Chemical oceanographers seek to understand the nature of elements and compounds found in marine environments. The sources, sinks, and distributions of the ocean’s chemical constituents impact primary productivity and marine food webs, natural resources, and global climate.

Researchers at Skidaway Institute are experts in the study of carbon, nutrients, trace elements, reactive oxygen species, and stable isotopes.  At Skidaway Institute, we investigate these chemical species and their respective cycles to further our understanding of how the ocean functions.  Members of the chemical oceanography group at Skidaway Institute include:

Brandes lab – The Skidaway Institute Scientific Stable Isotope Laboratory (SISSIL), marine carbon and microplastics research

Buck lab – Trace element geochemistry

Some examples of chemical oceanographic research at Skidaway Institute include:

SkIO lab installs state-of-the-art isotope ratio mass spectrometry system

Study reveals how eel ear bones provide insights into trace metal sources on the continental shelf

UGA Skidaway Institute faculty member and grad students participate in GEOTRACES cruise, studying biogeochemical cycles and large-scale distribution of trace elements in the South Pacific and Southern oceans. 

UGA Skidaway Institute scientists to study aerosol dust’s impact on life and chemistry in the ocean

UGA Skidaway Institute scientists prepare for groundbreaking Arctic expedition

UGA Skidaway Institute researcher publishes paper on iron recycling in the ocean

UGA Skidaway Institute scientists investigate missing carbon mystery