Investigating the Molecular and Physiological Controls on the Bio-geographical Distribution of Phytoplankton Taxa using General Circulation Models

Computer simulations of the complex physical and chemical composition of the oceans are used to study how the ocean affects, and is affected by, climate. These models are essential to understanding how Earth’s climate is likely to change in the next century. This internship project proposes, in partnership with Environmental Proteomics, a company which provides products and services for the quantitative analysis of proteins, to add information about photosynthetic organisms to these models in an effort to understand how the physics of the oceans affects the ecology of phytoplankton. At present, expert knowledge and ship-based surveys are required to study marine phytoplankton ecology, and our ability to make long-term predictions is very limited. This work will be a step forward along a long path to improving predictions about the effects of climate change on marine biota and understanding potential feedbacks from phytoplankton to climate.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Andrew Irwin

Student:

Zhi-Ping Mei

Partner:

Environmental Proteomics

Discipline:

Oceanography

Sector:

Fisheries and wildlife

University:

Mount Allison University