Program Leadership
Craig Carlson, Program Director and Co-Principal Investigator
Carlson is the Director and President of ASU BIOS. As the Program Director of BIOS-SCOPE, Carlson oversees the overall science plan to ensure that the research carried out is effective in its cross-disciplinary and integrative approach.
Research Teams
| Institution | Role | Expertise | |
|---|---|---|---|
ASU BIOS | |||
 | Leocadio Blanco-Bercial [email protected] Blanco-Bercial's research seeks to elucidate how eukaryotic diversity is generated, maintained, and structured in the open ocean, and to integrate these dimensions of diversity into ocean biogeochemical models. As part of BIOSSCOPE, he examines the contribution of planktonic fungi to organic carbon transformations across the water column, from the epipelagic to the bathypelagic ocean. | Investigator | Zooplankton-microbial Community Interactions |
 | Craig Carlson [email protected] Carlson is the Director and President at BIOS. He is the Science Director of the BIOS-SCOPE Program, in charge of assembling the collaborative science team, developing the science plan, management structure, and overseeing the planning and coordinating of all science operations of the project. He leads a research group in Microbial Oceanography focused on the role that marine microbes play in the cycling of elements through oceanic dissolved organic matter (DOM) and the biogeochemical significance of DOM in the marine carbon cycle. | Director of ASU BIOS and BIOS-SCOPE; Co-Principal Investigator | Microbial ecology and interactions with DOM biogeochemistry |
 | Jessica Godfrey [email protected] Molecular Microbiology and Mycoplankton Ecology | Research Support | Oceanography |
 | Rod Johnson [email protected] An Assistant Scientist at BIOS, Johnson is a physical oceanographer who manages and serves and Co-PI for both BATS and the Hydrostation ‘S’ Programs. He is responsible for data integration and CTD processing and oversees the time-series sampling for BIOS-SCOPE on BATS cruises. | Data Processing and Integration | Physical Oceanography |
 | Amy Maas [email protected] An Associate Scientist at BIOS, Maas is studying Zooplankton and nekton biogeochemical roles. Through physiological studies on vertically migrating zooplankton, she is helping to broaden our understanding of the impacts these animals have on the distribution of nutrients and organic matter. | Investigator | Zooplankton-microbial Community Interactions |
 | Claire Medley [email protected] Medley is a time-shared technician responsible for collecting field samples for the BIOS-SCOPE program on BATS cruises. She coordinates with research and logistics specialists for pre-cruise prep and post-cruise sample processing. Medley also assists with streamlining sampling protocols and sample processing. | At-sea Support | Oceanography |
 | Rachel Parsons [email protected] Parsons currently runs the microbial ecology laboratory and the microscopy and image analysis facility at BIOS. As part of BIOS-SCOPE, she conducts research, and facilitates sample analyses, data collection, and manages data streams. She assists with experimental design, and facilitates pre- and post-cruise logistics. Her range of projects includes viral and microbial dynamics at the BATS site, microbial communities in a seasonally anoxic sound, dynamics within microbiomes, and suspended microplastics in ocean time-series. | Investigator | Microbial Oceanography |
 | Nicholas Baetge Baetge is a microbial oceanographer with expertise in organic matter bioavailability, microbial community dynamics, and bio-optical variability. His research integrates field observations, experimental incubations, and satellite remote sensing to investigate how environmental change influences microbial biomass, community composition, activity, and organic matter cycling. Within BIOS-SCOPE, he leads efforts to assess dissolved organic matter (DOM) processing using both classic remineralization assays and continuous-flow marine bioreactors. He also oversees high-resolution underway bio-optical and physiological measurements to contextualize discrete sampling, support satellite ocean color validation, and advance mechanistic understanding of bio-optical relationships. | Principal Investigator | Microbial & Bio-Optical Oceanography |
 | Brett Jameson Jameson is a microbial oceanographer specializing in nitrogen and carbon cycling in oxygen-deficient and mesopelagic ocean zones. Within BIOS-SCOPE, he leads research integrating stable isotope probing (SIP) with genome-resolved metagenomics and metatranscriptomics to trace carbon flow through microbial communities and to construct interaction networks that resolve the metabolic linkages governing community assembly and ecosystem function. | Project Scientist | Microbial Oceanography |
 | Alice Ren Ren is a physical oceanographer and joined ASU BIOS in 2026. She works with data from autonomous vehicles to observe ocean dynamics. | Investigator | Physical Oceanography |
 | Dom Smith [email protected] A sea-going technician at BIOS, Smith assists in collecting field samples for the BIOS-SCOPE program on BATS cruises. He assists Johnson with data integration and CTD processing. Smith also coordinates with research and logistics specialists for pre-cruise prep and post-cruise sample processing. | At-sea Support | Oceanography |
 | Kevin Vergin [email protected] Vergin is an experienced data analyst with a demonstrated history of working in the academic research industry. He is skilled in computer programming (Unix, Python, R), molecular biology, and microbiology with two M.S. degrees from Oregon State University. He is using his skills in molecular biology and computational analysis to assist BIOS-SCOPE investigators with bioinformatics from large scale time-series studies to small scale metagenomics. | Visiting Scholar | Bioinformatics |
