Project Grant 2618679

The National Science Foundation Division of Ocean Sciences awarded $1.470458 million to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego on September 1, 2026, under the Geosciences program to develop new analytical methods for measuring selenium species in seawater, conduct laboratory experiments investigating phytoplankton selenium uptake and bioavailability across different environmental conditions, and perform field observations to quantify microbial and phytoplankton processes controlling selenium uptake, transformation, and retention in the ocean. The recipient will employ isotope dilution methods, isotopic tracer experiments, and targeted field observations to determine how different phytoplankton groups and microbial communities use organic and inorganic forms of selenium. The work addresses key knowledge gaps in marine selenium cycling needed to improve global ocean selenium models and will advance understanding of selenium's role in ocean ecosystem health, human nutrition, mercury accumulation in marine food webs, and harmful algal blooms. The project will train one postdoctoral researcher and two graduate students and provide research opportunities for undergraduate interns, with team participation in education and outreach activities. Performance occurs in La Jolla, California, with a period of performance from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2029.