Research Interests

• Dissolved organic matter (DOM) and microbial communities in the salinity gradient of the Baltic Sea
  
  
• Degradation of terrigenous organic material by different microbial communities
  
  
• Characterization of DOM in salinity and oxygen gradients

Research Project

Ph.D. thesis - Microbial decomposition of terrigenous dissolved organic matter in the Baltic Sea (2011-2014)

My PhD thesis (2011-2014) is performed in the frame of project ATKiM ("Abbaubarkeit von Arktischem Terrigenem Kohlenstoff im Meer") in cooperation with the the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research in Warnemünde/Rostock.
In this project we look from different scientific views on the discharge of terrigenic dissolved organic matter (tDOM) into the Baltic Sea and its influence on the marine system. The Baltic Sea is a relatively stable environment that provides an ideal background to investigate the response of especially brackish bacterial communities. On two cruises with RV Meteor in November 2011 and June 2012, we investigate the influence of tDOM on typical bacterial communities from the Baltic Sea. We will collect samples along a transect and perform incubation experiments. The cooperating microbiologists in ATKiM seek to identify the bacterial communities which are responsible for the degradation of tDOM. We will identify the molecular composition of degradable tDOM and link the DOM composition to specific abiotic and biotic factors. Main analytical tool for this purpose is FT-ICR-MS. In addition, we determine bulk concentrations of dissolved organic carbon, as well as selected biomarkers in DOM.

Master thesis project - Dissolved organic matter in the Rio Paraíbo do Sol (2010/11)

My master thesis deals with the distribution of DOC, lignin and black carbon in the Rio Paraíba do Sul in south Brazil. I will collect my samples along the whole river including several tributaries as well as adjacent lakes and lakes in the estuary system. Soils might act as an important player in the distribution of dissolved compounds; therefore we also include soil samples. The Rio Paraíba do Sul flows through a landscape which, especially in the coastal region, is dominated by sugarcane plantation. These plantations are burned every year prior to harvesting of the sugarcane. The aim of my project is to characterize the distribution of combustion products in the river system and to quantify its discharge to the coastal ocean.

Student Research project - Dissolved organic matter in the Jade Estuary (2009/10)

My student research project focussed on the temporal and spatial distribution of dissolved organic matter in the Jade Estuary, a bay on the North Sea coast of Germany. We sampled surface water on a south-north transect in the Jade Estuary and during a 48 hours sampling series on a stable position in the southern estuary. Concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and total dissolved nitrogen (TN) changed on the south-north transect and also showed distinct tidal variations.