Runa Reuter

Institution:	University of Bremen
Office:	MARUM I, room 1050
Phone:	+49 421 218 - 65963
E-mail:	[Bitte aktivieren Sie Javascript]
Other webpage(s):	Runa's MARUM web page

PhD Project

Change of molecular characteristics of marine particulate organic matter of known origin during settling and embedding in different redox regimes

Our knowledge about the transformation of organic matter on the way from surface ocean waters to the upper sediments (under different redox regimes) is limited, hampering our understanding of ocean carbon sequestration.

Organic-walled dinoflagellate cysts are particles of known origin that show varying sensitivities towards early diagenetic decay, making them an ideal study target to gain a deeper insight into the composition and chemical transformation of marine particulate organic matter over time and in different depositional environments.

Using micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy I will determine the molecular characteristics of selected resistant and labile organic-walled dinoflagellate cysts collected from the water column (drifting trap and in-situ pump material) and surface sediments (MUCs) from the Cape Blanc upwelling region to strengthen our knowledge of the relation between dinoflagellate phylogeny, cyst-wall chemistry, their selective preservation, and diagenesis. Additionally, I will study whether early diagenetic processes have an influence on the dinoflagellate carbon isotope geochemistry by measuring stable carbon isotopes on single dinoflagellate cysts.

Thesis Committee

Prof. Dr. Karin Zonneveld	University of Bremen, MARUM - Center for Marine Environmental Sciences and Faculty of Geosciences
Dr. Gerard Versteegh	Constructor University, Bremen
Dr. Marcus Elvert	MARUM - Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen
Prof. Dr. Appy Sluijs	Utrecht University, the Netherlands