Marine Chemistry
The Marine Chemistry team investigates the importance of natural and anthropogenic organic substances and nutrients in water and marine organisms and their significance for global material cycles. The work on organic and inorganic nutrient dynamics, closely linked to biological and physical studies, contributes to the understanding of algal blooms and the origin of water masses. Together with the section marine biogeosciences, the team operates the nutrient facility, which enables reliable analyses of organic and inorganic nutrients for many research projects. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is an important store in the global carbon cycle and serves as an important binding partner for heavy metals. Using high-resolution mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, the team is deciphering the complex structure of DOM in order to elucidate the role of chemical interactions between organisms and to better understand its origin and degradation processes. In the research field of marine lipids, their role in the adaptation of organisms to the changing polar regions is being investigated.
Team:
Boris Peter Koch
Doreen Kohlbach
Frederik Bußmann
Frederike Schmidt
Jan Tebben
Jonas Lunden
Kai-Uwe Ludwichowski
Kristin Kampen
Malte Pallentin
Marlo Bareth
Martin Graeve
Matthias Woll
Stefano Da Vela
Xianyu Kong
Yvonne Jenniges
We contribute to the program-oriented research within the Helmholtz Society:
Topic 6: Marine and Polar Life: Sustaining Biodiversity, Biotic Interactions, and Biogeochemical Functions
- Subtopic 6.3 The future biological carbon pump
Competences
Chemical characterization and structure elucidation of dissolved organic matter (Boris Koch, Jan Tebben, Frederike Schmidt, Kai-Uwe Ludwichowski)
The findings on the chemical structure of DOM help to understand its origin, ecological role and processes of change, whether from marine, terrestrial or sea-ice sources.
Nutrient analyses (Boris Koch, Frederike Schmidt, Kai-Uwe Ludwichowski)
Identification of the origin of ocean water masses and determination of the limits of primary production.
Structural elucidation and isotopic composition of marine lipids (Doreen Kohlbach, Matthias De Albuquerque Woll)
Role of marine lipids as essential energy reserves for organisms in the polar regions and elucidation of marine food webs.
Tools
- Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Mass Spectrometry / Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry
Chemical characterization of complex dissolved organic matter
- Software tools
Sample management und pipelines the evaluation of mass spectrometric analyses
- Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Mass Spectrometry
Structure elucidation of organic compounds contributing to chemical species interactions
- Gas chromatography / mass spectrometry
Separation, identification and quantification of fatty acids and other apolar components in marine organisms
- Liquid chromatography / UV-VIS / ELSD
Quantitative analysis of amino acids, monosugars, lignin phenols and lipid classes in marine water and organisms
- Compound specific stable carbon isotope analysis
Unravelling marine food webs and quantification of carbon uptake rates
- For nutrient facility:
High-temperature catalytic combustion
Quantification of dissolved organic carbon and total dissolved nitrogen
Continuous Flow Autoanalyser
Quantification of dissolved nitrate, nitrate, ammonium, silicate, and phosphate concentrations
