Ecosystem Science | Biogeochemistry | Isotope Ecology
David Brankovits, PhD
Guest Investigator
Department of Geology & Geophysics
Researcher & Marie Curie Fellow
National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Water Research Institute (IRSA), Group: MEG
Contact Information:
david.brankovits@cnr.it
dbrankovits@whoi.edu
Research Interests
I study how ecosystems function in coastal and marine environments, and their role in the global carbon cycle. Main contributions of my research have focused on the biogeochemistry and ecological ramifications of methane and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in coastal systems. These efforts have resulted in a comprehensive ecosystem function model that integrates landscape-level biogeochemical and hydrological processes and quantifies the magnitude of a greenhouse gas sink in the coastal aquifer.
I am currently a Researcher at CNR-IRSA Italy.
Selected Publications
Brankovits, D., Pohlman, J.W., Lapham L.L. (2022) Oxygenation of a karst subterranean estuary during a tropical cyclone: Mechanisms and implications for the carbon cycle. Limnology & Oceanography. article link
Brankovits, D., Little, S.N., Winkler, T.S., Tamalavage, A.E., Mejía-Ortíz, L.M., Maupin, C.R., Yáñez-Mendoza, G. and van Hengstum, P.J. (2021) Changes in organic matter deposition can impact benthic marine meiofauna in karst subterranean estuaries. Frontiers in Environmental Science 9, 157. article link
Brankovits, D. & Pohlman, J.W. (2020) Methane oxidation dynamics in a karst subterranean estuary. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 277, 320-333. article link
Brankovits, D., Pohlman, J., Ganju, N.K., Iliffe, T., Lowell, N., Roth, E., Sylva, S., Emmert, J., Lapham, L. (2018) Hydrologic controls of methane dynamics in karst subterranean estuaries. Global Biogeochemical Cycles 32, 1759-1775. article link
Brankovits, D., Pohlman, J.W., Niemann, H., Leigh, M.B., Leewis, M.-C., Becker, K.W., Iliffe, T.M., Alvarez, F., Lehmann, M.F., Phillips, B. (2017) Methane- and dissolved organic carbon-fueled microbial loop supports a tropical subterranean estuary ecosystem. Nature Communications 8, 1835. article link
Beyond Academia
Check out this video about the effects of storms on coastal cave ecosystems! My science communication and public outreach activities include science videos, popular science presentations, interviews for multiple media outlets, contributions to an award winning nature documentary, and collaborations with educational organizations that serve the public (e.g., Moody Gardens Aquarium and the Harvard National History Museum).
Education
Ph.D.: Marine Biology. 2017. Texas A&M University at Galveston.
M.S.: Biology. 2009. Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest.
Gallery
