Katherine Barbeau

Katherine Barbeau is a Professor in the Geosciences Research Division at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego. Her research explores the biogeochemical cycling of trace metals in marine systems, particularly iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), and copper (Cu). She investigates how these metals influence marine planktonic ecosystems, their photochemical redox processes, and their roles as limiting nutrients. Her interdisciplinary approach integrates fieldwork at sea and laboratory techniques such as bioinorganic chemistry, microbiology, bioinformatics, and molecular biology.

Education:

• Bachelor of Science (B.S.) from Southampton College of Long Island University
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from Massachusetts Institute of Technology-Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Research Interests: Her studies focus on trace element dynamics in marine systems, including:

• Genomics, Metagenomics, and Bioinformatics
• Marine Microbiology
• Plankton Ecology and Food-Web Interactions
• Biogeochemistry
• Marine, Atmospheric, and Aqueous Tracers
• Marine Chemistry

Scientific Awards: None explicitly listed in the provided text.

Advising & Grants: No formal advisees are listed, and grants details are not included in the text. Her research group emphasizes collaborative interdisciplinary work.

Labs/Teams: She leads the Barbeau group, which combines sea-based and laboratory research to address complex questions in marine trace metal cycling and microbial interactions.