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Phytoplankton bloom near Alaska’s Pribilof Islands on September 22, 2014. The Pribilofs are surrounded by nutrient-rich waters in the Bering Sea. The milky green and light blue shading of the water indicates the presence of vast populations of microscopic phytoplankton—mostly coccolithophores, which have chalky calcite scales. Such phytoplankton form the foundation of a tremendously productive habitat for fish and birds. Caption by Kasha Patel and Mike Carlowicz.
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Satellite chorophyll offshore New Zealand (source: NASA Aqua MODIS).
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Satellite surface chlorophyll spiraling around eddies in the Gulf of Alaska. Phytoplankton blooms in response to the iron supply by melt water along the coast and transport offshore by eddies. Source: NASA Suomi NPP-VIIRS acquired on June 9th 2016.
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Satellite chorophyll in the Indian Ocean (source: NASA Aqua MODIS). Eddies and filaments promotes the growth of phytoplankton during the winter monsoon by supplying nutrients and relieving light limitation (Resplandy et al., 2009).
Professor Laure Resplandy is a biogeochemical oceanographer. Her research goals are to understand how climate and ocean physics influence marine biogeochemistry and ecosystems and how these changes can in turn impact the Earth climate. Prof. Resplandy's approach is to design and develop numerical models (from ocean regions to global climate system) and statistical tools to interpret in-situ and satellite observations.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
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Changes in ocean oxygenation.
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Global change, ocean acidification and carbon cycle.
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Influence of ocean physics on biological activity and biogeochemical fluxes.
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Climate modeling, ocean small-scale (1 to 100 km) modeling.
Climate Change: Exploring Solutions to a Complex Problem - A Quest Event for teachers in grades 5-12July 5-8, 2022, 9AM-3PM, Princeton University
What is the role of human activity in the changing climate? How do we know if a proposed strategy or solution for minimizing CO2 in the atmosphere will be effective? Climate change is at the forefront of scientific and societal discourse, and its impacts on the planet are more evident each year. As educators we can empower the next generation to make informed choices when responding and adapting to the changing climate. READ MORE
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A study co-led by climate scientist Laure Resplandy, an assistant professor of geosciences and the High Meadows Environmental Institute (HMEI) at Princeton University, details how carbon is stored and transported through the intricacy of inland and coastal waterways.
Whose stories do you tell when you teach science and engineering? Newton? Galileo? Maybe Marie Curie? That question was posed to eight members of Princeton’s science and engineering faculty as part of their work in a Community of Practice group focused on adding diverse voices to course materials. Professor Resplandy mention.