Dr Guenther Uher
Lecturer
- Email: guenther.uher@ncl.ac.uk
- Telephone: +44 191 222 6228
- Fax: +44 191 222 7891
Research Interests
Research interests
• Marine Trace Gas Emissions
• Dissolved Organic Matter Transformations
• Aquatic Photochemistry
My research concentrates on two linked disciplines centred on the issues of Global Change, i.e. (I) the role of marine trace gas emissions in climate change, and (II) the impact of dissolved organic matter transformations and photochemical processes on marine ecosystems and global element cycling.
Research activities include
- biogeochemical cycling of marine sulphur gases such as dimethyl sulphide and carbonyl sulphide,
- photochemical production of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur species (carbon monoxide; ammonium, nitrite; carbonyl sulphide, carbon disulphide) from dissolved organic matter,
- impact of dissolved organic nitrogen transformations on the marine nutrient budget,
- role of dissolved organic carbon inputs and transformations in the global carbon cycle
- coastal greenhouse gas emissions (methane, nitrous oxide).
Further information about the Ocean Research Group, Newcastle
Current Work
Recent and ongoing projects:
The impact of dissolved organic matter photochemistry on the marine nitrogen cycle (NERC, £142k, 1999-2002)(NERC-GANE thematic)
Ammonium photoproduction in oligotrophic seas (NERC, £15k, 2002–2003)
hosted by the EU CYCLOPS programme
Origins, transformations, and biological uptake of organic nitrogen in river-sea systems (Newcastle: £36k, Edinburgh: £125k, 2001-2004)(NERC-GANE thematic)
Nitrification, denitrification and nitrous oxide in Indian mangrove ecosystems, (NERC, £ 275k, 2002-2005)
The Atlantic Meridional Transect programme: sub-projects nitrous oxide cycling & coloured dissolved organic matter photochemistry (NERC consortium award, £48k, 2001-2006)
The contribution of atmospheric methane from coastal marine sources, (NERC, £ 348k, 2002-2005)
Photobleaching rates of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (
UNESCO Keizo Obuchi fellowship) to Dr. Shalini Akella, 2004)
Dissolved organic carbon in the tropical coastal ocean (with Tim Rixen, Center for Tropical Marine Ecology, Bremen, DE)
Selected Publications
- Bange HW; Bell TG; Cornejo M; Freing A; Uher G; Upstill-Goddard RC; Zhang G. MEMEMTO: a proposal to develop a database of marine nitrous oxide and methane measurements. Environmental Chemistry 2009, 6(3), 195-197.
- Stubbins A; Hubbard V; Uher G; Law CS; Upstill-Goddard RC; Aiken GR; Mopper K. Relating carbon monoxide photoproduction to dissolved organic matter functionality. Environmental Science and Technology 2008, 42(9), 3271-3276.
- Ahad J; Barth J; Ganeshram R; Spencer R; Uher G. Controls on carbon cycling in two contrasting temperate zone estuaries: The Tyne and Tweed, UK. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 2008, 78(4), 685-693.
- Spencer RGM; Ahad JME; Baker A; Cowie GL; Ganeshram R; Upstill-Goddard RC; Uher G. The estuarine mixing behaviour of peatland derived dissolved organic carbon and its relationship to chromophoric dissolved organic matter in two North Sea estuaries (U.K.). Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 2007, 74(1-2), 131-144.
- A. P. Stubbins, G. Uher, C. S. Law, K. Mopper, C. Robinson, R. C. Upstill-Goddard. Open-ocean carbon monoxide photoproduction. Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography 2006, 53(14-16), 1695-1705.
- Uher G. Distribution and air-sea exchange of reduced sulphur gases in European coastal waters. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 2006, 70(3), 338-360.
Postgraduate Supervision
Lead supervision, jointly with R. C. Upstill-Goddard
- Ammonium photoproduction in seawater - Paul Mann (NERC Case studentship with co-supervisor EMS Woodward, Plymouth Marine Laboratory)
- Coloured dissolved organic matter photochemistry - Jenna Robinson
Completed PhD projects:
- Clare Swift (2009) Environmental impact of seawater scrubbing
- Anastasios Anestis (2008) Estuarine nitrogen cycling
- Louise Tizzard (2008) Coastal methane from geological sources
- Emma Suddick (2007) UHI / Aberdeen University,
Ammonium photoproduction in peatland ecosystems
(co-supervised with Stuart Gibb, ERI, Thurso, UHI)
- Julian Pillans (2006) Dimethyl sulphide photo-oxidation
- Grant Forster (2006) Methane & nitrous oxide
- Robert Spencer (2005) Biogeochemistry of dissolved organic matter and inorganic nitrogen in two N.E. UK estuaries
- Vas Kitidis (2002) CDOM dynamics and photoammonification in the marine environment
- Aron P. Stubbins (2001) Aspects of aquatic CO photoproduction from CDOM
Esteem Indicators
Member of the NERC Peer Review College
Invited member of the EU network COST (European Cooperation in the
Field of Scientific and Technical Research), Action 735, "Tools for Assessing Global Air–Sea Fluxes of Climate and Air Pollution Relevant Gases", 2006-2011.
Marine Sciences Core Member of the NERC Network on Fluorescence for the Water Sciences , lead by A. Baker & J. Lead (U. Birmingham)2006-9
EGU General Assemblies 2006-2009: Session Convener
Biogeochemistry of dissolved organic matter".
For the latest session programme please see EGU 2009 session BG 1.5.
Invited member of the CARBOEUROPE-GHG initiative on greenhouse gas emissions from the European Coastal Zone (2002-5)
CarboEurope Report on Coastal Trace Gas Emissions
CARBOEUROPE Web Site
Host to MARE Science Prize winner Dr. Hermann W. Bange 1999, IfM-Geomar, Kiel
Project results published in Chemosphere, 58(2), 177-183, 2005
Roles and Responsibilities
Lecturer in Marine Biogeochemistry
3rd Year Convener, Marine Biology
School Safety Officer
Qualifications
PhD Marine Biogeochemistry, Univ. & Max Planck Inst for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany, 1994
Dipl. Chem. Physical & Aquatic Chemistry, Karlsruhe, Germany, 1988
CLTHE, 2002
Memberships
American Geophysical Union, Life Member
European Geophysical Union
Challenger Society for Marine Science, UK
Challenger Society Mentor Young Scientists' Mentoring Network
Fellow of The Higher Education Academy
International Humic Substances Society
Undergraduate Teaching
MST1002 Oceanography and Marine Ecology, Module Leader
MST1003 Field Techniques in Marine Science
MST1007 Introductory Oceanography, Module Leader
MST2005 Biological Oceanography, Module Leader
MST2006 Marine and Coastal Habitats
MST3010 Marine Biology Core Activities - Ecological Modelling
MST3011 Advanced Marine Biology. Module Leader
MST3099 Honours Research Projects in Marine Biology
Postgraduate Teaching
MST8001 Critical Appraisal of Coastal Production Systems