About Me

I am a Researcher within the ‘DEVOCEAN’-Project, studying the silicon cycle in the past, led by Prof. Daniel Conley. Within this project I am focusing on the reconstruction of the silicon cycling on the Canadian Arctic Shelf during the Cretaceous (95 to 85 Myr BP) based on silicon isotopes of sponge spicules, radiolaria and diatoms.

Personal Profile

I am an experienced marine biogeochemist and micropaleontologist having worked with Mg/Ca ratios on foraminifera, silicon isotope analysis of diatoms, radiolaria, and recently sponge spicules, as well as nitrogen isotope analyses of bulk sediments. My research interest is the reconstruction and interpretation of the past nutrient cycling in terms of phytoplankton utilization, changes in productivity, and their linkage to changes in the biological pump and drawdown of carbon from the atmosphere.

To achieve this goal, I have initiated and conducted several projects of my own and contributed to the work of other experts. I am experienced in working independently as well as part of an international team, as well as in PhD and undergraduate student supervision.


Professional Experience

2022-ongoing

01/04/2022– 31/03/2024

Researcher


Geology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden

Researcher within the ERC-funded project ‘DEVOCEAN’, focusing on the reconstruction of the past silica cycle during the Cretaceous based on the silicon isotope composition of sponge spicules, radiolaria and diatoms.

2020-2022

01/12/2020– 31/03/2022

Postdoctoral
Researcher



Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research Kiel, GEOMAR

Postdoctoral Researcher within the ‘CATS-The Changing Arctic Transpolar System’ analyzing the silicon isotope compositions of dissolved silicic acid from the water column and diatoms and sponge spicules from the sediments of the Laptev Sea and East Siberian Sea (publication 12. in Global Biogeochemical Cycles).

2018-2020

01/08/2018 – 31/07/2020

Postdoctoral
fellow



Dalhousie University, Ocean Frontier Institute, Department of Oceanography, Halifax, Canada

Postdoctoral Fellow project granted by the Ocean Frontier Institute “Linking changes in productivity and nutrient distribution in the Labrador Sea to ocean-atmosphere climate dynamics from the Glacial to today” (publication 13. Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology ; three more publications ongoing)

2016-2018



Postdoctoral
Researcher

Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research Kiel, GEOMAR

01/04/2018 –
30/06/2018

Mini-proposal funded by the Collaborative Research Centre 754 Climate-Biogeochemistry Interactions in the Tropical Ocean’: “Reconstructions of ventilation ages during the last 20,000 years based on benthic and planktonic 14C measurements from single species” in collaboration with Dr Nicolaas Glock (publication ongoing).

01/11/17 –
31/03/18

Proposal funded by the Collaborative Research Centre 754 Climate-Biogeochemistry Interactions in the Tropical Ocean’: “Investigation of stable silicon isotope compositions of radiolaria from surface sediments off Peru” (publication 10. in Frontiers in Mar. Sci.)

01/01/17 –
30/04/17

Participation in the ‘Kosmos 2017’ a mesocosm experiment off Peru, position provided as maternity cover for Dr Patricia Grasse by the Inge-Lehmann-Fond (publication 11. In Frontiers in Mar. Sci and 9. in Biogeosciences).

01/07/16-
31/12/16

continued work from PhD (funded by Prof. Martin Frank); Work duties: publication in international Journals (publication 5. Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology), student supervision, preparation for scientific cruises (M135-138), stable silicon Isotope measurements on a Nu plasma ICP-MS.


Education

20122016

PhD

Dr. rer. Nat, Christian-Albrecht’s-University of Kiel

01/03/2012 – 30/06/2016

PhD study in Paleoceanography
Supervisors: R. Schneider and M. Frank
Title: ‘Changes in silicon and nitrogen cycling off Peru during the past 20,000 years’
Publications 4., 5. and 6. (in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, Paleoceanography, and Biogeosciences)

2006-2012

Diplom

Geology at the Christian-Albrecht’s University of Kiel, Germany

01/10/2006 – 18/02/2012

Major in Palaeontology and Paleoceanography
Diploma thesis: ‘Surface and deep-water hydrographic conditions over the last 18,000years from the Peruvian coast based on δ18O and Mg/Ca ratios of Globigerinoides ruber and Uvigerina peregrina
Research Unit Paleoceanography, Supervisor: Prof. Dr Dirk Nürnberg
Publication 2. in Paleoceanography


Scientific experience

Experience with micropaleontological studies

  • Taxonomy of marine diatoms (subtropical and arctic species)
  • Taxonomy of planktonic and benthic foraminifera
  • Knowledge of radiolarian taxonomy

Experience with geochemical preparations

  • Marine sediment preparation for various measurements (TIC/TOC, TN, biogenic opal)
  • Water sample preparation for nutrient measurements and isotope analysis (MAGIC)
  • Picking, crushing, and oxidative cleaning of foraminifera for Mg/Ca ratio measurements on an ICP-OES
  • Preparation of samples and analysis with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and EDS analysis
  • Preparation and analysis of samples for X-ray diffraction (XRD)
  • Physical and chemical cleaning of diatoms, radiolaria, and sponge spicules from marine sediments
  • Chemical preparation with ion-exchange chromatography
  • Cleaning procedure for diatom-bound nitrogen isotopes

Experience with geochemical measurements and different measurement techniques

  • Stable Isotope measurements (δ18O, δ13C) with a ThermoFisher Scientific MAT253 (IRMS)
  • Mg/Ca ratio measurements with an ICP-OES
  • Elemental ratios with an Agilent 7500 Series quadrupole ICPMS
  • Biogenic opal measurement via rapid wet/alkaline digestion and automated-leaching technique
  • Stable Isotope measurements (δ30Si) with MC-ICPMS (Nu Plasma HR and Neptune Plus)
  • Stable isotope measurements (δ15N) for bulk sediment analyses (Carlo-Erba CN analyser interface with a Micromass-Isoprime mass spectrometer, Bordeaux) and diatom-bound compounds
  • In-situ micrometer (δ30Si) measurements of sponges with a CAMECA ims1280 ion microprobe (SIMS)

Field experience

17/05/22-20/05/22

02/2017-04/2017

10/2012-12/2012

Sampling of potential diatom and sponge samples around Stuttgart, Germany

Offshore Mesocosm experiment KOSMOS in Lima, Peru.

R/V Meteor (M90): (Cristobal) Panama to Callao (Peru)


Fellowships, Honors, and Grants

2019

Grant

Ocean Frontier Seed Fund (20.000 CAD) received for the proposal ‘Phytoplankton productivity and nutrient distribution in the Labrador Sea: Comparing recent warming with past warm phases’

2019

Honor

Poster Award, PDF Research Day at Dalhousie University

2018

Fellowship

Grant from the Ocean Frontier Institute Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2 years position (Aug 2018 – Aug 2020)

2017

Grant

Proposal within SFB754 (Pauschale Mittel) for a 4-Month contract as Postdoctoral Researcher within the Collaborative Research Centre 754 at the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for ocean research, Kiel.

Comments are closed.