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Ecosystem Science  |  Biogeochemistry  |  Isotope Ecology

David Brankovits, PhD

Guest Investigator
Department of Geology & Geophysics

Marie Curie Fellow
National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Water Research Institute (IRSA), Group: MEG

Contact Information:
david.brankovits@gmail.com
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 Marie Curie Fellow at CNR-IRSA (learn more).

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

Full list of publications

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.

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