Our goal is to resolve major outstanding knowledge gaps at the heart of the global carbon cycle while focusing on the surface ocean carbon flux.
Chemical Currencies of Surface Ocean Microbes
We are identifying the molecules or molecular classes that play critical roles in the flux of carbon and other elements through the surface ocean. To achieve this goal, we are combining strategic chemical identification, focused metabolite annotation, and chemical and biological data integration.
Rules of the Chemical-Microbial Network
We are exploring governing principles of the chemical-microbial network that regulate the massive transfer of carbon between global reservoirs. To accomplish this, we are combining experiments with model organisms and communities with field observations (BATS, MVCO) and network models.
Network Sensitivity and Feedbacks on Climate
We are exploring the robustness, resilience, and evolution of surface ocean microbial communities within the context of a changing ocean. We are working to integrate emerging insights through numerical modeling to uncover the principles that control the fate of labile DOC on regional to global scales.