University of Tasmania, Australia

Dr Pete Strutton, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, UTAS

Location: Physics Lecture Theatre 1, Sandy Bay Campus, University of Tasmania

ABSTRACT

Ocean phytoplankton form the base of the marine food chain and produce half of Earth's oxygen. Like terrestrial plants, they require light and nutrients to grow. In the ocean, these two resources often don't co-occur, so physical processes such as mixing and advection are required to bring the two together. In this presentation Dr Strutton will talk about the ways in which physical processes such as upwelling and internal waves can lead to spatial and temporal variability in ocean productivity. Dr Strutton will also explain the less frequently discussed phenomena of biological feedbacks on oceanic and atmospheric physics.

SPEAKER PROFILE

Pete Strutton grew up in Adelaide and has a BSc Hons and PhD in marine science from Flinders University. From 1997 to 2010 he worked in the US at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Stony Brook University and Oregon State University. In 2010 he returned to Australia to take up an ARC Future Fellowship at UTAS. He is currently working on projects spanning decadal change in the Southern Ocean and coastal processes around Ningaloo reef.