Diana Varela, University of Victoria
Department of Biology
Professor
Victoria, British Columbia
dvarela@uvic.ca
Office:
(250) 472-5425
Expert In
Bio/Research
My research programme seeks to understand the causes and consequences of variations in marine primary productivity, and the links between phytoplankton physiology and biogeochemical cycling in the ocean. I am particularly interested in the physiology of silicon, nitrogen and carbon utilization by...
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Bio/Research
My research programme seeks to understand the causes and consequences of variations in marine primary productivity, and the links between phytoplankton physiology and biogeochemical cycling in the ocean. I am particularly interested in the physiology of silicon, nitrogen and carbon utilization by a variety of ecologically diverse phytoplankton and the sensitivity of the uptake mechanisms to changing environmental conditions. Studies are conducted in the laboratory and on oceanographic research cruises, utilizing an array of techniques from biology (including molecular tools) and geochemistry.
Examples of past and current projects are:
- Physico-chemical controls of primary productivity in Canadian Arctic waters from the NW Atlantic to the NE Pacific Oceans
- Primary productivity and nutrient utilization by phytoplankton in Saanich Inlet, Queen Charlotte Sound and the Gulf of Alaska
- Silicon dynamics and diatom productivity in the equatorial Pacific Ocean
- Natural variations in silicon isotopes as a proxy of diatom production and silicon utilization in Arctic and sub-Arctic waters
- Harmful algal bloom dynamics in a coastal lagoon
- Silicon isotopic fractionation by cultured polar diatoms
- Effect of nutrient and micronutrient limitation, and temperature on the utilization of nutrients in cultured phytoplankton
- Optimization of cyanobacterial cultures for carbon dioxide capture and co-production of high value products
My long-term research goal is to link physiological studies on unicellular planktonic algae to larger marine phenomena, so as to better understand their effects on earth’s biogeochemical cycles, ecosystem structure and global climate change over geological times.
I hold a joint faculty position with the School of Earth and Ocean Sciences at UVic.
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Examples of past and current projects are:
- Physico-chemical controls of primary productivity in Canadian Arctic waters from the NW Atlantic to the NE Pacific Oceans
- Primary productivity and nutrient utilization by phytoplankton in Saanich Inlet, Queen Charlotte Sound and the Gulf of Alaska
- Silicon dynamics and diatom productivity in the equatorial Pacific Ocean
- Natural variations in silicon isotopes as a proxy of diatom production and silicon utilization in Arctic and sub-Arctic waters
- Harmful algal bloom dynamics in a coastal lagoon
- Silicon isotopic fractionation by cultured polar diatoms
- Effect of nutrient and micronutrient limitation, and temperature on the utilization of nutrients in cultured phytoplankton
- Optimization of cyanobacterial cultures for carbon dioxide capture and co-production of high value products
My long-term research goal is to link physiological studies on unicellular planktonic algae to larger marine phenomena, so as to better understand their effects on earth’s biogeochemical cycles, ecosystem structure and global climate change over geological times.
I hold a joint faculty position with the School of Earth and Ocean Sciences at UVic.
Click to Shrink <<