Gwenn Hennon

Gwenn Hennon is an Associate Professor in Biological Oceanography at the University of Alaska's College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences. She holds a Ph.D. in Oceanography from the University of Washington (2015), an M.S. in Oceanography from the University of Washington (2012), and a B.S. in Chemistry from MIT (2009). Her research focuses on understanding how climate change impacts phytoplankton communities and marine primary productivity, with a particular emphasis on microbial interactions, ocean acidification, and harmful algal blooms. She leads the Hennon Lab, which employs DNA/RNA sequencing and experimental culturing to study phytoplankton responses to environmental stressors.

Current research projects include the Northern Gulf of Alaska Long Term Ecological Research Project and studies on Arctic diatoms' sensitivity to crude oil and climate-driven changes. Her lab investigates microbial interactions under ocean acidification scenarios, such as the relationship between Prochlorococcus and helper bacteria like Alteromonas. She has secured grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). Advising includes Megan Brauner, a Ph.D./Master’s student.

Her lab’s facilities are located at the Fairbanks campus, with fieldwork conducted in polar and subarctic ecosystems. Research themes include phytoplankton culturing, incubation experiments, and environmental genomics. Collaborations involve institutions like the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences and the R/V Atlantic Explorer.