We are focussing our research on the small-scale processes taking place within individual aggregates and up-scaling those to whole water column and to the biological carbon pump. We are studying processes such as aggregate formation, degradation of aggregates by virus, bacteria, protozoans, and zooplankton. In addition we are also studying the controlling processes for aggregate settling through the whole water column. A large part of our research involves the development of new in situ methods including development of optical tools for both detailed process studies but also for long-term in situ observations.
We are collecting individual aggregates from the water column using a Marine Snow Catcher and perform direct measurements of sizes, composition, bacterial community, three-dimensional structure, settling velocity, and degradation in the laboratory using flow chambers, microscopes, embedding and slicing, sequencing, and staining.
