Katie Higgs

Graduate Student

Biological Oceanography
Major Professor: Dr. Markus Huettel

Department of Oceanography
Rm 531, OSB
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida 32306-4320

Research

The continental shelf is the most productive marine environment supporting one-third of the total oceanic primary production. Permeable sediments predominantly cover this region; however, only rudimentary knowledge of organic matter decomposition in these sands exists.

Diatoms, primary contributors to the global carbon cycle, comprise a significant portion of this organic matter. Silicate is an essential requirement for proper frustule formation and cell growth; therefore, this macronutrient is necessary for the vitality of the phytoplankton. Post-mortem, the siliceous test degrades, silicate dissolution occurs, and the biogenic silica is recycled.

My research primarily focuses on the degradation and remobilization of silicate in permeable shelf sands. In-situ chamber experiments will be conducted to investigate the potential influences of factors such as pore water flow and diatom degradation on the silicic acid cycle. Manipulation of factors including bacterial activity and nutrient concentrations will be conducted using column experiments in a controlled setting. The data will then be analyzed to determine the correlation between silicate fluxes and diatom populations in both the water column and shelf sediment.