Katherine Richardson Christensen
Vice Dean, Professor in Biological Oceanography

Current position:

Professor in Biological Oceanography and Vice Dean for Public Outreach, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Tagensvej 16, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark (since 1 February 2007)
Adj. Professor in Biological Oceanography, University of Aarhus

Telephone: +45 35 32 4285
Fax: + 45 35 32 4220
Mobil: +45 28 75 4285
Email: kari@science.ku.dk  

Research Profile:

The overall focus of my research is the identification and quantification of factors influencing the flow of energy and material (especially carbon and nitrogen) in pelagic ecosystems. Most of my research has been on marine plankton (primarily phytoplankton). However, I have also studied higher trophic levels such as fish (both larvae and adults) and even harbour porpoises. Research foci include the

• Climatic control of marine ecological processes, including predicting the influence of climate change on aquatic productivity, quantifying the role of biological processes in ocean uptake of atmospheric CO₂ and how changes in ocean conditions influence the strength of the biological pump.
  
• The effect of physical/chemical conditions on biodiversity and size distribution of phytoplankton and
  
• The relationship between phytoplankton distributions and water column stability with special interest in phytoplankton blooms and hydrographic features;
  
• The relative seasonal primary production potential in different physical regimes and the relationship of this production to biogeochemical cycling and fisheries;

In 2006-2007, I led the largest project on a round-the world cruise (www.galathea3.dk) with participation of researchers from 4 Danish research institutes where our research aim was to develop a global picture of carbon flow in surface waters of the ocean as well at CO₂ exchange between the ocean and the atmosphere. The project is endorsed by international project, IMBER (Integrated Marine Biogeochemistry and Ecosystem Research, www.imber.info). Until the Galathea cruise, most of my research has been carried out in the North Sea, Skagerrak, Kattegat, North Atlantic and Greenland Seas. In 2009, I was Chairman of the Scientific Steering Committee for a large international scientific conference, CLIMATECHANGE: Global Risks, Challenges and Decisions (www.climatecongress.ku.dk).

Education:

Ph.D. (1980) University of North Wales, U.K. (Carried out while on a Marshall Fellowship from the U.K.)
Thesis: The Role of Dissolved Organic Material in the Nutrition and Survival of Marine Dinoflagellates. (Supervisors: Prof. G.E. Fogg, FRS; Dr. I.A.N. Lucas).
B.A. (1976-magna cum laude) Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
Graduated (1972) from Yarmouth High School, Yarmouth, Maine.

Employment:

February 1, 2002 - 31 January 2007 Pro-rector, Aarhus University

May, 1998 - Professor, Biological Oceanography, Aarhus University

Sept. 1996 - May, 1998: Research Director of Department of Marine and Coastal Ecology, Danish Institute for Fisheries Research

Jan. 1988 - Aug. 1996: Head of Department of Marine and Coastal Ecology, Danish Institute for Fisheries Research.

June, 1983 - Jan. 1988: Biologist, Danish Institute for Fisheries and Marine Research.

Jan. 1982 - June, 1983: Post-doctoral fellow on contract to Prof. J. A. Raven, University of Dundee, Scotland.

Oct. - Dec. 1981: Computing and data analysis on contract to the Unit of Coastal and Estuarine Studies, University of Wales, U.K.

Feb.-May, 1981: European Scientific Exchange Fellow at the Department of Plant Physiology, University of Umeå, Sweden (sponsored by the Royal Society, London).

Oct. 1979 - Oct. 1981: Demonstrator in Marine Biology, University College of North Wales, Menai Bridge, U.K.

Work-related posts:

International:

2007 - European Research Council (ERC); Chairman Evaluation Panel PE 8 (Earth System Science) Starting Grants

2006 -2007: Member Scientific Advisory Board: Bjørn Carlson Stiftelse, Stockholm, Sweden, Appointed by the Royal Scientific Academy in Sweden.

2005 - 2008: Member, Scientific Advisory Committee Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research, Texel.

2005 - 2009: Member of EUROCEANS (EU Network of Excellence) steering committee

2005-2006: Board Member: NORDFORSK

2004 - 2007: Member, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Austria.

2004 - Member, Scientific Advisory Panel Leibniz - Institut für Meereswissenschaften, Germany.

2004 - 2009: Member, Scientific Advisory Council Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK.

