Robert Mason

Robert Mason is a Professor in the Department of Marine Sciences at the University of Connecticut, with a joint appointment in the Department of Chemistry. He specializes in the biogeochemistry of trace metals, particularly mercury (Hg), cadmium, lead, and metalloids in aquatic systems and the atmosphere. His research spans marine environments, coastal zones, estuaries, and freshwater systems, focusing on mercury’s fate, transport, transformation (e.g., methylation/demethylation), and bioavailability in ecosystems.

• Research Affiliations: Department of Marine Sciences, Avery Point Campus; Department of Chemistry (Storrs Campus).
• Key Projects: GEOTRACES cruises, Arctic mercury studies, and investigations into mercury-air-sea exchange mechanisms.

Research Interests: Environmental mercury cycling, including processes at sediment-water interfaces, air-sea interactions, and impacts on aquatic organisms. Current projects emphasize coastal ecosystems, Arctic mercury dynamics, and the role of organic matter in methylmercury bioavailability.

Recent Activities: Co-authored studies on mercury distribution in the Pacific Ocean (JGR-Oceans, 2025), Arctic methylmercury in rain and aerosols (Science Advances, 2025), and Antarctic glacial impacts on mercury enrichment (Nature Communications, 2025). Active in international policy through the MCHgMAP project.

Awards: None explicitly listed in provided texts.

Lab and Team: Leads the Mason Mercury Lab, focusing on interdisciplinary research. Collaborates globally on mercury modeling and policy, with involvement in the Minamata Convention framework. Former team members and ongoing projects are documented on lab websites.