Ph.D. Program in Oceanography and Global Change at the Canary Islands, Spain
Microalgae play a very important role in the global carbon cycle. Micronutrients, such as iron (Fe), are essentials for the marine environment. The biogeochemical cycle of iron is greatly influenced by the presence of organic ligands which are able to bind more than 99% of the total oceanic dissolved iron.
Identification and quantification of organic compounds exuded by several species of microalgae, the effect of high iron levels in the seawater in the concentration of these organic compounds, and the impact of other variables such as temperature, salinity and pH, are really relevant in order to understand the influence of planktonic communities on the oceanic chemistry.
