This Forum provides an integrated platform for knowledge exchange (information, education, networking), enabling the MASTS community to collaborate on Marine Biogeochemistry Research.
The Forum ensures marine biogeochemists play a key role in shaping the future Scottish marine environment, promoting national as well as international biogeochemistry accessibility.
Speaker: Anna Kebke (University of Glasgow) >> Recording available on YouTube!
Anna Kebke, a PhD candidate at the University of Glasgow with the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme (SMASS) utilizes fatty acids and stable isotopes to enhance our understanding of cetacean ecophysiology and explore their applications in understanding factors in marine mammal stranding events. The focal point of her PhD is the 2023 pilot whale (Globicephala melas) mass stranding event on the Isle of Lewis, involving 55 individual animals. This mass stranding serves as a pivotal case study for understanding pilot whale ecology in Northeast Atlantic waters and informing Scottish marine mammal management. This research contributes to an international and multidisciplinary investigation that seeks to shed light on the health and ecology of the animals prior to stranding. In this talk, Anna will present preliminary data from the event with the goal of developing a standardized protocol for incorporating stable isotopes and fatty acids into the routine analysis of stranded cetaceans.
MASTS Open Forum Sessions aim at connecting the MASTS community with its diverse Research Forums and Steering Groups. At these sessions, Forums “open their doors” to present their members’ work and network with the community.
At the MASTS Annual Science Meeting 2023 in Glasgow the Forum gathered for the first time to introduce itself to the MASTS community and to look for interested members to join or provide input for Forum activities.
The Marine Biogeochemistry Forum (MBF) strives to ensure marine biogeochemists play a key role in shaping the future Scottish marine environment. Scottish marine biogeochemists are respected world-wide, and the MBF has facilitated consolidation of the Scottish marine biogeochemistry community by developing a united research strategy, with scientific excellence at its core. This is particularly important since a better understanding of biogeochemical processes and their sensitivity is required to evaluate their response to natural and anthropogenic change in the 21st Century and beyond.
Biogeochemistry is a key component of large national and international funding schemes and MBF research primarily addresses three environmental grand challenges: climate change and carbon cycling (including blue carbon and ocean acidification), open ocean biogeochemistry, and marine biomineralisation. In particular, the MBF has been pivotal in the formation of new initiatives including the role of nature-based solutions in mitigating climate change (e.g. The Scottish Blue Carbon Forum and industry-driven habitat restoration). Effective biogeochemistry frequently requires the parallel measurement of multiple processes, often over long-time scales via monitoring infrastructure. The critical mass of scientists and infrastructure within MASTS enables MBF to unify those resources, conducting high profile and high impact research of benefit to both society and science.
The Forum promotes international and national biogeochemistry accessibility, ensuring both international and within-MASTS interaction and impact, and facilitating common goals. Integration and communication are achieved using cross-cutting research agendas, themed workshops, meetings and social media.
Dr | Associate Professor | Biological Oceanography
Interests: Marine Ecology | Global plankton ecology | Aquatic Biogeochemistry | Linkages between diversity, primary production, bio-mineralisation, nutrient recycling
Dr | Lecturer in Nutrient Biogeochemistry
Interests: Nutrient and carbon cycling on local to basin scales and their interactions with phytoplankton and marine food webs | Nutrient concentrations, stable isotope techniques, stoichiometric tools
MASTS was founded in 2009 to be a unique collaboration between marine research organisations, government and industry.
Charity Number: SC045259
Company Number: SC485726
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