Research Focus Areas
A Freshening Arctic
The Arctic is warming faster than any other region on Earth. Melting glaciers, sea ice, and permafrost, along with increasing precipitation, are delivering unprecedented amounts of freshwater into the Arctic Ocean. This influx reduces the salinity of the surface ocean, a phenomenon known as freshening.
Freshening may seem simple, but its effects are far from straightforward. Changes in salinity influence ocean circulation, biogeochemical processes, and ecosystem functioning. My research focuses on disentangling these complex interactions and understanding how different sources of freshwater impact our polar oceans, and what that means for the future of this region.
Ocean Carbon cycling
The ocean is one of Earth’s most powerful carbon sinks, absorbing roughly 25% of human-generated CO₂ emissions. Polar oceans, in particular, play a major role in this uptake. However, they’re also the fastest changing regions on the planet
To predict how carbon cycling might change in a warming world, I investigate the mechanisms behind oceanic carbon uptake. This includes both physical processes like ocean circulation and biological ones such as phytoplankton photosynthesis. These processes govern how carbon enters the ocean, moves through it, and is eventually stored or released.
However, when CO₂ dissolves in seawater, it reacts chemically to form carbonic acid, leading to ocean acidification. This reduces the availability of carbonate ions, which many marine organisms rely on to build shells and skeletons. Acidification not only threatens individual species like pteropods and corals, but also alters food web dynamics and ecosystem structure. In the polar oceans, where cold water absorbs more CO₂ and buffering capacity is lower, acidification is progressing faster than almost anywhere else on Earth. My work examines how these chemical changes intersect with physical and biological shifts in polar marine environments.
Conceptual Networks and Feedbacks
The Arctic marine system is vast, remote, and rapidly evolving. Despite decades of research, our understanding of its interconnected physical, biological, and chemical systems remains incomplete, especially when it comes to how these systems interact across scales of space and time.
My work focuses on developing conceptual models to synthesize knowledge across disciplines. I aim to integrate diverse data, ranging from riverine freshwater inputs to ocean circulation patterns, to build unified representations of Arctic system dynamics. These networks and visualizations are designed not only to reflect current understanding, but also to spark new hypotheses, inspire collaboration across scientific “silos,” and guide future research. Ultimately, these conceptual tools are meant to be bridges, linking terrestrial, freshwater, and marine sciences, and driving a systems-level understanding of the rapidly changing Arctic.
