The biogeochemist

Biogeochemist – person studying the chemical, physical, geological, and biological processes and reactions that govern the composition of the natural environment

Marine biogeochemist – biogeochemist that study the ocean

Benthic biogeochemist – muddy marine biogeochemist

(we belong to the last category)

The time has come to present the scientists. This is not to brag about ourselves; the purpose of this post is to let you know more about what biogeochemists, which most people don’t even know exist, do for a living. Okay, we also want you to know how awesome we are.

PH
Per Hall

Professor at the University of Gothenburg, cruise leader. He’s bossing over the benthic biogeochemistry group at the university and makes sure that its members know what they are doing (which they of course do). He’s the guy with the landers.

 

 

Misha


Mikhail (Misha) Kononets

PhD student in the benthic biogeochemistry group, the one who actually knows how the lander works. Study oxygen dynamics. He magically solves all your mechanical problems, like making stubborn instruments behave or building special racks for your sampling tubes.

 

 

Elin
Elin Almroth Rosell
Marine chemist who has a background in the benthic biogeochemistry group, but is now working as a researcher at SMHI. Knows everything about how to slice a sediment core through a big plastic bag (pics later). Manages to multitask even by night as she writing applications during the late LI-COR (measures CO2) shifts.

 

 

MN
Madeleine Nilsson

PhD student in the benthic biogeochemistry group, the queen of LI-COR. Studies the carbon cycle in sediments. Keeps track of every single sample collected and comes up with ingenious solutions to all our everyday-life problems (“What can I put my samples in?!?!”, “How do I keep this thing from falling over all the time??”)

 

 

UM
Ugo Marzocchi

Post-doc at the University of Southern Denmark. Works with cable bacteria (you will get to know these later). The guy with the microsensors, can detect the tiniest things. Likes to smell the mud and saves master students who have troubles measuring oxygen.

 

 

SV
Sebastiaan van de Velde

PhD student from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Works with cable bacteria and trace metals. Is teaming up with Ugo in the chase for cable bacteria and is the one who, apart from me, has the most direct contact with mud. Has a very nice tent for anoxic slicing of sediment cores, something he excels at. Brings nonworking oxygen sensors to master students.

 

 

AH
Astrid Hylén

Deep-frozen master student in the benthic biogeochemistry group. Trying to solve the mystery of nitrogen in the sediments. When I am not on deck digging in mud with a temperature of 5°C, I am often found in my cool container where I feed bacteria with candy and then kill them.

 

 

Best wishes from Gotland,
Astrid