Katherine Richardson

Katherine Richardson is a Professor in Biological Oceanography at the University of Copenhagen’s Globe Institute (Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences) and leads the Queen Margrethe and Vigdís Finnbogadóttir’s Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Ocean, Climate, and Society (ROCS). She co-developed the Planetary Boundaries Framework and co-PIs the Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate (CMEC). Her research spans marine plankton, climate-ocean interactions, and sustainability science.

• D.Sc., University of Copenhagen (2020)
• Ph.D., University of North Wales, U.K. (1980)
• B.A., Harvard University (1976)

Her research integrates biological oceanography with Earth system science, focusing on carbon cycling in marine ecosystems, climate change impacts on aquatic productivity, and sustainable societal transformation. She has led major international projects like the Galathea 3 expedition and EU’s ECOTIP. Her work bridges marine ecology, policy, and education.

Recent publications emphasize planetary boundaries, marine eutrophication, and climate-ocean feedbacks. She has received eight major awards, including an honorary doctorate and Danish knighthoods. She has supervised over 20 PhD and 50 Masters students, and co-created two MOOCs with 82,000+ participants.

• Marshall Fellowship (1976)
• Frøken Marie Lønggaards Rejselegat (2004)
• Knight of the Dannebrog (2011)
• Ellen og Hans Hermers Legat (2015)
• Galathea Medal (2016)
• Ebbe Muncks Hæderspris (2019)
• Knight of Dannebrog 1st Degree (2021)
• Honorary Doctor at UiT The Arctic University of Norway (2022)

She co-edits Marine Ecology Progress Series and has participated in 70+ research cruises. Current funding includes EU H2020’s ECOTIP (DKK 1.498M) and Carlsberg Foundation’s ROCS (DKK 20M).