Presentation by Dr Simon Wright
The Royal Society Room
Tuesday, 6th July 2010 Commencing 8.00 pm until 10.00 pm
About the Speaker
Dr Simon Wright is a veteran of over 30 years’ Antarctic marine science, studying the factors controlling phytoplankton and other microorganisms in the Southern Ocean, with > 2100 citations to published work. He is one of the pioneers of using photosynthetic pigments as markers in biological oceanography and is co-author and co-editor of the SCOR-UNESCO monograph on the subject. His current work is aimed at understanding and measuring microbial processes for modelling co2 flux in the Southern Ocean and modelling food availability fo higher trophic levels.
Brief Abstract of the Talk
Phytoplankton (single celled algae), protozoa and bacteria together comprise more than 90% of the biomass production and directly or indirectly support all other creatures in the Southern Ocean. Yet they are under threat from the combined forces of climate change and ocean acidification. This talk will summarise the role of microorganisms in the ocean, how we are studying their processes and predictions of changes and consequences for the future.
