Ocean Biogeochemistry and Ecosystems
The OBE Group comprise some sixty staff and forty PhD students of the NOC and the University of Southampton School of Ocean and Earth Science. It is among the largest and most active international research teams studying the biogeochemistry and biodiversity of pelagic and benthic ocean systems.
Our aim is to improve our understanding of biogeochemical cycles and ocean biodiversity, their interactions and their responses to climate change.
Our specific research foci include:
- Chemical, biological and physical controls on primary production in the surface ocean, including natural iron fertilization effects and future impact of ocean acidification
- Plankton and microbial dynamics, and biogeochemical cycling of key elements in the ocean water column (C, Fe, N, P, Si)
- Vertical export of material into the ocean's interior and twilight zone processes
- Functioning and biodiversity of benthic communities, both those fuelled by surface ocean productivity and those driven by chemosynthetic activity.
- Modeling of key processes for improved understanding and prediction of ocean biogeochemistry and biodiversity
Our work is underpinned by world class laboratory facilities (e.g. clean laboratories, hyperbaric aquaria), access to an extensive sea-going pool of equipment (ROVs, AUVs, sediment traps etc.) and innovations in instrumentation (e.g. new water column particle collection systems, in situ chemical analyzers).
