Associate Professor; Interim Associate Department Chair; Director of Graduate Admissions

Areas of Interest

Aquatic Biogeochemical Processes

Microbial Ecology and Molecular Biology

Biological Oceanography and Marine Ecology

Phytoplankton ecophysiology and molecular biology with an emphasis on:

• Environmental factors influencing phytoplankton distributions and abundance
• Trace metal availability controls on phytoplankton ecology and evolution
• Diatom elemental requirements and nutrient uptake kinetics
• Autoecology of the toxin-producing diatom Pseudo-nitzschia
• Comparative transcriptomics in phytoplankton and environmental genomics of the upper ocean
• Development of indicators for phytoplankton nutritional status in the past and present oceans
• Phytoplankton-bacteria interactions

Research & Activities

The primary research focus is biogeochemical evolution of phytoplankton in marine environments. Biogeochemical evolution is defined as the changes in the genomes of organisms and in the chemistry of their environment, as they influence each other over time. Laboratory-based and field-based studies are combined to answer fundamental questions on factors influencing phytoplankton distributions and abundance, and to advance our understanding of how these organisms interact with their environment and influence ocean biogeochemistry. Particular interests include studying trace metals, such as iron, that are essential for the nutrition of phytoplankton and how future climate changes will influence phytoplankton growth and ecology as well as ecosystem dynamics.

Recent  projects include

1. Metatranscriptomics in the Neuse River Estuary, Morehead CIty, NC
   • Collaborators: Hans Paerl
2. Adaptations to iron limitation in oceanic diatoms
3. Iron and light limitation in polar diatoms, Palmer Station, Antarctica

CV of Adrian Marchetti