Ben Fisher

Thesis title: How do climate-driven shifts in phytoplankton composition influence carbon and nitrogen uptake and recycling along the west Antarctic Peninsula?

Biography

Background

I am currently a 3rd year PhD student in Southern Ocean biogeochemistry at the School of GeoSciences. My research focuses on how marine phytoplankton adapt to climate change in the ice dependent ecosystem of the West Antarctic Peninsula. Previously I completed a MSc by research in Biogeochemistry at the University of Leeds. Prior to that I gained my undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences at the University of Exeter. 

Qualifications

MSc by Research Earth and Environmental Science- University of Leeds (2020)

BSc Biological Sciences- University of Exeter (2019)

Responsibilities & affiliations

Member- European Association of Geochemistry

Member- European Geosciences Union 

Undergraduate teaching

University of Edinburgh

  • EASC08023- Evolution of the Living Earth

University of Leeds

  • SEE1135- Foundation Chemistry for Earth Sciences
  • SEE2010- Chemistry of the Earth

Research summary

I am a marine biogeochemist interested in the cycling of carbon, nitrogen and metals in the water column and marine sediments. My research is typically interdisciplinary and utilises a wide range of chemical and biological techniques. I take an experimental approach to understanding geochemical and geobiological problems, using lab experiments to understand the underlying processes behind many environmental processes. In addition I am interested in the real world conditions of polar oceans, as indicators of the most rapidly changing areas on Earth to further understand the impact of climate warming on geochemical cycles. My wider interests include geophysical influences on marine chemistry at the land-ocean interface and the detection of organic compounds as signatures of past life on other planets.

Current research interests

My current research is based around my PhD. This project aims to better understand the climate driven processes influencing phytoplankton community composition and biogeochemistry (C & N cycling) along the west Antarctic Peninsula by creating a data time series over the austral summer. This project is based around conducting an Antarctic field season in 2021/22, performing phytoplankton species identification alongside C & N uptake experiments.

Past research interests

My past research, conducted during my MSc, focused on the preservation of organic carbon in marine sediments by association with reactive iron phases. This project was supported by the NERC Changing Arctic Ocean project (ChAOS) and the ERC project MinORG based at the University of Leeds.

Affiliated research centres

Project activity

My PhD project is funded by the E4 DTP. 

Current project grants

E4 DTP (NERC) Studentship 2020-2024
SAGES PoGSS 2020/21

Conference details

  • European Geosciences Union 2020- What's af (Fe) cting OC-Fe interactions? An experimental approach to understanding iron bound organic carbon in sediments.

       B Fisher, C März, J Faust, O Moore, C Peacock

       EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts, 855

  • Quaternary Research Association ADM 2020- Implications of organic ligand dependent preservation of iron in the seafloor for marine carbon cycling

       B Fisher, C März, J Faust, O Moore, C Peacock

       QRA ADM Abstracts, Leeds UK.   

  • Millennial scale persistence of organic carbon bound to iron in Arctic marine sediments 

        Faust,J.C., Tessin, A., Fisher, B.J., Zindorf,M., Papadaki,S., Hendry,K.R., Doyle,K.A., März, C

        Nature Communications (2021) https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-20550-0

  • Experimental evaluation of the extractability of iron bound organic carbon in sediments as a function of carboxyl content

       Fisher, B. J., Faust, J. C., Moore, O. W., Peacock, C. L., and März, C.

       Chemical Geology, 119853 (2020) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2020.119853

  • Technical Note: Uncovering the influence of methodological variations on the extractability of iron bound organic carbon

        Fisher, B. J., Faust, J. C., Moore, O. W., Peacock, C. L., and März, C.

        Biogeosciences (2021) https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/18/3409/2021/

 

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