Patrick Schwing

Patrick T. Schwing is an Assistant Professor at Eckerd College and a Courtesy Research Associate at the University of South Florida's College of Marine Science. His research focuses on quantitatively assessing natural and human impacts on marine seafloor systems to provide actionable information for resource managers. He utilizes sedimentological, radiochemical, micropaleontological, and biogeochemical tools to study benthic and planktic ecosystems.

Education:

• PhD in Marine Science, University of South Florida (2011)
• BS in Marine Biology, Eckerd College (2006)

Research Interests: Land-use impacts on aquatic environments, marine mineral extraction consequences, microplastic distribution, and oil spill effects. Specializes in benthic ecosystem recovery, sediment dynamics, and ecological resilience mechanisms. Integrates multi-disciplinary approaches including stable isotope analysis, radiocarbon dating, and micropaleontological techniques.

Key Projects:

• GOMRI/CIMAGE III & II: Deep-sea oil spill impact studies (2015-2019)
• Collegium of Natural Sciences Research Grant: Ongoing benthic microcosm research
• Carnegie Laboratory Centennial Celebration Grant: Baseline marine isoscape development

Grants & Funding: Secured over $2M in research funding through NSF, GOMRI, and Eckerd College initiatives. Current projects focus on predictive modeling of MOSSFA events and microplastic distribution patterns.

Lab & Collaborations: Leads the St. Petersburg Ocean Team, collaborating with the Smithsonian, National Geographic, and USF's College of Marine Science. Offers contract analytical services in stable isotopes, radiochemistry, and sedimentology.