Chemical Oceanography
Overview
Ana Arellano
Assistant Professor of Instruction
Education: PhD in Marine Science, Concentration: Chemical Oceanography, College of
Marine Science, 51在线
BS in Biology, Roanoke College, Salem, VA
Office Phone: 727.553.3504
Email: aarellan@usf.edu
CV: View PDF
My primary research interests involve biogeochemical cycling of carbon in both marine and freshwater environments and processes that influence biomarkers and optical properties of colored dissolved organic matter.
At the 51在线, I oversee Graduate Exemplary Mentoring (GEM) meetings that focus on providing a safe space and nurturing relationships among students within the College of Marine Science (CMS). Previously, I was a part of the leadership team to the University of Exemplary Mentoring (UCEM), a program funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. I create a welcoming and inclusive environment within CMS by facilitating open dialogues on challenging topics and implementing peer mentors for incoming students. Alongside these responsibilities, I teach Introduction of Oceanography and the Geologic History of 51在线.
In 2019, I spearheaded CMS鈥� first NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) supplement program. This initiative paved the way for Making Waves REU, an NSF REU site award. Making Waves REU is designed to provide an immersive ocean science REU for students with different social, cultural, and academic backgrounds. The inaugural REU supplement program was also instrumental in my appointment as Program Manager for 51在线 Institute of Oceanography's in February 2023. My role with Peerside has allowed me to further contribute, and I have been actively engaged in planning and organizing the program for the upcoming cohort.
My journey, from being a bilingual first-generation Latina to earning a Ph.D. as a non-traditional student, has shaped my commitment to fostering inclusivity in Marine Science.
Kristen N. Buck
Associate Research Professor
Chemical Oceanography
Office Phone: 727.553.1192
Email: kristenbuck@usf.edu
CV: View PDF
Southern Ocean Science Website
Research: Trace Metal Biogeochemistry; Metal-Binding Organic Ligands.
Research in the Buck lab is focused on the biogeochemical cycling of trace metals in marine ecosystems, with particular emphasis on the role of metal-binding ligands in the cycling of bioactive trace elements like iron and copper. Iron (Fe) is an essential micronutrient for phytoplankton that limits primary productivity in large regions of the global open ocean. Copper (Cu), on the other hand, is a common anthropogenic contaminant to estuarine and coastal oceans that can act as a toxicant to microorganisms at elevated concentrations. The organic complexation of dissolved iron and copper by largely uncharacterized natural ligands in seawater has proven to be an integral component in the oceanic biogeochemistry of these metals, governing aspects of their solubility, supply and bioavailability in the marine environment.
Recent research projects in the Buck lab have examined the distributions, sources and sinks of natural iron- and copper-binding organic ligands in seawater, biological transformations of iron and copper species, and the influence of copper-binding ligands on bioavailability and toxicity of copper in contaminated coastal and estuarine environments. The Buck lab has current funding from the National Science Foundation to measure iron-binding ligand distributions on the U.S. GEOTRACES cruises in the North Atlantic and in the Eastern Pacific, and to evaluate the influence of iron-binding ligands on iron cycling processes in experimental studies. Dr. Buck is also currently a co-chair of the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) Working Group 130: Organic Ligands- A Key Control on Trace Metal Biogeochemistry in the Ocean.
Robert H. Byrne
Distinguished University Professor
Seawater Physical Chemistry
Ph.D. University of Rhode Island, 1974
Office Phone: 727.553.1508
Email: rhbyrne@usf.edu
CV: View PDF
Research: Marine CO2 System Chemistry and Ocean Acidification; Seawater Trace Element Chemistry; and Development Of In Situ Methods and Instrumentation for Analysis of Seawater.