2003 - 2008: Member ERASMUS MUNDUS Selection Committee

2002 - 2006 Member (vice-president), Scientific Committee, European Environmental Agency.

2001 - 2007: Vice President ESF (European Science Foundation)

1999 - 2004: Member IGBP (International Geosphere Biospere Program) Scientific Committee

1998 - 2004 Member, Board of Trustees, ICLARM (International Center for Living Aquatic resource Management), Penang, Malaysia.

Jan. 1998 - 2001 Member, Living Marine Resources Panel, Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS)

1996 - 1999 Member, Nordisk Forskningspolitisk Råd (Nordisk FPR)

1995 - 1998 Member of Executive Council European Ocean Board (ESF)

1992 - 1996: Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Marine Environment (ACME) - International Council for Exploration of the Seas (ICES)

1988 - 1992: Member of the Advisory Committee on Marine Pollution (ACMP) (ICES).
1988 - 1998: Member Biological Oceanography Committee, ICES
(Chairman 1989 - 1992)

1985 - 1989: Chairman, ICES Working Group on Phytoplankton Ecology

1983: Lecturer on a UNESCO course on phytoplankton productivity (Santiago, Chile).

Denmark:

2008: Chairman for the Danish Government's Climate Commission

2007 - Member of the Board, Aage V. Jensen Natur Fond, Copenhagen

2006 - Chairman Steering Committee for "Blue Reef project" an EU supported nature restoration project in the ocean.

2005 - Chairman Advisory group to the Danish Education Minister on the reform of gymnasium education

2005 - Member of the Board: Danish Fund for Advanced Technology (Højteknologifond)

2004 - 2005: Chairman Karakterkommission (Commission for examining the grading scale used in Danish education)

2000 - 2002 Vice Chairman, Danish Council for Research Education

2000 - 2001 Vice Chairman, Wilhjelmudvalget (Committee to propose to the Danish Government an action plan for meeting the commitments of the Biodiversity Convention)

May 1997 - 2002 Adjunct Professor (Roskilde University)

1996 - 2003: Member, The Danish Research Council (Danmarks Forskningsråd): Vice chairman 1996 - 2002; Chairman: 2002 - 2003

1995 - 1996: Chairman, Working group responsible for preparing input concerning Natural Sciences to the Danish national research strategy

1995 - 1996: Chairman of the Danish Research Council for the Natural Sciences ("Statens Naturvidenskabelige Forskningsråd")

1993: Consultant for Øresundskonsortiet

1992 - 2002: Member of Research Council for Developing Countries("Rådet for Ulandsforskning". Udenrigsministeriet)

1992 - 1993: Member of a Danish/Swedish Committee to recommend a monitoring program to record any environmental effects of the Bridge over the Øresund.

1991 - 1995: Member Research Council for the Natural Sciences ("Statens Naturvidenskabelige Forskningsråd")

1991 - 2006: Member of Board of Directors, Danish Environmental Research Institute (Danmarks Miljøundersøgelser)

1991 - 1996: Member of advisory board to the Environmental Ministry's Marine Research Program 90

1991 - 1996: Chairman, Subgroup on Marine and Freshwater. Strategic Environment Research Program ("Strategisk Miljøforskningsprogram")

1991: Member of "Expert panel". Consensus Conference on nitrogen and phosphorus in the aquatic environment

1990 - present: Member of diverse steering groups for International scientific Meetings and Evaluation Groups

1989 - present: Member of "Miljøklagenævnet"

Teaching and supervision at the University level:

1984 - 1998: Guest lecturer in phytoplankton ecology and biological oceanography, University of Copenhagen; external examiner for a number of Ph.D. and Masters Degree examinations at the University of Copenhagen and other Scandinavian Universities; External supervisor for 4 PhD students (Danish Technical University and the University of Wales, UK) and several Masters students (University of Copenhagen).

Since 1998, teaching and graduate student supervision have been a part of my official job responsibilities the University of Aarhus and I have, in that time, supervised or co-supervised

• 8 PhD candidates (one still in progress) and
• > 25 Masters students.

I have had responsibility for the development and execution of undergraduate courses (and examinations) on the following topics:

• Phytoplankton Physiology
• Biodiversity
• Dynamics of the open ocean (biological oceanography)

In addition, I have been a contributing lecturer/examiner in courses on.

