Upper ocean biogeochemistry
Ecology and Dynamics of Picophytoeukaryotes
Project Manager and Lead Scientist: Alexandra Z. Worden
MBARI’s new microbiologist, Alex Worden studies VERY small, single-celled algae (less than 2 microns in size) in the ocean. Like larger plants, they photosynthesize, but little is known about what factors control the rate of photosynthesis or what ultimately happens to these tiny plants within the marine food web. Answering these questions provides the foundation for Worden’s research at MBARI, using state-of-the-art tools from microbiology.