My current research involves three principal areas of investigation: (1) the speciation and behavior of trace metals in seawater, (2) investigation of marine and riverine CO2 system chemistry and (3) development of in-situ procedures for observation of the marine environment. My work on trace metals gives special emphasis to investigations of the comparative chemistries of a variety of elements including platinum and palladium, and yttrium plus the rare earths. Other enduring interests and current research includes investigation of the aqueous behavior of iron, and the influence of acantharia on the biogeochemistry of strontium and barium. Work on CO2 system chemistry includes the development and oceanic application of novel systems for shipboard and in-situ measurements of pH, total inorganic carbon, alkalinity, and CO2 fugacity. Development of systems for in-situ measurements of metals, nutrients and CO2 system variables involves close work with a variety of colleagues at the Center for Ocean Technology (within the College of Marine Science). Previous cooperative work involving COT engineers and CMS scientists has resulted in successful mass spectrometer deployments/ observations in the upper ocean, and deployments of long pathlength spectrometers for observation of oceanic nutrient distributions to depths of 200 meters.
In 2012, Dr. Byrne was elected as a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union for his contributions to the understanding of ocean acidification. He was also awarded the USF Innovation Award for his contributions to development of new sensors to measure ocean chemistry.
Tim Conway
Associate Professor
Chemical Oceanography
Ph.D. University of Cambridge 2010
Office Phone: 727.553.3408
Email: tmconway@usf.edu
CV: View PDF
Website:
Twitter:
Southern Ocean Science Website
Research: Marine Trace Metals, Transition Metal Isotopes, Biogeochemistry, Marine Geochemistry, GEOTRACES.
Specialties: Trace Metals, Marine Biogeochemistry, Atmospheric Dust, Geochemistry, Chemical Oceanography
Research in Tim Conway鈥檚 group aims to understand the geochemistry of trace metals in the marine and earth system, and the role they play as micronutrients and/or toxins in marine biogeochemical cycles, with effects on the global carbon cycle. Researchers working and collaborating with Dr. Conway employs techniques including measurement of trace metal (Fe, Zn, Ni, Cd, Cu) isotope ratios and trace metal concentrations (Fe, Zn, Ni, Cd, Cu, Mn, Pb) in a range of materials including aerosol dust, rocks, sediments rain, seawater, ice-cores, marine particles and biological materials. Our group uses a Thermo Neptune Plus MC-ICPMS and an Element XR HR-ICPMS in the Tampa Bay Plasma Facility housed at CMS to shed new light on the biogeochemical cycling of trace metals in the modern ocean. We are also interested in developing and applying isotopic tracers as proxies for oceanic processes in the geological past.
Our group works closely with national and international collaborators as part of the International GEOTRACES program, working on seawater and other samples collected from all over the world. Currently, we have NSF-funded projects on trace metals and their isotopes in the North and South Pacific (US GEOTRACES sections GP15, GP17-OCE, GP17-ANT), nutrient cycling on the West 51在线 Shelf, and the dissolution of Fe from Atmospheric Dust. We also have ongoing research collaborations in the Arctic, South Atlantic, and Antarctic marginal seas.
We are always eager for collaboration in a range of marine and geologic fields, and are always looking for keen and motivated graduate students and postdocs. Please contact us for current opportunities.
Dr Conway is also an Associate Editor for Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, and sits on the International GEOTRACES Standards and Intercalibration Committee.
For up-to-date laboratory activities and a list of recent publications and news, please visit the .
Patrick Rafter
Assistant Professor
Chemical Oceanography
Office Phone: 727.553.3415
Email: prafter@usf.edu
CV: View PDF
Ocean and Climate Lab
Research: Oceanography & Climate Science
Specialties: Marine Carbon Cycling, Isotope Geochemistry, Paleoclimate / Paleoceanography, Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal
My research strategy uses whatever tools are needed to improve our understanding of carbon cycling and climate from the past, present, and future. For example, my work provides insight to: (i) Greenhouse gas influence on the El Ni帽o-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) (Rafter & Charles 2012); (ii) Controls on the modern biological carbon pump (Rafter et al. 2012; 2013; 2016; 2017); (iii) The strengths and weaknesses of reconstructing ocean carbon with radiocarbon (14C) (Rafter et al. 2018); (iv) Geologic carbon and alkalinity flux to the ocean (Rafter et al. 2019); (v) Deep-sea overturning and carbon sequestration during the last ice age (Rafter et al. 2022); (vi) The utility of stable carbon isotopes for quantifying marine carbon dioxide removal (in prep.); and more.