• Marine biology
• Marine Ecology
• Microbial Ecology and
• Environmental Studies

I have received no formal pedagogical training. However, student evaluation of my teaching has been uniformly positive. Copies of these evaluations are on file at the Dept. of Biology, University of Aarhus.

Public outreach:

Lectures: I am frequently invited to give lectures on my research for scientific and non-scientific gatherings (> 50 per year in recent years). My non-scientific audiences range from school children to political fora and formal gatherings. Highlights in 2009 include speaking at a high level briefing at the UN, a Globe International Meeting in the Senate in Rome and at a briefing of Members of the EU Parliament.

Press and Electronic media: I frequently give interviews to the press on my research and, especially, climate change related issues..

Popular Science - books and articles: Since 2005, I have authored or co-authored the following scientific publications aimed at a general audience:

Richardson, K. 2009. Climate Change and Life on Earth. In: 100 places to remember before they disappear. Co + Life A/S.

Rahmstorf, S. & K. Richardson. 2008. Our Threatened Oceans. Haus Publishing, London.

Richardson, K. 2008. Broer og naturen i danske farvande. In: Landet, vandet og broen. Sund & Bælt Holding, A/S. Copenhagen pp.38-51.

Rahmstorf, S. & K. Richardson 2007. Wie bedroht sind die ozeane? Biologische und physikalische Aspekte. Forum für Verantwortung. Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag 280 pp.

Richardson, K. 2005. Oceaner af vand . In: Viden om Vand. Kaufmann, I. & Keiding, S. R. (eds.). Aarhus Universitetsforlag. 176 pp. (a textbook for gymnasium students)

Richardson, K., Mouritsen, L.T. 2006, "På vej mod et surt hav - udledning af CO2 ændrer verdenshavene", Aktuel Naturvidenskab, vol. 5, s. 4-7.

Lund-Hansen, L.C., M.H. Nielsen, A. Bruhn & K. Richardson. 2005 "Havets græsmark vokser ujævnt - om strøm og algevækst i Lillebælt" Aktuel Naturvidenskab vol 3, 15-18.

Richardson, K., Mouritsen, L.T. & Sørensen, L.L. 2006. The marine carbon cycle from North to South along the Galathea route -an on going project investigating the global carbon cycle. IMBER Update December 2006.

Editorial and Evaluation Activities:

I am a review editor for Marine Ecology Progress Series and review scientific articles on an ad hoc basis for a number of scientific journals including, Marine Ecology Progress Series, Limnology and Oceanography, Deep Sea Research, and Journal of Plankton Research. In addition, I am frequently asked to sit on evaluation panels for academic positions, especially for Scandinavian Universities, where there is a requirement of having both genders represented in evaluation panels.

External Funding:

I have consistently since the mid-1990s, maintained external funding (primarily from Danish Research Councils and EU). In total, this funding exceeds 15 million DKK. For most of these grants, I was the responsible grant holder. The largest of these externally funded projects was the Galathea project in 2006-7, with a total of over 6 million DKK from external sources including the Danish Research Council, Villum Kann Rasmussen Foundation, Nordea Foundation and Knud Højgard Foundation. Most recently, I am part of a consortium in a project funded (2007) by the Strategic Research Council of Denmark: Influence of ecological dynamics and climate change on the marine environment in Danish waters. This grant supplies me with funding for a PhD student.

Cruise Participation:

I have participated in >60 research cruises starting in 1975 (RV KNORR - WHOI). From 1979 - 1981, I sailed often aboard the RV Prince Madog (University of Wales) and was chief scientist on a number of occasions. Since 1983, I have participated (often as chief scientist) cruises aboard the Danish Fisheries Research Vessel, Dana. I was responsible for the largest research project on the Danish Galathea3 expedition, was on board for a total of approximately 3 months and was the overall cruise leader on one leg (Sydney to the Solomon Islands, December 2006). In May, 2008, I joined an American team of researchers on the RV KNORR studying plankton-mediated carbon flow in the North Atlantic. In August 2008, I was chief scientist on a cruise aboard RV Dana from Greenland to Denmark examining ocean-atmosphere flux of CO2 and carbon turnover in surface waters.

Publications:

Over 70 publications in or submitted to refereed international journals and books
Over 50 non-reviewed publications

List of publications