University of Essex School of Biological SCIENCES Department of Mathematics
 
 

 

 WELCOME TO The Algae & Grazers Research group webpage

The Algae & Grazers Research Group is an interdisciplinary team of researchers from the School of Biological Sciences and Department of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Essex.

 

The oceans contain only about 0.5% of total global biomass of primary producers. However, they provide a similar amount of total annual production to that on land and turnover times for organic matter is 1000-times faster in marine in comparison to terrestrial ecosystems.

 

The Algae & Grazers Research Group is involved in a range of research areas from microzooplankton and copepod behavioural ecology and population modelling to phytoplankton trace gas production under different climate change scenarios.

 

Our research interests include:

DMSP & DMS Production & Biogeochemistry

Quantification of Real Time Trace gas production

Mathematical Modelling in Biology and Ecology

Production of biogenic trace gases under future CO2 levels

Plankton Chemical Ecology & Trophic Interactions

 

ALGAE & GRAZERS GALLERY

Algae and Grazers Gallery

People



 

Dr Michael Steinke

 

 

Lecturer in Marine Science

 

 

 

Dr Edward Codling

 

Senior Lecturer in Mathematical Biology

 




 


Dr Mark Breckels

 

Postdoctoral Researcher

DMS Chemical Ecology

 

 

  Nicola Lewis

 

 Nicola Lewis

 

PhD Student

 


Dr Nikolai Bode

 

Dr Nikolai Bode

 

Research Fellow

 

 

 


Past & Visiting Researchers

   

 

 

 SELECTED Recent Publications

 

Lewis, N.D., Breckels, M.N., Steinke, M., Codling, E. (2012) Role of Infochemical mediated zooplankton grazing in a phytoplankton competition model. Ecological Complexity. (available online)

 

Green, B.C., Suggett, D.J., Hills, A., Steinke, M. (2011) Optimisation of a Fast DMS Sensor (FDS) for real time quantification of dimethyl sulphide production by algae. Biogeochemistry. (link).

 

Kerrison, Hall-Spencer, J.M., Suggett, D.J., Hepburn, L.J.,  Steinke, M. (2011) Assessment of pH variability at coastal CO2 vents for ocean acidification studies. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science., 94, 129-137. (link).

 

Lewis, N.D., Breckels, M.N., Archer S.D., Morozov, A., Pitchford, J.W., Steinke, M., Codling, E. (2012) Grazing-induced production of DMS can stabilize food-web dynamics and promote the formation of phytoplankton blooms in a multitrophic plankton model. Biogeochemistry, 110, 303-313.

 

Breckels, M.N., Roberts, E.C., Archer S.D., Malin G., Steinke, M. (2011) The role of dissolved infochemicals in mediating predator-prey interactions in the heterotrophic dinoflagellate Oxyrrhis marina. J. Plank. Res., 33, 629-639.

 

Boakes, D.E., Codling, E.A., Thorn, G.J., Steinke. M. (2011) Analysis and modelling of swimming behaviour in Oxyrrhis marina. J. Plank. Res., 33, 641-649.

 

Codling, E.A., Bearon, R.N., Thorn, G.J. (in press). Diffusion about the mean drift location in a biased random walk. Ecology, 91, 3106-3113. (Pdf)

 

Exton, D.A., Smith, D.J., McGenity, T.J., Steinke, M., Hills A.J., Suggett D.J. (2010) Application of a Fast Isoprene Sensor (FIS) for measuring isoprene production from marine samples. Limnol. Oceanogr. Methods., 8, 185-195. (Pdf)

 

Breckels, M.N., Boakes, D.E., Codling, E.A., Malin, G., Archer, S.D., Steinke, M. (2010) Modelling the concentration of dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP) in the boundary layer surrounding phytoplankton cells. J. Plank. Res., 32, 253-257.

 

 

 FUNDING

 

 

 

 


 

 
 

 

RESearch Information

CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS

 

The role of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) in pelagic tritrophic interactions

PI: Dr Michael Steinke

 

CO-I's:

Dr Stephen D. Archer

Dr Edward A. Codling

Dr Susan Kimmance

 

PDRA: Dr Mark N. Breckels

Ph.D student: Nicola Lewis

 

 

PAST RESEARCH PROJECTS

Fast DMS Sensor for online quantification of dimethyl sulfide (DMS)

PI: Dr Michael Steinke

PDRA: Dr Ben Green

 

 
 

research Affiliations

 

 

 

 

 

RESearch protocols

Macroalgae Chlorophyll Extraction

Measuring Hydrogen Peroxide

Copepod Husbandry Protocol

Plankton Tower Protocol

DAPI Staining Protocol

Fast DMS Sensor Protocol

Macroalgae DMSP Quantification

 

 

 

Recent & upcoming events

 
 Microscale Interaction in Aquatic Environments

Microenvironments

Les Houches, 10-15 March 2013



SET for Britain

SET for Britain

House of Commons, London
 12 March 2012



Planet Under Pressure

Plannet Under Pressure

London, 26-29 March 2012
 






 

 

Copyright (c) 2012 site designed by Dan Boakes & Mark Breckels (mbreck -at- essex.ac.uk)
Plankton images courtesy of
Glynn Gorick