 | Krista Longnecker Data management, organization, and analysis | BIOS affiliate | Data Management |
Oregon State University | |||
 | Stephen Giovannoni [email protected] Giovannoni is a Distinguished Professor at Oregon State University in the Department of Microbiology and Adjunct Faculty at BIOS with a focus on Microbial Cell Biology and Evolution. He conducts and supervises research focused on culturing new types of cells and identifying new and significant mechanisms of dissolved organic matter oxidation in microbial plankton, both in controlled laboratory experiments and in the field. | Co-Principal Investigator | Microbial Oceanography |
 | Benjamin Daniels Metabolomics, carbon cycling, transcriptomics | Graduate student | Microbiology |
 | Qi Chen Bacterial metabolome | Postdoctoral scholar | Microbiology |
 | Fabian Wittmers Microbial evolution & ecology | Postdoctoral scholar | Microbial Ecology |
 | Ed Davis Davis is at the Microbial Ecology Consultant Center for Quantitative Life Sciences at Oregon State University, and serves as a consultant within the BIOS-SCOPE project. | Consultant | Microbial Ecology |
University of California Santa Barbara | |||
 | Elisa Halewood [email protected] Halewood manages the Carlson Microbial Oceanography Lab at UCSB, and specializes in dissolved organic matter analysis and microbial ecology. She provides research, administrative and logistics support for the BIOS-SCOPE project and is a member of the data management team. | Research Support & Project Management | Microbial Oceanography |
 | Keri Opalk [email protected] Opalk is a laboratory technician at UCSB and responsible for DOM analysis. She is also developing a real-time analysis of DOC in live, incubating seawater samples. | Research Support | Chemical Oceanography |
 | Rachel Sandquist [email protected] Sandquist joined the Carlson Microbial Oceanography group in Fall 2022 and is a graduate student with the Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Marine Science at UCSB. As part of the BIOS-SCOPE team she will be taking part in cruises and investigating heterotrophic bacterioplankton communities and their role in the biogeochemical cycling of dissolved organic matter. | Graduate Student | Microbial Oceanography |
 | Lillian Henderson Henderson currently works as a joint post-doc with the Carlson Lab at UCSB. Her focus is production and alteration of marine organic matter; contributions of nitrifying archaea and bacteria to biogeochemical cycling. | Postdoctoral scholar | Marine Biogeochemistry |
Kean University | |||
 | Shuting Liu [email protected] Liu moved on from her post-doctoral research at UCSB in 2022 to join the faculty at Kean University as an Assistant Professor, and remains a collaborator and contributor to the BIOS-SCOPE project. Her research focuses on microbial (bacteria, fungi) degradation and transformation of organic matter in seawater. She combines cutting-edge techniques in microbial ecology, marine chemistry, and molecular microbiology to assess the linkages between microbial processes and the ability of specific lineages to respond to model compounds and natural organic matter that spans a range of lability. She uses these techniques to evaluate the mechanisms of organic matter decomposition and its role in the marine carbon and nitrogen cycles. | Investigator | Microbial Oceanography |
University of Chicago/Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole | |||
 | Rachele Spezzano Spezzano is a University of Chicago graduate student in the Worden Lab who is interested in how marine microbial communities contribute to particle degradation. In her research she uses a variety of tools - including amplicon-based community profiling, metagenomics for functional potential, and flow cytometry - alongside close collaborations to investigate how microbes mediate the transformation of organic matter. | Doctoral Student | Microbial Oceanography |
 | Alexandra Z. Worden [email protected] Worden is a Senior Scientist at MBL and Professor of Geophysical Sciences at the University of Chicago who is interested in quantifying activities of microbes and their long-term fate, with a focus on photosynthetic cells. This requires mechanistic understanding of interactions with non-photosynthetic prokaryotes, viruses, and predators. Her lab also develops new methodologies for pursing these activities and interactions in the wild. Within BIOSSCOPE her group leverages close collaborative research with other teams to develop deep understanding of overall ecosystem dynamics in the subtropical ocean. | Investigator | Molecular Evolution and Ecology |
 | Jacqui Comstock Comstock joined the Worden lab at MBL in 2026 after completing her PhD at UCSB. Her current research interests focus on the relationship between photosynthetic eukaryotes and bacterioplankton at BATS. This extends from her background in characterizing particle-associated microbial communities and particle degradation. | Postdoctoral scholar | Microbial Oceanography |
 | Nicole Dames Dames performed her Ph.D. at the University of Cape Town (SA) and moved to the Worden lab in 2025 where she is a postdoctoral researcher. She is interested in studying archaeal ecology and seasonal dynamics at BATS, from rare biosphere members to the most ubiquitous and abundant marine archaea and uses methods ranging from molecular diversity studies, to metagenomics, transcriptomics, and statistics, to understand these dynamics. | Postdoctoral scholar | |
