Dr. Pauline LaTour
Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), University of Tasmania
I am a marine biogeochemist investigating the interactions between trace metal biogeochemistry and phytoplankton physiology. Over the past couple of years, I have used a combination of field and laboratory experiments to study the parameters controlling Southern Ocean phytoplankton growth, and the effect of metal limitation on their physiology. I am very interested in understanding how Southern Ocean phytoplankton withstand the extremely low metal concentrations in this region. Currently, I work at the Australian Centre for Excellence in Antarctic Science, where I study the impact of trace metals associated with sea ice in stimulating East Antarctic phytoplankton growth.