PAOC Colloquium: Naomi Levine (USC)

 

 

Microscopic single celled organisms in the ocean (marine microbes) are the engines that drive marine carbon cycling. They are responsible for approximately half of all photosynthesis on the planet and play a critical role in in regulating our climate by mediating the sequestration of CO2 in the ocean.  As such, it is important to determine how marine microbes will adapt and evolve to a changing climate in order to understand and predict how the global carbon cycle may change, and predict pivotal feedback responses that might impact future climate states. My research focuses on developing a mechanistic understanding of how marine microbes respond to environmental fluctuations, and how these individual-scale responses can result in large-scale ecosystem shifts and ecosystem-climate feedback loops. To untangling the complex interactions between climate and biology we utilize pioneering interdisciplinary approaches combining observations, theory, and numerical models.

 

 

The PAOC Colloquium is a weekly interdisciplinary seminar series that brings together the whole PAOC community. Seminar topics include all research concerning the physics, chemistry, and biology of the atmospheres, oceans and climate, but also talks about e.g. societal impacts of climatic processes. The seminars generally take place on Monday from 12-1pm. Lunch is provided to encourage students and post-docs to meet with the speaker. Besides the seminar and lunch, individual meetings with professors, post-docs, and students are arranged.