Puspa Adhikari

Dr. Puspa Adhikari is an Associate Professor in the Department of Marine & Earth Sciences at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), part of the College of Arts & Sciences. Her research focuses on marine chemistry, environmental chemistry, and petroleum geochemistry. She has expertise in oil spill forensics, microplastic pollution, and the impacts of harmful algal blooms (red tides). Her work often integrates advanced analytical techniques like gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and isotope tracing (e.g., radium isotopes) to study pollutant dynamics in coastal and marine systems.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Chemical Oceanography (Minor in Statistics), Louisiana State University (2015)
• M.S. in Aquaculture and Fisheries (Aquatic Chemistry), University of Arkansas (2011)
• M.S. in Environmental Sciences (Environmental Chemistry), Tribhuvan University (2005)
• B.S. in Environmental Sciences (Minors in Chemistry and Biology), Tribhuvan University (2003)

Research Interests: Dr. Adhikari’s work addresses critical environmental issues such as the long-term fate of oil spills, preservation of red tide toxins in sediments, and the ecological impacts of microplastics. She also investigates hurricane-driven changes in coastal ecosystems, including benthic habitats and microbial communities. Her research often has direct applications to environmental policy and restoration efforts in southwest Florida.

Grants & Awards:

• $194,914 NSF grant (2023) for studying hurricane-induced biogeochemical changes
• $548,219 EPA grant (2023) for harmful algal bloom mitigation strategies
• Recipient of the Seidler Student/Faculty Scholarly Collaboration Fellowship (2020)
• AAPG Dana Russell Memorial Grant-in-Aid (2013) for oil contamination studies

Advising & Mentoring: Dr. Adhikari has mentored students including Javaruski J., Bam W., Mbaegbu M.F., and Nguyen N. in projects ranging from red tide toxin persistence to microplastic experimental design.

Professional Affiliations: Member of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO), and the Oceanography Society (TOS). Active in manuscript reviews for journals like Marine Chemistry and Environmental Pollution.