Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences

Education

• B.A., Cum laude in biology, Cornell University, 1980
• Ph.D.,Biological Oceanography, Scripps Institute of Oceanography, Univ. California San Diego,1985

Research Interests

I am interested in factors which affect the distribution of phytoplankton in space and time. This work has focused on coccolithophores, which are one of the main sources of calcium carbonate on the globe. More recently, we have focused on algal viruses as well as physical processes that move phytoplankton cells through the mixed layer. My studies have crossed interdisciplinary lines in 4 areas:

Biocalcification - My laboratory has been studying the factors which regulate biocalcification. This has involved considerable time at sea and in the laboratory. We are synthesizing surveys of calcification in the equatorial Pacific, Arabian Sea, North Atlantic and Gulf of Maine. We have upcoming expeditions planned to the equatorial Pacific, and will maintain an active measurement program in the Gulf of Maine.

Bio-optics - These studies have focused on the bio-optical impact of suspended calcite in seawater and remote sensing algorithms used to quantify calcium carbonate concentrations from space. Since 1998 we have maintained an active field program in the Gulf of Maine involving a comprehensive time series of hydrographic, biological, optical and chemical properties. We also are participating in the U.K. Atlantic Meridional Transect program to test calcite algorithms in a wider variety of oceanic environments.

Primary Production Algorithms - My laboratory has been involved in studying new ways to estimate primary production and calcification from space using remote measurements of ocean color, sea surface temperature, and light.

Algal viruses - We have been performing laboratory experiments on the optical impact of viral infection of marine bacteria and phytoplankton. While viruses on their own have little optical impact, the infection process has profound optical impact as micron-sized cells are converted to submicron particles.

Selected Publications (PDF - 25 kb)

Datasets

• The Balch Pigment Data dataset is available via anonymous FTP from ftp://alpha2.bigelow.org/pub/balchdata/rel04.
• The Balch Gulf of Maine ferry dataset is available from the NASA SeaBass web site http://seabass.gsfc.nasa.gov/.

Discography

• Page, Bob, B. Balch, P. Collins, D. Creeden, D. Page, and J. Tukey. 1996. Bob Page Project II - Blues in Dixieland. Produced by Aleck Janoulis. Recorded at R. W. Studio. Hottrax Records 5125-60004-2, Atlanta, GA.
• Page, R., B. Balch, P. Collins, L. McAuslin, D. Page, and J. Tukey. 1998. Cash is a problem. Recorded and mixed at Rosewood Studio, Bremen, ME. Jump & Shout Records JASR 1001, Atlanta, GA.

Contact bbalch@bigelow.org or see www.mainejazz.net for more information on Barney's jazz activities.