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
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 ...
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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 CiteEmergent 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 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 - 2026Underwater coded aperture miniature mass spectrometer (UW-CAMMS)
ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2021 - 2025View All Grants
Education, Training & Certifications
University of Hawaii, Manoa ·
2003
Ph.D.
McGill University (Canada) ·
1997
B.S.