Overview
Nicolas Cassar's research focuses on environmental biogeochemistry and physiology, with the objective of constraining the mechanisms governing carbon cycling and climate. Current research interests include ocean carbon cycles and productivity; carbon acquisition mechanisms in marine phytoplankton and implications for climate change and paleo-CO2 reconstruction; and global carbon cycle and ocean-atmosphere fluxes. His scientific approach is interdisciplinary, integrating field observations, laboratory experiments, modeling and theory.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Lee Hill Snowdon Professor of Biogeochemistry
·
2025 - Present
Earth and Climate Sciences,
Nicholas School of the Environment
Professor of Biogeochemistry
·
2019 - Present
Earth and Climate Sciences,
Nicholas School of the Environment
Recent Publications
Evidence of limited N2 fixation in the Southern Ocean
Journal Article Communications Earth and Environment · December 1, 2025 Biological nitrogen fixation is an important source of new nitrogen, influencing ocean fertility and carbon uptake. While recently documented in Arctic waters, its role in the Southern Ocean remains uncertain. We measured nitrogen fixation along the Wester ... Full text CiteOverview of BLOOFINZ/INDITUN investigations of the southern bluefin spawning region off northwest Australia, January–March 2022
Journal Article Deep Sea Research Part II Topical Studies in Oceanography · December 1, 2025 Southern Bluefin Tuna (SBT, Thunnus maccoyii) range broadly in rich feeding grounds of the Southern Hemisphere but spawn only in a small tropical region off northwestern Australia directly downstream of the Indonesian Throughflow. Here, we describe goals, ... Full text CiteThe overlooked contribution of the seasonal mixed layer pump to carbon export in low-latitude oceans.
Journal Article Nature communications · November 2025 The seasonal mixed layer pump (MLP) is an important pathway transporting organic carbon from the upper ocean to the ocean interior. While the MLP's export role has been well-studied in high latitudes, its contribution in low latitudes remains uncertain. He ... Full text CiteRecent Grants
Nutrition as a BOOST for corals in the face of marine heat waves
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Institut de Recherche pour le Developpement · 2025 - 2027Response of Nitrogen Fixation in Lichens and Mosses to a Rapidly Changing Arctic Environment
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Army Research Office · 2023 - 2027Underwater coded aperture miniature mass spectrometer (UW-CAMMS)
ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2021 - 2026View All Grants
Education, Training & Certifications
University of Hawaii, Manoa ·
2003
Ph.D.
McGill University (Canada) ·
1997
B.S.