Research Projects
Investigating marine biogeochemistry, biological carbon pumps, and climate change responses
Research Interests
My research interests broadly centre around phytoplankton response to perturbations in physical forcing. I have a particular focus on characterising the influences on carbon export efficiency and transfer to the deep ocean, including how spatial and seasonal variability in these factors arises.
I also have interests in detecting and attributing long-term trends in biogeochemical timeseries, quantifying the future response of ocean biogeochemistry to climate change, and determining the spatio-temporal scales required to observe these shifts.
We employ a data synthesis approach, integrating autonomous underwater vehicles (Seagliders and BGC-Argo floats), satellite ocean colour observations, numerical model output, and in situ ship-board measurements to understand ocean carbon dynamics.
Current Projects
OceanNexus
Assessing consequences in the cascading of climate Tipping in the ocean-Marine ecology-society connection
Role: Co-I
OceanNexus assesses consequences in the cascading of climate tipping points across ocean physics, marine ecosystems, and human society.
TiMBER
Forecasting Tipping points in Marine Biogeochemistry and Ecosystem Responses
Role: Co-I
TiMBER will deliver the foundations of an early warning system for tipping elements in marine ecosystems and biogeochemistry suitable to inform potential impacts on the UK economy.
PARTITRICS
Particle transformation and respiration influence on ocean carbon storage
Role: PI
PARTITRICS uses novel autonomous technologies and biogeochemical sensors to address the mesopelagic processes transforming and respiring sinking organic particles, assisting in validation and development of biogeochemical models.
Visit Project Website →BioGeoSea
Enhancing biogeochemical essential ocean variables for European and global assessments
Role: Co-I
BioGeoSea aims to design, develop and improve biogeochemical Essential Ocean Variables to understand variables essential for assessing marine ecosystem health and the ocean’s role in climate.
Visit Project Website →OceanICU
Understanding ocean carbon
Role: Co-I & WP Co-Lead
OceanICU produces new data and understanding on the role of the ocean in the global carbon cycle. I lead a work package addressing the ecological controls on the biological carbon pump.
Visit Project Website →CALIPSO
Carbon Loss In Plants, Soils and Oceans
Role: Co-I
CALIPSO improves representation of carbon loss processes in Earth System Models, focusing on three critical knowledge gaps in the global carbon cycle.
Visit Project Website →
Past Major Projects
GOCART
Gauging Ocean organic Carbon fluxes using Autonomous Robotic Technologies
Role: PI
GOCART deployed autonomous underwater gliders to investigate seasonal and high-frequency variability in organic carbon fluxes and remineralisation depth in the open ocean twilight zone.
Visit Project Website →CELOS
Constraining the evolution of the Southern Ocean carbon sink
Role: Co-I & WP Lead
CELOS contributed to understanding how changes in marine ecosystems and biogeochemistry impact the Southern Ocean carbon sink. I led a work package on developing alternative parameterisations of the biological carbon pump.
Visit Project Website →GLOBESINK
Global ocean sinking carbon flux and variability
Role: Co-I
GLOBESINK used BGC-Argo profiling floats to construct global assessments of organic carbon flux, combining float data with satellite observations to map time-varying sinking carbon.
Visit Project Website →BRICS
Biology’s Role In ocean Carbon Storage – a gap analysis
Role: PI
BRICS identified major knowledge gaps concerning biological processes key for future ocean carbon storage, assessing their observational tractability and model parameterisation.
Visit Project Website →CUSTARD
Carbon Uptake and Seasonal Traits in Antarctic Remineralisation Depth
Role: Co-I & WP Lead
CUSTARD examined how seasonal changes in Southern Ocean phytoplankton dynamics influence how long organic carbon remains trapped in the deep ocean, utilizing ship-board observations and gliders.
Visit Project Website →COMFORT
Our common future ocean in the Earth system
Role: Co-I & WP Co-Lead
COMFORT closed knowledge gaps around marine biogeochemical tipping points. I co-led a work package on the dynamics, extremes, early warning signals, and reversibility of tipping points.
Visit Project Website →COMICS
Controls over Oceanic Mesopelagic Interior Carbon Storage
Role: Co-I & WP Lead
COMICS investigated the biological and physical drivers of carbon flux attenuation in the ocean's twilight zone, constructing comprehensive mesopelagic carbon budgets.
Visit Project Website →Carbon Export Seasonality
Seasonal variability in the efficiency of upper ocean carbon export
Role: PI
This project investigated the impact of seasonal changes on Thorium-234 derived estimates of particulate organic carbon export flux in the ocean.
Phytoplankton Pump
Role of phytoplankton community structure in biological carbon pump efficiency
Role: PI
My independent fellowship explored how the composition of phytoplankton communities influences the efficiency of the biological carbon pump using satellite and in situ datasets.