Giacomo DiTullio

Giacomo DiTullio serves as Professor and Director of the Grice Marine Laboratory at the College of Charleston, with additional affiliation as Graduate Faculty at the Medical University of South Carolina. His research focuses on marine phytoplankton ecology and biogeochemistry, particularly in the Southern Ocean and High Nutrient Low Chlorophyll (HNLC) regions.

Dr. DiTullio earned his B.S. from St. Francis Xavier University and his M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Hawaii.

His primary research interests include the role of marine phytoplankton in biogeochemical cycling of iron, carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur, and the effects of trace metals on primary production in HNLC regions. Recent work has expanded to investigate zinc, cobalt, and vitamin B12 as critical micronutrients influencing phytoplankton productivity in polar oceans, with field studies in the Amundsen and Ross Seas.

Analysis of his 15 most recent publications (2020-2024) shows a consistent focus on trace metal biogeochemistry in polar oceans, employing techniques such as stable isotope measurements and genomic analysis. His research demonstrates micronutrient co-limitation (iron, zinc, cobalt, vitamin B12) as a key factor controlling phytoplankton communities in the Southern Ocean, with implications for carbon cycling and climate change.

As Director of the Grice Marine Laboratory, Dr. DiTullio oversees a major marine research facility. He teaches courses including BIO 342 (Introduction to General Oceanography), BIO 502 (Phytoplankton Ecology), BIO 542 (Aquatic Pollution), BIO 610 (Physical Oceanography), and BIO 650 (Seminar in Marine Biology on Climate Change Impacts on Ocean Biogeochemistry).