Christopher Osburn

Area(s) of Expertise

I am broadly interested in the response of biogeochemical cycles in natural waters to global change. My focus is on organic matter, which forms the basis of the microbial loop, influences the underwater light environment, and can facilitate the transport of metals and contaminants in natural waters. Organic matter is present in nearly every aquatic ecosystem, but my particular emphasis is on the terrestrial aquatic interface. That can range from a small tidal creek in a salt marsh to the transition from river to estuary to shelf in coastal waters. I also am interested in lakes in arid systems, including the Arctic. My research combines multiple geochemical measurements of systems over time and space and uses multivariate statistics to study key drivers of organic matter biogeochemistry in natural waters, arising from extreme weather events, sea level rise, and global warming.