Research

Earth, Atmosphere & Environment Sciences

Title :

Study the impact of ocean acidification (OA) and sea surface temperartue (SST) on circadian cycles of carbon and nitrogen in dinoflagellates in the context of marine food web and ecosystem.

Area of research :

Earth, Atmosphere & Environment Sciences

Focus area :

Ocean science

Principal Investigator :

Dr. Sougata Roy, Ashoka University, Sonepat

Timeline Start Year :

2022

Timeline End Year :

2025

Details

Executive Summary :

Dinoflagellates are marine phytoplanktons that generate valuable oxygen comparable to land plants and have profound effects on ocean biogeochemical cycles29. Dinoflagellates are also the key drivers of the marine food web and act as global carbon pumps. Therefore stress factors destabilizing dinoflagellates will not only impact the global oxygen levels but also impinge on the biogeochemical equilibrium. The ocean pH and temperature stress have severe impact on dinoflagellate growth, species diversity, harmful algal blooms, decoupling of dinoflagellate - coral symbiosis5 and differential intra and inter genus response. This encourages thorough systematic investigation of dinoflagellate systems under stress. This project proposes to understand the molecular underpinnings of OA and SST’s impact on photosynthesis and nitrogen metabolism in dinoflagellates

Co-PI:

Dr. Anup Padmanabhan, Assistant Professor, Ashoka University, Dr. Aashish Ranjan

Total Budget (INR):

62,08,760

Organizations involved