Steven Baer

Steven Baer is an Associate Professor of Marine Science in the Corning School of Ocean Studies at Maine Maritime Academy, where he was appointed to the faculty in 2018. He teaches Introductory Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Marine Geochemistry (Chemical Oceanography), and departmental seminars, and is developing a Global Environmental Change course for the new Coastal & Marine Environmental Science major. Beyond his academic role, Baer serves as Maine Maritime's Faculty Athletics Representative and Faculty Athletic Mentor for the women's lacrosse team.

His educational background includes a Ph.D. in Chemical Oceanography from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (The College of William & Mary) and a B.A. in Social Thought & Political Economy from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Prior to joining Maine Maritime, he was a Postdoctoral Researcher at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences and taught at The College of William & Mary and Christopher Newport University.

Baer's research focuses on marine biogeochemistry and chemical oceanography, specifically examining the interactions between phytoplankton diversity and major macronutrient (carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus) cycling. His work employs wet lab and autoanalysis techniques for nutrient chemistry, along with advanced flow cytometry for phytoplankton identification and quantification. His research has important implications for understanding carbon cycling and higher trophic level productivity in marine ecosystems. His publications reveal a consistent focus on nutrient dynamics across diverse oceanic regions, with particular attention to polar ecosystems and the impacts of climate change on marine biogeochemical processes.

With extensive field experience spanning multiple ocean basins, Baer has participated in numerous research expeditions including in the Arctic, Antarctic, Indian Ocean, and North Atlantic. His work on the ASGARD project in the Bering Sea exemplifies his commitment to understanding how rapid climate change is affecting Arctic marine ecosystems, which has significant implications for fisheries and global biogeochemical cycles.