"I study metals in the ocean-things like iron, zinc, copper, manganese, nickel, cobalt, cadmium, and lead. Just like we need things like iron and zinc and copper in our own diet, phytoplankton, which are the algae that form the base of the food web in the ocean, also need these metals for optimal growth."
"I'm looking at the biogeochemical cycling of the metals in the ocean, and particularly in the Arctic Ocean, where we are seeing very rapid changes in both climate and ecosystem structure."
"Phytoplankton absorb about half of the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere globally and they also produce about half of the oxygen."
Laramie Jensen, an assistant professor at Columbia, focuses on ocean metals like iron and zinc, essential for phytoplankton growth. Her research examines the biogeochemical cycling of these metals in the rapidly changing Arctic Ocean. Jensen investigates the effects of climate change on ocean chemistry and biology, as well as the circulation of freshwater from the Arctic to the North Atlantic. Her work highlights the critical role of phytoplankton in absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen globally.
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