Chiara Borsellino

Email: C.Borsellino@uea.ac.uk

ORCiD

Profile

I have a master degree in Marine Biology and Ecology and a bachelor in Marine Environmental sciences. I worked for 2 years in an Experimental Oceanography and Marine Ecology laboratory in Italy where I also carried out my Master thesis on the Analysis of the Escherichia coli dynamics in Civitavecchia bathing areas using the multi-platform coastal observing system C-CEMS (Civitavecchia-Coastal Environment Monitoring System). During the last year I worked as a volunteer in the Plymouth Marine Laboratory.

Current Research

Understanding the flows of carbon through the shelf seas using cutting edge sampling systems and analysis technique.

The dissolved organic matter (DOM) in seawater forms an important and poorly understood component of marine biogeochemistry. DOM in UK coastal waters is supplied by rivers and groundwater, from offshore waters and also generated by internal biogeochemical cycling.  DOM cycling contributes to carbon sinks within coastal waters and as DOM is exported offshore. (Thomas et al., 2004, Engel et al., 2004, Passow and Carlson, 2012).  DOM also represents an important short term store of nutrients which can be regenerated on timescales of weeks to months. DOM characterisation is also required for the interpretation of satellite data (Cao and Miller, 2015). Thus DOM cycling in coastal waters is an important component of coastal biogeochemical and relevant to the CEFAS Science and Evidence strategy.

This UEA CEFAS studentship will involve:

1. Further analysis of the Smartbuoy archive for DOM  to derive complete seasonal cycles at all the North Sea Smartbuoy sites.

2. Use of fluorescent characterisation of the DOM (EEM-PARAFAC) to discriminate DOM sources in coastal waters.

3. The LOCATE programme will study the estuarine behaviour of terrestrial DOM, focussing on three estuaries in Scotland, Wales and S.W. England.

4. Develop policy advice around the management of DOM and its implications in UK coastal waters.

Publications

- Zappalà, G., Caruso, G., Bonamano, S., Madonia, A., Piermattei, V., Martellucci, R., Di Cicco, A., Pannocchi, A., Stefanì, C., Borsellino, C. and Marcelli, M. (2016). A multi-platform approach to marine environment assessment in Civitavecchia (Rome) area, Journal of Operational Oceanography.

- Bonamano, S., Madonia, A., Borsellino, C., Stefanì, C., Caruso, G., De Pasquale, F., … & Marcelli, M. (2015). Modeling the dispersion of viable and total Escherichia coli cells in the artificial semi-enclosed bathing area of Santa Marinella (Latium, Italy). Marine Pollution Bulletin.

Conferences

- Analysis of the Escherichia coli dynamics in Civitavecchia bathing areas using the multi-platform coastal observing system C-CEMS (Civitavecchia-Coastal Environment

Monitoring System. General Assembly 2015 of European Geosciences Union, Vienna,

Austria (12-17 April 2015).

- The Civitavecchia Coastal Environment Monitoring System (C-CEMS): an integrated

approach to the study of coastal oceanographic processes. General Assembly 2015 of European Geosciences Union, Vienna, Austria (12-17 April 2015).

- Modeling the fate of faecal bacteria in near-shore coastal waters. 40 th CIESM Congress, Marseille, France (28 Oct-1 Nov 2013).

Supervisor

Dr Martin Johnson