April Abbott

Dr. April Abbott is an Honorary Lecturer in the School of Natural Sciences at Macquarie University, specializing in geochemical oceanography and paleoclimatology. Her research focuses on marine sediments, rare earth element cycling, and neodymium isotope paleocirculation. She directs the CAPSTAN program, an interdisciplinary marine science training initiative for postgraduate students. Abbott holds a PhD in Ocean, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences from Oregon State University and has extensive field experience, including over 300 nights at sea.

• Education:
  • BSc in Geoscience, Hobart and William Smith Colleges (2009)
  • MSc in Geological Sciences, University of Minnesota Duluth (2011)
  • PhD in Earth Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University (2016)
  • Graduate Certificate in College Teaching, Oregon State University (2014)
• Research Interests:
  • Geochemical proxies for paleoclimate studies
  • Marine sediment-water interactions
  • REE and neodymium isotope cycling
  • At-sea training programs for marine scientists
• Teaching:
  • Convenes courses like GEOS206 (Marine Sediments) and GEOS335 (Marine Science CAPSTONE)
  • Supervises projects across multiple geoscience disciplines
• Awards:
  • Early Career Award from The Oceanographic Society (2021)
  • Macquarie University Associate Fellow of HDR Supervision (2019)
• Community Engagement:
  • Leadership in outreach programs like Pint of Science
  • Media appearances and science communication

Her interdisciplinary work bridges geochemistry, oceanography, and education, with active collaborations across institutions and continents. Abbott’s lab focuses on applying modern geochemical techniques to refine paleoclimatic interpretations, while her CAPSTAN program trains the next generation of marine scientists through hands-on at-sea training.