Hans W. Paerl

Hans W. Paerl is a Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, holding dual affiliations in the Gillings School of Global Public Health (Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering) and the Institute of Marine Sciences. He leads the Paerl Lab, focusing on nutrient dynamics, eutrophication, and harmful algal blooms in aquatic ecosystems, with global projects including Lake Taihu (China) and the Baltic Sea. His work integrates environmental sensors, long-term monitoring (e.g., FerryMon), and climate change impacts.

• Education: PhD in Ecology and Limnology (University of California-Davis, 1973); BS in Biological Sciences (1969).

Research interests include human and climatic drivers of water quality, nitrogen fixation, and cyanobacterial blooms. Over decades, he has mentored numerous graduate students and post-docs, many of whom are listed in his lab’s history. Awards include recognition as a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher (2022–2024).

Labs/Teams: Director of the Paerl Lab since 1978, collaborating on ModMon and FerryMon initiatives. Active in grants addressing algal blooms and coastal health, including a $6.5M project studying Great Lakes links to human health.