Judith Braun

Project title: Nitrogen uptake and phytoplankton productivity in the changing Arctic Ocean

Supervisors: Prof Keith Davidson (SAMS), Dr Sian Henley (University of Edinburgh)

The recent decline of Arctic sea ice is one of the most pronounced examples of contemporary physical climate change on Earth. The Arctic PRIZE project aims to determine how these sea ice changes will affect biological and biogeochemical systems in this climatically-sensitive region. Nitrogen availability is a principal determinant of phytoplankton community composition and abundance.

This PhD is embedded within the Arctic PRIZE project and will examine the uptake and cycling of different forms of nitrogen (N) by different phytoplankton groups.