R. Mark Leckie

R. Mark Leckie is a Professor in the Department of Earth, Geographic, and Climate Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His expertise lies in paleoceanography, Earth system history, and foraminiferal studies. He has participated in multiple scientific ocean drilling expeditions, including six legs of the Deep Sea Drilling Project and Ocean Drilling Program, as well as Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) initiatives.

Education:

• B.S. in Geology, Northern Illinois University, 1978
• M.S. in Geology, University of Colorado, 1980
• Ph.D. in Geology, University of Colorado, 1984

Research Interests:

• Paleoceanographic evolution of the Antarctic Ross Sea and Western Interior Seaway
• Foraminiferal taxonomy, biostratigraphy, and paleoecology
• Cretaceous and Cenozoic climate dynamics, including Oceanic Anoxic Events
• Mid-Cretaceous Oceanic Anoxic Events and plankton evolution
• Indonesian Seaway constriction and tropical Pacific paleoceanography

Expeditions & Collaborations:

• Principal investigator in IODP Expedition 374 (Ross Sea West Antarctic Ice Sheet History)
• Contributed to the School of Rock education program and readiness assessment cruises
• Active in standardizing planktic foraminiferal taxonomy through working groups

His research integrates fieldwork, ocean drilling data, and lab-based analyses to address large-scale environmental changes. Current projects focus on Antarctic ice sheet dynamics, Cretaceous ocean anoxic events, and Western Interior Seaway paleoenvironments.