Graduate faculty member

Education

• BS 1977 - Aquatic Biology, Eastern Michigan University
• PhD 1981 - Oceanography, Texas A&M University 

• Biological-optical interactions in the upper ocean
• Phytoplankton pigment biochemistry
• Intermediary metabolism in marine plankton
• Regulation of algal photosynthesis
• Controls on carbon isotopic fractionation by marine phytoplankton
• Pelagic trophodynamics

• OCN 621 - Biological Oceanography
• OCN 626 Microplankton Ecology
• OCN 750 Bio-optical Oceanography

Koblizek, M., O. Béjà, R. R. Bidigare, S. Christensen, B. Benitez-Nelson, C. Vetriani, P. G. Falkowski and Z. Kolber (submitted) Isolation and characterization of Erythrobacter spp. strains from the upper ocean. J. Bact.

Bidigare, R. R., C. Benitez-Nelson, C. L. Leonard, P. D. Quay, M. L. Parsons, D. G. Foley and M. P. Seki (in press) Influence of a cyclonic eddy on microheterotroph biomass and carbon export in the lee of Hawaii. Geophys. Res. Letters.

Kawachi, M., I. Inouye, D. Honda, C. J. O'Kelly, J. C. Bailey, R. R. Bidigare and R. A. Andersen (2002) The Pinguiophyceae classis nova, a new class of photosynthetic stramenopiles whose members produce large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. Phycol. Res., 50 31-47.

Bidigare, R. R., L. Van Heukelem and C. C. Trees. 2002. HPLC phytoplankton pigments: Sampling, laboratory methods, and quality assurance procedures. In Ocean Optics Protocols for Satellite Ocean Color Sensor, Revision 3, Volume 2 (J. Mueller and G. Fargion, Eds.), Chapter 16, NASA Technical Memorandum 2002-210004, pp. 258-268.

Ondrusek, M. E., R. R. Bidigare, K. Waters and D. M. Karl (2001). A predictive model for estimating rates of primary production in the subtropical North Pacific Ocean. Deep-Sea Res. II, 48 1837-1863.

Bidigare, R. R., K. L. Hanson, K. Buesseler, S. G. Wakeham, K. H. Freeman, R. D. Pancost, F. J. Millero, P. Steinberg, B. N. Popp, M. Latasa, M. R. Landry and E. A. Laws (1999) Iron-stimulated changes in 13C fractionation and export by equatorial Pacific phytoplankton: Toward a paleo-growth rate proxy. Paleoceanography, 14 589-595.

Bidigare, R. R. and M. E. Ondrusek. 1996. Spatial and temporal variability of phytoplankton pigment distributions in the central equatorial Pacific Ocean. Deep-Sea Res. II, 43 809-833.

Smith, R. C., B. B. Prezelin, K. S. Baker, R. R. Bidigare, N. Boucher, T. Coley, D. Karentz, S. MacIntyre, H. A. Matlick, D. Menzies, M. E. Ondrusek, Z. Wan and K. Waters (1992) Ozone depletion: Ultraviolet radiation and phytoplankton biology in Antarctic waters. Science, 255 952-959.

Bidigare, R. R., M. C. Kennicutt II, W. L. Keeney-Kennicutt and S. A. Macko (1991) Isolation and purification of chlorophylls a and b for the determination of stable carbon and nitrogen isotope compositions. Anal. Chem., 63 130-133.

Bidigare, R. R., R. C. Smith, K. S. Baker and J. Marra (1987) Oceanic primary production estimates from measurements of spectral irradiance and pigment concentrations. Global Biogeochem. Cycles, 1 171-186.

Research Funding

• National Science Foundation. "Acquisition of a High Performance Sorting Flow Cytometer for Oceanographic and Marine Ecological Research", 1 July 2002 - 30 June 2005. $509,299 (PI: M. R. Landry; Co-PIs: R. R. Bidigare, D. M. Karl, J. C. Leong and G. F. Steward). NSF Award No. OCE-0215817. Project goal: Enumeration of marine microbes. Role: Flow cytometer user.
• National Science Foundation. "Acquisition of a Stable Isotope Mass Spectrometer for Ocean and Earth Science Research", 15 August 2001 - 14 August 2004. $300,000 (PI: B. N. Popp; Co-PIs: C. Benitez-Nelson, R. R. Bidigare, J. Dore and F. Sansone). NSF Award No. 0115958. Project goal: Determination of the stable carbon isotopic compositions of marine microbes. Role: Mass spectrometer user.
• National Science Foundation. "Southern Ocean Iron Experiment (SOFeX): Mesoscale Iron Fertilization Effects on Plankton Community Structure, Phytoplankton Growth and Zooplankton Grazing", 1 July 2001 - 30 June 2004. $500,000 (PI: M. R. Landry; Co-PI: R. R. Bidigare). NSF Award No. OCE-99122301. Project goal: Determination of ecosystem responses to large-scale iron fertilization in the Southern Ocean. Role: Co-PI.
• National Science Foundation. "Controls on Carbon Isotopic Fractionation in Emiliania huxleyi", 1 January 2001 - 31 December 2003. $392,128 (PI: B. N. Popp; Co-PIs: R. R. Bidigare and E. A. Laws). NSF Award No. OCE-0094637. Project goal: Develop a paleo-proxy for reconstructing phytoplankton growth rates in the marine sedimentary record. Role: Co-PI.
• National Science Foundation. "National Science Foundation. "Marine Bioproducts Engineering Center", 1 November 1998 - 31 October 2003.  $12,400,000 (R. R. Bidigare, Director). NSF Award No. EEC-9731725. Project goal: Build the engineering and research foundations required for developing the marine bioproducts industry, which will manufacure products for chemical, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, cosmetic, food, feed and life science industries. Role: PI.
• National Science Foundation. "Special Creativity Extension: The Hawai‘i Ocean Time-series Program: JGOFS Component", 1 August 2001 - 31 July 2003. $1,500,000 (PI: D. M. Karl; Co-PIs: R. R. Bidigare, J. E. Dore and M. R. Landry). NSF Award No. OCE-0129507. Project goal: Assess climate-related changes in phytoplankton community structure in the subtropical North Pacific Ocean. Role: Co-PI.