Markus Kienast

Markus Kienast is a Professor in the Department of Oceanography at Dalhousie University, part of the Faculty of Science. His expertise spans marine geology, chemical oceanography, and geochronology, with a focus on paleoceanographic reconstructions and biogeochemical cycles. He holds a BSc from Clausthal University (Germany), MSc from Kiel University (Germany), and PhD from the University of British Columbia.

• Education:
  • BSc - University Clausthal, Germany
  • MSc - University Kiel, Germany
  • PhD - University of British Columbia

His research investigates oceanographic processes and environmental changes over glacial-interglacial cycles, including anthropogenic CO₂ impacts, ice sheet dynamics, and nutrient cycling in Arctic and Atlantic regions. Key projects include tracing Labrador Shelf freshening linked to Laurentide Ice Saddle collapse and analyzing denitrification rates during deglacial warming.

Notable awards include CIFAR Earth System Evolution Scholar status (2003–present), the Petro-Canada Young Innovator Award (2005), and a Woods Hole Postdoctoral Fellowship (2002).

He teaches advanced courses such as OCEA 3420 (Geochemistry of Aquatic Environments) and OCEA 5285 (Marine Geochemical Processes). His lab focuses on integrating geochemical proxies with sedimentological data to understand past climate-ocean interactions.