Core Scientific Themes

1. Organismal Sensitivity and Biological Thresholds

A central focus of my work is to quantify how marine organisms respond to altered carbonate chemistry across life stages and exposure histories. I examine physiological performance, biomineralization and early-warning stress indicators in ecologically and fisheries-relevant species. The experimental research is aimed at identifying biological thresholds beyond which exposure becomes harmful, and determines which taxa and life stages represent the most sensitive components of marine ecosystems.

2. Exposure Realism and Natural Analogues

I study natural carbonate chemistry, including total alkalinity, gradients in coastal, upwelling, and high-latitude systems and natural OAE analogues to understand how organisms experience carbonate chemistry in situ, and how these dynamics shape vulnerability and resilience. Then I combine field observations with the experimentally derived results to ensure they are interpreted in the context of realistic environmental variability. This approach provides critical grounding for evaluating mCDR strategies against background variability and long-term climate change.

3. Multi-Stressor Interactions in Global Change Biology

Marine organisms are exposed simultaneously to multiple stressors (acidification, warming, deoxygenation). My research examines how these interacting pressures shape biological sensitivity and ecological outcomes, and how mCDR interventions may intersect with existing stress pathways or can reduce the risks. This work links cellular and physiological responses to population- and ecosystem-level consequences within a global change biology framework. 

4. Synthesis, Meta-Analysis, and Comparative Vulnerability

I conduct meta-analyses and large-scale evidence syntheses to integrate biological responses across species, regions, and experimental contexts. This work identifies generalizable patterns of sensitivity, quantifies uncertainty, and supports cross-taxonomic comparison of vulnerability to altered carbonate chemistry and multiple stressors. These syntheses provide a foundation for transferable indicators and for scaling organismal responses to ecosystem-relevant risk assessments.

5. Biological Risk Assessment and Decision-Relevant Frameworks

A key component of my research is the development of biological risk assessment frameworks that translate empirical observations into exposure–response relationships, vulnerability metrics, and precautionary thresholds. I integrate experimental results, field observations, and synthesis products to produce quantitative representations of risk that can be incorporated into monitoring programs, biogeochemical models, and ecosystem assessments. The aim is to make biological responses explicit, transparent, and scientifically defensible in the evaluation of emerging climate interventions.