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Nicolas Cassar

Professor of Biogeochemistry
Earth and Climate Sciences
Box 90328, Durham, NC 27708
Grainger Hall, 9 Circuit Drive (GH5119), Nicholas School of the Environment, Durham, NC 27708

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


Professor of Biogeochemistry · 2019 - Present Earth and Climate Sciences, Nicholas School of the Environment

In the News


Published April 22, 2025
Ten Faculty Named 2025 Bass Chairs
Published September 17, 2021
Australian Wildfires Triggered Massive Algal Blooms in Southern Ocean
Published August 20, 2021
As Antarctic Sea Ice Shrinks, Microbial Biodiversity and CO2 Absorption Decline

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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 Cite

Control system for an underwater coded aperture miniature mass spectrometer

Journal Article Green Analytical Chemistry · June 1, 2025 In situ measurements of the spatiotemporal distribution of dissolved gases in the ocean are useful for a wide variety of applications including monitoring biogeochemical cycles (e.g., methane, oxygen, and carbon dioxide fluxes), detecting pollutants, study ... Full text Cite

Emergent patterns of patchiness differ between physical and planktonic properties in the ocean.

Journal Article Nature communications · February 2025 While a rich history of patchiness research has explored spatial structure in the ocean, there is no consensus over the controls on biological patchiness and how physical-ecological-biogeochemical processes and patchiness relate. The prevailing thought is ... Full text Cite
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Recent 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 - 2027

Response of Nitrogen Fixation in Lichens and Mosses to a Rapidly Changing Arctic Environment

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Army Research Office · 2023 - 2026

Underwater coded aperture miniature mass spectrometer (UW-CAMMS)

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2021 - 2025

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Education, Training & Certifications


University of Hawaii, Manoa · 2003 Ph.D.
McGill University (Canada) · 1997 B.S.

External Links


Cassar Lab