Gulf Coast Repository - GCR

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Gulf Coast Repository - GCR Managing scientific ocean drilling archives and research lab facilities, and providing training to geoscientists A&M University.

If you're at GSA, and would like to learn more about the GCR, meet Patrick the Penguin, and see examples of IODP cores, ...
10/13/2026

If you're at GSA, and would like to learn more about the GCR, meet Patrick the Penguin, and see examples of IODP cores, make sure to stop by booth 429 under the Triassic banner in the Exhibit Hall!

See you in Denver for !
10/09/2026

See you in Denver for !

This past week, we were excited to welcome Dr. Julia Wellner’s class and members of Dr. William Struble's lab from Unive...
10/07/2026

This past week, we were excited to welcome Dr. Julia Wellner’s class and members of Dr. William Struble's lab from University of Houston to the GCR! We enjoyed giving them a behind-the-scenes look at our facilities, collections, and the work we do to support scientific ocean drilling.

Are you interested in touring the GCR? Check out our website at https://gcr.tamu.edu/info/visit.html and reach out to [email protected] to schedule a tour!

🔬 Instrument Spotlight: Laser Particle Size and Shape AnalyzerDid you know that you can measure the size AND shape of yo...
10/02/2026

🔬 Instrument Spotlight: Laser Particle Size and Shape Analyzer

Did you know that you can measure the size AND shape of your samples, all within the span of a few seconds?

The now has a Bettersizer S3 Plus where you can measure particle sizes between 0.01-3500μm. The instrument simultaneously measures shape information (such as L/D, circularity, sphericity) of particles between 2-3500μm.

If needed, you can also use the GCR chem lab to prepare your samples.

Have you ever wondered how scientists collect samples from hard rock cores for microbiology and biogeochemical research?...
09/30/2026

Have you ever wondered how scientists collect samples from hard rock cores for microbiology and biogeochemical research? 🦠 🔬 🧪

A recent study published in Scientific Drilling outlines a workflow developed and optimized during International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 399 that maximizes the potential of interdisciplinary use for these samples, while also minimizing potential microbial and organic chemical contamination.

Microbiology samples were selected from drilled cores as quickly as possible by a small interdisciplinary team representing the various scientific interests of the expedition science party. Samples were processed using clean and sanitized tools within a KOACH clear air system to chip away the outer pieces of core, to access interior material that had a lower likelihood of contamination. To maximize collaborative research, interior sample material was allocated across the science party for microbiology and geochemistry analyses, while additional studies utilized the outer pieces of core material.

For more details on this workflow, check out Brazelton et al. 2026. https://doi.org/10.5194/sd-35-159-2026.

With the start of the Fall 2026 semester, we welcome our student workers back to the GCR. Meet our student team and lear...
09/25/2026

With the start of the Fall 2026 semester, we welcome our student workers back to the GCR. Meet our student team and learn more about what our student assistants do!

Our students primary duties include sampling collections of sediment and rock cores drilled from the floors of the world’s oceans in addition to entering and maintaining sampling data into computerized databases. They also update computer inventories of thin sections, smear slides and residues. We often see our students unloading inventory, racking core tubes, climbing ladders, and working in refrigerated environments (where our cores are stored!). Visiting scientists are also assisted by our students with sampling and other needs they may have.

If you are a current Texas A&M student looking for a job here at the GCR or want more information, look up our job posting on jobsforaggies.tamu.edu or check out the links in our bio.
Position title: Student Assistant - Gulf Coast Repository
ID: 416227

🔬 User Spotlight: Haolin ZhouWe’re highlighting Haolin Zhou, a postdoctoral fellow working with Dr. Lucien Nana Yobo in ...
09/23/2026

🔬 User Spotlight: Haolin Zhou

We’re highlighting Haolin Zhou, a postdoctoral fellow working with Dr. Lucien Nana Yobo in the Department of Geology and Geophysics at Texas A&M University.

Here’s what Haolin shared about his research using the GCR facilities:

"I am Haolin Zhou, a postdoctoral fellow working with Dr. Lucien Nana Yobo at the Department of Geology and Geophysics, TAMU. Using the GCR facilities, we are analyzing a drilled core collected from a mountain ridge in the Santa Ynez Mountains, California. We measure the concentrations of major elements and thermal maturity of petrogenic organic matter to understand how pristine sedimentary rocks are altered as tectonic uplift brings them toward the surface and exposes them to chemical weathering. Our findings will help us estimate how these processes affect the movement and storage of carbon in the rocks."

We’re proud to play a small part in helping Haolin explore these big questions about Earth’s changing surface. 🌎🔬

The GCR is available for a wide range of workshops and meetings, including legacy research projects and outreach. Early ...
09/18/2026

The GCR is available for a wide range of workshops and meetings, including legacy research projects and outreach. Early consultation with the GCR is strongly encouraged, and GCR staff can provide guidance and suggestions prior to funding proposal submission.
https://gcr.tamu.edu/outreach/planning.html

Graduate students, Breno Goldberg Araujo and Anuska Pudasaini, from University of Houston back again for another visit! ...
09/16/2026

Graduate students, Breno Goldberg Araujo and Anuska Pudasaini, from University of Houston back again for another visit!

Breno has visited the GCR several times now to collect samples for his graduate research. His study aims to determine the depositional processes responsible for sediment accumulation within a contourite drift deposit. He is interested in select millimeter-scale laminae from IODP Expedition 379 to identify differences in sediment transport mechanisms between glacial and interglacial periods.

While you were immersed in Christopher Nolan's retelling of the Odyssey, did you know that Odysseus' journey home took h...
09/11/2026

While you were immersed in Christopher Nolan's retelling of the Odyssey, did you know that Odysseus' journey home took him past (or very close to) many scientific ocean drilling sites?

Odysseus encountered mythical beings such as the Cyclops and the Lastrygonians, Scylla and Charybdis, but thankfully, scientific ocean drilling expeditions are much less perilous! Instead, over expeditions spanning five decades, scientists have drilled into basement rocks of the Tyrrhenian Basin (IODP Exp 402, ODP Leg 107), investigated the history of eruptions in the Hellenic volcanic arc (IODP Exp 398), gathered the first scientific evidence showing that 5 million years ago the Mediterranean Sea was a desert (DSDP Leg 13, 42) and gained insight into climate variability in the Mediterranean basin (ODP Leg 160). Our scientific Odyssey continues, as research on cores recovered during these expeditions is still ongoing.

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1000 Discovery Drive
College Station, TX
77845

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

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