Damian "CTD Rosette" Grundle, PhD Candidate

I began my PhD in Dr. Kim Juniper’s lab at the University of Victoria in September 2007. Prior to this I completed an MSc degree at the University of Victoria and a BSc Honors degree at the University of Tasmania. The focus of my current research is to understand how microbial communities and the growth rates of different functional groups of bacteria respond to changes in various physical, chemical and biological variables in Saanich Inlet, a British Columbia fjord. In the past it has often been difficult to conclusively relate microbial community responses in the field to their causal factors, as changes typically occur over much shorter time scales than the temporal sampling frequencies traditionally employed during oceanographic field work. As such, the present research will use instruments attached to the VENUS (Victoria Experimental Network Under the Sea) cabled observatory and ODAS (Oceanographic Data Acquisition Systems) buoy # C46134 to measure physical, chemical and biological variables in both the deep waters and surface waters of Saanich Inlet. Data collected from these instruments will be available in real time, enabling us to employ a responsive sampling program which will improve our ability to link changes in the composition and production of microbial communities to their causal factors. As a result, this work will significantly increase our understanding of how physical, chemical and biological mechanisms influence microbial communities and the cycling of nutrients (primarily nitrogen) in marine systems. Please stay tuned for updates as this research progresses.

Email me at dgrundle@uvic.ca

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