Abstract:
Microbes are the main engines driving the elemental cycles in the marine environments. The activities and ecosystem services performed by these cornerstone members of marine ecosystems are affected by ecological interactions and anthropogenic perturbations, ultimately impacting their role in the biogeochemical cycles of the ocean. In this presentation I will introduce and summarize the past and present research of our research group. I will introduce the main research questions we have been focusing on, and then expand on specific highlights and examples of past and current research we are performing on the ecology and the biogeochemical role of marine microbes in marine environments. To finish I will briefly talk about my research vision and perspectives. 

Bio:
Dr. Federico Baltar is an Associate Professor of the Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology at the University of Vienna, Austria. Dr. Federico Baltar's research interests are in biological oceanography integrating marine microbial ecology and biogeochemistry. Dr. Federico Baltar's research group studies the factors that control the functioning of these seawater microbes to get a mechanistic understanding of this microbial engine today, and predict how it might change in the future ocean. Dr. Federico Baltar received his PhD in 2010 and has a publication record comprising >75 publications in peer-reviewed international journals. As a single principal investigator applicant, Dr. Federico Baltar has secured funding of more than 2.5 million EUR in the last 10 years. Dr. Federico Baltar's GoogleScholar Hirsch index is 29. He has received several teaching and research-related awards, including among others, the 2015 Early Career Teacher of the Year (from the University of Otago), the 2016 Outstanding Young Scientist in Biogeosciences Award (from the European Geosciences Union -EGU), the Rutherford Discovery Fellowship (from the Royal Society of New Zealand), and the 2021 JoF Youg Investigator Award.