Nutrient Cycles and Chemical Analytics

Research group of Tobias Goldhammer

We are an interdisciplinary team of geoscientists, ecologists, chemists, and lab experts. Our work revolves around on the following topics:

Biogeochemical cycles of carbon and other elements in aquatic ecosystems – with a particular focus on nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen, as well as iron and sulfur
Dynamics and long-term development of chemical water quality in rivers and lakes under global change
Applications of stable isotopes of light elements (CHNOS) and analytical innovation in water and environmental chemistry
Data- and earth observation-based approaches for water quality monitoring in large-scale aquatic networks

We are also the Chemical Analytics and Biogeochemistry Lab (CAB Lab) of IGB with a large analytical infrastructure that we deploy in many collaborative projects.

The Demnitz Mill Creek is a low land catchment where we conduct long-term monitoring programmes on biogeochemical cycles and nutrient balances. (Photo: T. Goldhammer)

Some cyanobacteria have extraordinary mechanisms for storing and releasing phosphorus (P). As a result, they can play a significant role in the aquatic P cycle. In incubation experiments, we illustrate how the adaptation to P deficiency and excess functions (Jentzsch et al., 2024).

The Spree River is the most important river in northeastern Germany and has been significantly impacted by multiple disturbances in its catchment, particularly by lignite mining in the Lusatian district. We study the long-term development of water quality in the Spree and the complications arising from substantial inputs of iron and sulfur into natural biogeochemical cycles. (Photo: T. Goldhammer)

In the summer of 2022, the Oder River was affected by a massive fish kill, triggered by a toxic algal bloom that was enabled through a fatal combination of salinization, drought, and high water temperatures. We use satellite data to monitor chlorophyll concentrations across the river and connected water bodies on a large scale, documenting the development of algal blooms. (Illustration: Paula Torre)

Team