Laura Halbach
MPI for Marine Microbiology
Celsiusstr. 1
D-28359 Bremen
Germany
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Raum: |
3223 |
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My research explores microbial interactions, primary production, and nutrient cycling in diverse aquatic ecosystems, spanning from coastal habitats in the tropics to polar fjords and glacier surfaces like the Greenland Ice Sheet.
Currently, my research focuses on understanding the role of N2-fixing microorganisms (diazotrophs) in nitrogen supply and primary productivity within coastal habitats, particularly seagrass meadows. Seagrasses provide various ecosystem services such as nurseries for fish, and are also biogeochemically important as sinks for atmospheric carbon dioxide, and are hence called blue carbon ecosystems. These plants thrive in nitrogen-poor waters, and the presence of N₂-fixing symbionts, converting inert N₂ gas into bioavailable ammonia, is likely crucial for their success and productivity. While symbiotic relationships between N2-fixing organisms and terrestrial plants are well-established, our understanding of similar associations in marine environments is still evolving.
I study the abundance, function, and diversity of N2-fixing symbionts in seagrass species such as Posidonia oceanica and Cymodocea nodosa in the Mediterranean sea as well as Thalassia testudinum in the Caribbean.
I utilize a combination of chemical, molecular, and single-cell imaging techniques such as secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and scanning electron microscopy linked to electron X-ray energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS).