Research | The Varela Lab

The aim of our research is to link physiological studies on phytoplankton to larger marine phenomena. The long-term goal of our programme is to better understand the effects of unicellular algae on the earth’s biogeochemical cycles, marine ecosystem structure and global climate change over geological times. Some examples of past and current projects include:

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 phytoplankton cultures for carbon dioxide capture and maximum biomass yield for bio-fuel products
Marine silica dynamics in Arctic and Subarctic marine ecosystems
Phytoplankton bloom dynamics in the coastal Arctic Ocean
Effects of nutrient limitation on primary productivity
Pelagic primary productivity and nutrient dynamics in Saanich Inlet, a temperate fjord