Carsten Schubert

Function

• Research scientist and leader of the group Biogeochemistry
• Member of the Analytical Commission (ANACOM) of Eawag
• Teaching at the department of Environmental Science at ETH
• Official speaker of the Eawag Kastanienbaum

Projects

See projects on the webpage of the group Biogeochemistry

Education

• June 1995, Ph.D., Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in cooporation with Bremen University, Germany
• March 1992, Diploma, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany
• Jan 1990, Prediploma, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany
• 1987-1992, Geology and Paleontology, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany
• 1986-1987, Physics, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany

Employment

• Since Aug. 2001, Research Scientist, Group leader, Eawag, Kastanienbaum
• Sep. 1997-2001, Research Scientist, Group leader, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen
• June-Sep. 1997, Postdoctoral Fellow, Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven
• Dez. 1995-1997, Postdoctoral Fellow, Oceanography, U.B.C., Vancouver, (NATO fellowship)
• July-Nov. 1995, Postdoctoral Fellow, Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research,
• 1992-1995, PhD-Thesis., Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven
• 1990 - 1991, Industrial based geological field work, "Geonorm" company, Giessen (part-time)

Research interests

Isotopic (C,N,O,H) and organic geochemical investigations in respect to the cycling of nutrients (C,N) and the preservation of organic matter in marine sediments. The relation between sulfate reduction and organic matter composition. Determination of biomarkers in organic materials (sediments, plankton, and bacteria) especially alkenones, n-alkanes, fatty-acids, alcohols, sterols, ether-lipids and lignin. Furthermore, the measurements of carbon isotopic composition of fatty acids in bacteria for insights into the metabolism of these organisms. Investigation of amino-sugars and amino acids in water columns and sediments. Recent investigations include the anaerobic and aerobic oxidation.of methane, and the anaerobic ammonium oxidation in the water column of marine and limnic systems and the emissions of green house gases from Swiss reservoir lakes.

 

Teaching
Students supervised
Postdocs in research group
Field experience
Reviewer for Journals, Funding agencies
Publications

Teaching

• Lecture “Tracers in Biogeochemistry” at ETH Zürich
• Lab course “Stable and radiogenic isotopic” at ETH Zürich
• Lecture “Biogeochemical Cycles” at ETH Zürich
• Seminar “Environmental Chemistry and Microbiology” at ETH Zürich
• Lecture “Oceanography/Paleoceanography” at the University of Giessen
• Lecture “Biogeochemistry” at the University of Bremen
• Geological field mapping at the University of Bremen

Students supervised

PhD students

• 2008-now, Dörte Carstens, Degradation of nitrogen containing molecules
• 2004-now, Torsten Diem, Methane and N2O in lakes and oceans
• 2003-2007, Lucia Klauser, Biomarker potential of nitrogen containing molecules
• 2001-2005, Jutta Niggemann, Degradation of organic matter off the coast of Chile and Peru

Master or Diploma Students

• 2006, Anne-Christine Pfaffen, Anaerobic methane oxidation in Lake Lungen
• 2005, Simon Schwarzenbach, Methane emissions from reservoirs of power plants
• 2005, Stefan Koch, Methane emissions from reservoirs of power plants
• 2004-2005, Esther Aquilar, Aerobic and anaerobic methane oxidation in Lake Rotsee
• 2003-2004, Torsten Diem, Methane and N2O in reservoirs of power plants
• 2002-2003, Joaquin Jiminez, Degradation of chitin in lake sediments
• 2000, Manuela Scheuner, Degradation of organic matter under different redox conditions

Postdocs in research group

• 2007-2009, Achim Bechtel, Marie Curie Fellow, OM degradation in lakes
  
• 2005-2006, Jutta Niggemann, Amino sugars in Lake sediments
• 2004-2005, Françoise Lucas, Anaerobic methane oxidation in lakes
• 2003-now, Edith Kaiser, Anaerobic methane oxidation in the Black Sea water column

Field experience

Oceanographic cruises

• RV Prof. Vodyanitskiy: Expedition to the Black Sea financed by the NSF Switzerland  (16.8. - 22.8.05, Chief-Scientist). Sampling of the water column chemocline to investigate anaerobic oxidation of methane and ammonium together with the MPI Bremen/ Germany and Univ. of Odense/Denmark.
• RV Sonne: “PUCK” financed by the BMBF in cooperation with the University of Bremen. Sampling of sediments and water column above, below, and in the oxygen minimum zone to investigate organic carbon preservation under different oxygen conditions. Relation between organic matter composition and sulfate reduction rates. Role of Thioploca in C,N,S cycle.
• RV Poseidon: Expedition "Namibia 1999" to the African Margin off the coast of Namibia (30.4 - 10.5.1999). Cruise to collect samples for biogeochemical investigations. Sampling of sediments and water column above, below, and in the oxygen minimum zone to investigate organic carbon preservation under different oxygen conditions. Role of Thiomargarita in C,N,S cycle.
• Vidal Gormaz: Expedition "Chile 1999" to the Chilean Margin off the coast of Concepción (15.3.99 - 29.03.1999, Chief-Scientist). Cruise to collect samples for biogeochemical investigations. Sampling of sediments and water column above, below, and in the oxygen minimum zone to investigate organic carbon preservation under different oxygen conditions. Role of Thioploca in C,N,S cycle.
• RV Polarstern: Expeditioin "Arktis XIII/2" to the Barents- and Greenland-Sea (25.06.97 - 11.08.97, group-leader of the geological sampling party), cruise to collect box-, gravity- and kastenlot-cores for paleoclimate and organic geochemical studies. Sampling of water, phyto- and zooplankton from different water depth, ice cores and meltwater ponds for carbon and nitrogen isotope and organic geochemical investigations.
• RV Vector: Saanich Inlet and Jervis Inlet, British Columbia, Canada (31.07.96 - 02.08.96), cruise to collect water samples and piston cores for studies on the decomposition of organic carbon in the water column and sediments.
• RV Polarstern: Expedition "Arktis IX/4" to the Barents- and Laptev-Sea (06.08.93 - 5.10.93), cruise to collect box-, multi-, gravity- and piston cores and sea water from different water depth for paleo climate and organic geochemical studies.
• RV Polarstern: Expeditioin "Arctic VIII/3" to the Central Arctic Ocean (05.08.91 - 15.10.91), cruise to collect box-, multi-, gravity- and piston cores for paleoclimate and organic geochemical studies.

Reviewer for Journals, Funding agencies

Nature, Marine Chemistry, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, Marine Geology, Environmental Science & Technology, Organic Geochemistry, Gcubed, Global Biogeochemical Cycles, Journal of Earth System Science, Journal of Great Lakes Research, Archives of Microbiology

American Chemical Society Petroleum Fund
German research foundation (DFG)
NSF, USA
NWO Earth and Life Science, Dutch research council
Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF)
Fondecyt, Chilean national research funding

Publications

• Eawag Publications

• Other Publications (1992-2001)