University of Exeter | |||
 | Luis Bolaños [email protected] Bolaños is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Exeter. He is a bioinformatician specialized on high-throughput -omics analysis. His research interests focus on investigating the long-term ecological and evolutionary processes that shape microbial marine ecosystems. Within BIOS-SCOPE, Luis contributes to the analysis of amplicon and metagenomic data. He has provided support in both field and laboratory work. | Postdoctoral Research Fellow | Bioinformatics |
Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, Univ. of Miami | |||
 | Hilary Close [email protected] Close is an Associate Professor at RSMAS where she leads a research group focused on marine organic and isotope geochemistry. The Close Lab is working to clarify the roles of microbes and zooplankton in the production, degradation, and physical distribution of particulate organic matter in the water column. Research efforts within BIOS-SCOPE focus on identifying chemical and isotopic signatures of distinct microbial metabolisms and zooplankton contributions within particle size classes. | Investigator | Marine Biogeochemistry |
 | Dailen Jeng Jeng is a graduate student in the Close Lab at RSMAS, where he investigates chemical characterization of particulate organic matter. | Graduate student | Marine Biogeochemistry |
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) | |||
 | Elizabeth Kujawinski [email protected] Kujawinski is Senior Scientist at WHOI where she leads the Molecular Environmental Science Lab, a research group focused on the characterization of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in different aquatic environments and the effect of abiotic and biotic processes on DOM composition in the oceans. Her group studies the distributions and dynamics of dissolved organic molecules in the ocean. They have developed methods that uniquely provide information on small polar molecules produced and consumed by microorganisms. These molecules, or metabolites, participate in the numerous interactions within microbial communities and underpin the ocean carbon cycle. Together with BIOSSCOPE colleagues, the Kujawinski lab seeks to understand the molecular mechanisms that link microbes and molecules within the ocean ecosystem. | Investigator | Marine Metabolomics |
 | Irina Koester Koester is a postdoctoral investigator at WHOI whose research focuses on the diel and seasonal dynamics of marine dissolved metabolites. | Postdoctoral Scholar | Marine Metabolomics |
 | Natalie Graham Graham supports metabolomic sample collection and processing. Her primary focus is on the labile organic carbon used and produced by microbial communities in the oligotrophic oceans. | Research Technician | Marine Metabolomics |
 | Brianna M. Garcia Garcia is a Postdoctoral Investigator at WHOI. She is an analytical chemist specialized in metabolomics tools. Her research interests focus on understanding chemical-microbial interactions in marine ecosystems. Within BIOS-SCOPE, Brianna contributes to the collection and analysis of dissolved organic matter samples using high resolution mass spectrometry-based metabolomics. She has provided support in both field and laboratory work. | Postdoctoral Scholar | Marine Metabolomics |
 | Paloma Lopez [email protected] Lopez is a research associate with the Saito research group. | Research Support | Marine Bioinorganic Chemistry |
 | Matt McIlvin [email protected] McIlvin is a research specialist with the Saito research group. | Research Support | Marine Bioinorganic Chemistry |
 | Mak Saito [email protected] Saito specializes in microbial protein dynamics, biogeochemistry, and bioinorganic chemistry. The Saito Laboratory studies the interactions between metals and microbial life using a combination of cutting-edge analytical chemistry and proteomic technologies. | Investigator | Marine Bioinorganic Chemistry |
 | Melissa Soule [email protected] Soule is the FT-MS Facility Manager and a Research Specialist in the Kujawinski research group at WHOI who specializes in marine metabolomics and mass spectrometry. | Research Support | Marine Metabolomics |
 | Yuting Zhu [email protected] A postdoctoral investigator at WHOI, Yuting Zhu’s research is focused on the cycling of marine dissolved metabolites. Her current work investigates the use of phytoplankton-derived organic matter by marine bacteria. | Postdoctoral Scholar | Marine Metabolomics |
Technical University Berlin | |||
 | Falk Eigemann [email protected] Eigemann is a postdoc at the Technical University of Berlin in the group of Ferdi Hellweger. He is interested in microbial interactions, and constraining models. His current work involves modelling carbon fluxes across multiple trophic levels at BATS. | Postdoctoral Scholar | Marine Microbial Interactions, Modeling |
 | Ferdi Hellweger [email protected] Hellweger is Professor of Water Quality Engineering at the Technical University of Berlin. He is interested in using mathematical models to understand microbial ecology. Specifically for BATS, he is applying the FluxNet inference method to develop dynamic carbon flux networks for the microbial community. In another project he is evaluating the correlations between phylogenetic distance and fitness differences of microbial populations at BATS. | Computational Scholar | Microbial Ecology, Mathematical Modeling |
Affiliates | |||
 | Viktoria Steck - GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Steck is a Junior Research Group Leader at GEOMAR and studies the biochemistry of marine metalloenzymes, microbial transformations of dissolved organic matter, enzyme activity assays, and proteomics. | Affiliate | |