Dr. Uta Passow
- Post-doc, Marine Science Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, U.S.A., 1991-1992
- Post-doc, Institut für Meereskunde, Kiel, Germany, 1989-1990
- Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography, University of Kiel, Germany, 1989
- Biological Oceanography Diplom (Masters), University of Kiel, Germany 1985
- Biology Vordiplom (B.A.), University of Freiburg, Germany, 1981
Research Professor of Oceanography
Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara
Research Interests
The functioning of the biological pump and marine carbon cycling, specifically carbon flux, in a changing world: I try to gain a mechanistic understanding of processes which determine the flux of carbon in marine systems, now and in the future. As the structure of pelagic ecosystems and their functioning is changing so will the efficiency of the biological pump. I study the factors and processes driving marine carbon cycling, both in the surface ocean (production, utilization, aggregation of carbon) and in the twilight zone, where loss of sinking particles due to dissolution, degradation or grazing is high. Currently I focus on the impact of ocean acidification on carbon cycling and aggregation and on the consequences of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in April, 2010, for marine snow and sedimentation.
- Ecosystem Impacts of Oil and Gas Inputs to the Gulf (ECOGIG Consortium, Year 2-4 Consortia Grants (RFP-I), Role: Co-Principal Investigator, Task Lead)
Related oil spill project:
- RAPID Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Collaborative Research: Marine Snow and Sedimentation (NSF-RAPID)