grateful for Cabaniss’s mentorship.
“Professor Cabaniss has been challenging in the best way possible,” he says. “She’s incredibly experienced in this field and treats you as an equal. She truly wants what’s best for you, and she makes that clear.”
Sarlo is ecstatic to keep working alongside Cabaniss this upcoming year.
He credits those who have helped him and extends his deepest gratitude for making the opportunities he has had at the College possible.
“My mother has been an inspiration to me and taught me early on how important it is to give back,” says Sarlo. “She sees the goodness in people that others very rarely see. The scholarships I received have helped me get to this point, and I hope to do the same for future students.”
With the foundation he has received from his professors and the College as a whole, no doubt Sarlo will go on to do extraordinary work in the world of seafloor mapping.