Patrick Downes

PhD student, Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML)

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Project: The effects of changing Arctic sea ice cover on pelagic microbial organic matter utilisation: from composition to consumption

Supervisors: Dr Joanna Dixon (PML), Dr Fanny Monteiro (University of Bristol), Dr Sandra Arndt (Universite Libre de Bruxelles), Dr Karen Tait (PML), Dr Claire Widdicombe (PML)

The overarching aim of this PhD will be to understand how phyto- and bacterioplankton respond to changes in dissolved organic matter, from the perspective of functional composition and component dissolved organic carbon consumption in the water column (from surface to benthic-pelagic interface).

Patrick will participate in two Arctic research cruises sampling across spatial environmental gradients (drift ice to open-ocean, covering both Arctic waters and Atlantic inflow), and undertaking incubation addition experiments.

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