Organic Geochemistry Laboratory

Despite its abundance, its importance in biogeochemical cycles and its sensitivity to global change, our knowledge of the composition, molecular structure and reactivity of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the oceans is still limited.

The founding objective of the Organic Geochemistry Laboratory at IIM-CSIC is to fill this knowledge gap by isolating DOM, analyzing its elemental composition and its optical, isotopic and  structural properties, and monitoring its alteration through photochemical and microbiological processes.

From a geographical point of view, we focus on the northwest coast of the Iberian Peninsula as a model of interactions between terrestrial and oceanic environments, including coastal upwelling, and of different degrees of human alteration; we also work on the Northwest Atlantic as a model of open waters.

From a methodological point of view, we combine observation, experimentation and parametric and inverse modeling to unravel the relationships between molecular and microbiological diversity in an ocean undergoing major changes.

The Organic Geochemistry Laboratory also focuses on assessing the regulation and provision of ecosystem services by the rias, large highly productive estuaries located along the Galician coast; this includes quantifying fertilization mechanisms other than coastal upwelling.