Isabel C. Romero
Research Associate
Chemical Oceanography
Ph.D., University of Southern California
Office Phone: 727.553.3407
Email: isabelromero@usf.edu
CV: View PDF
Research: Biogeochemistry, Organic Geochemistry, Isotope Geochemistry, Environmental Chemistry, Geochemical Ecology
Specialties: Lipid Biomarkers, Trophic Ecology, Organic Contamination, Oil Spill Impacts, Deep-Sea Research, Chemical Fingerprinting, Sediment Biogeochemistry
Dr. Romero鈥檚 research focuses on uncovering geochemical signatures in the ocean as archives of how marine systems function and respond to natural and anthropogenic events. She uses organic chemistry and isotopic tracers in diverse samples from natural environments, and experiments such as sediments, water, vegetation, and biota (e.g., sponges, squid, jellyfishes, shrimp, mesopelagic and reef fishes) to study the source, transformation processes, and fate of molecules in marine systems. Her work covers from coastal (e.g., mangroves, saltmarshes) to deep-sea environments (e.g., mesopelagic, benthic) on a wide range of temporal and spatial scales contributing to chemical diversity, ecosystem function, and resilience.
Recent research projects have examined the sources, distributions, and fate of natural and oil-spill derived hydrocarbons in deep sediments, developed long-term assessments of toxic molecules in mesopelagic fauna, and formulated new biological and chemical indicators of environmental impact in coastal and deep-sea habitats. Current projects include funding from the National Academies of Science and Engineering, and from the NOAA Restore Science Program to address the source and bioavailability of persistent organic pollutants in deep-pelagic communities of the northern Gulf of Mexico, that potentially can influence community structure and abundance over long temporal trends. The results will provide key information for resource managers to protect the natural resources of the Gulf.
For a list of recent publications and news, .
Weiyi Tang
Assistant Professor
Email: weiyitang@usf.edu
CV: View PDF
Research: Biogeochemistry and Climate Change
Specialties: Nitrogen Isotopes, Nitrogen and Carbon Cycling, Marine Productivity, Greenhouse Gases, Machine Learning
I am an assistant professor at USF College of Marine Science. Our research group investigates the nitrogen-carbon-climate interaction, especially the response of the biogeochemical cycling of nitrogen and carbon to human activities, and their potential feedback to changes in climate. Our approach to study nitrogen and carbon cycling is interdisciplinary, including laboratory experiments and field observations with various isotopic and molecular methods, remote sensing, machine learning and numerical modeling. For example, recent work includes the use of nitrogen stable isotopes to measure the rates of different nitrogen transformation processes and the use of gene sequencing to characterize the microbes involved in the nitrogen cycle in the Chesapeake Bay and North Atlantic. We apply statistical tools to improve the understanding of environmental drivers on biogeochemical cycling and develop mechanistic models to predict the global distributions of biogeochemical processes in the modern and future climate.
Our current research areas are: 1) Global nitrogen cycle (N2 fixation, nitrification, denitrification, N2O cycling, etc); 2) Marine carbon cycle and biological productivity; 3) Global biogeochemical data compilation and meta-analysis. Please visit Biogeochemistry lab web page for more information. We are interested in collaboration in a wide range of biogeochemical processes and are seeking motivated scientists to join our group! Please contact Weiyi Tang for more information and for queries about undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral research opportunities.
I am recruiting graduate students who will start in fall 2025. Please see Prospective student webpage for information about the application.