Research

Recently funded projects:

1. Roychoudhury AN, Mackey B, Vichi M, Findlay, K (2019 – 2023) Humpback whales in changing climate, Donor funding AUD 4,019,503
2. Roychoudhury AN (2018-2020) Distribution and Speciation of Bioactive Trace Elements in Southern Ocean, NRF SANAP, R 1,820,000
3. Roychoudhury AN (2017-2019) TraceEx: Establishment of Center of excellence in Trace and experimental Biogeochemistry, Donor funding, R 17 Million
4. Roychoudhury AN (2017-2019) Nanoparticles at Air-Sea interface. NRF Competitive Rated Researcher Grant, R 1,550,000
5. Roychoudhury AN (2015) ICP-MS mass spectrometer for ultra-trace metal analysis. National Equipment Program, NRF, R 2,699,000

 

For details on currently on-going projects click here

 

Phytoplankton serve as the base of the aquatic food web, sustaining all aquatic life. Through photosynthesis, phytoplankton are responsible for most of the oxygen present in the Earth’s atmosphere. Phytoplankton also consume as much carbon dioxide as forests and other land plants. Worldwide, this “biological carbon pump” transfers approximately 10 gigatonnes of carbon from the atmosphere to ocean each year.

Ocean-atmospheric carbon dioxide exchange in the Southern Ocean in particular plays an important role in global climate change. Recent estimates indicate that approximately 50% of all carbon dioxide emitted by human activity is stored in the Southern Ocean. Despite the importance of the Ocean in improving carbon dioxide  levels  and  reducing  the  impact  of  man-made  climate  change,  its  carbon  cycle  remains  poorly understood.

Even small changes in the production of phytoplankton in the Southern Ocean will influence carbon dioxide uptake and release. This will in turn influence global atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, surface temperatures, ocean acidification and climate. In addition, changes in production will also affect the ecological food chain, leading to possible negative impacts on marine ecosystems and biodiversity.

Biologically important trace metals (iron, manganese, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc and cadmium) are essential for ocean primary productivity – phytoplankton production. Without their presence, production cannot take place. It is therefore important to understand how the bioavailability of these trace elements (the amount available for absorption and utilisation by phytoplankton) increase or limit phytoplankton growth and also how their rate and mode of occurrence influence this growth.