The Johnson Lab explores the diversity, structure and functioning of marine microbial ecosystems. We are interested in understanding how microbial genetic diversity is related to and influences the functioning of marine ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles. We primarily study phytoplankton and other phototrophs, which are single-celled plants that dominate primary production in the open ocean. But, more generally we are interested in the regulation and dynamics of the greater marine microbial community. Our
current research focuses on the ecology and diversity of
Prochlorococcus, bacteriochlorophyll-containing marine microbes and iron-limitation of photosynthesis. We are part of the
Department of Oceanography at the
University of Hawaii, Manoa.
Selected Recent Publications
Johnson ZI and Sheldon TL (2007) A high-throughput method to measure photosynthesis-irradiance curves of phytoplankton. Limnology and Oceanography: Methods 5, 417-424.
Hiscock MR, Lance VP, Apprill AM, Bidigare RR, Johnson ZI, Mitchell BG, Smith WO, Barber RT (2008) Photosynthetic maximum quantum yield increases are an essential component of the Southern Ocean phytoplankton response to iron PNAS 105, 4775-4780.
Johnson ZI, Zinser ER, Coe A, McNulty NP, Woodward EMS, Chisholm SW. (2006) Niche partitioning among Prochlorococcus ecotypes along ocean-scale environmental gradients Science 311, 1737-1740.
Lindell D, Jaffe JD, Johnson ZI, Church GM, Chisholm SW (2005)
Photosynthesis genes in marine viruses yield proteins during host infection. Nature 438, 86-89.
Coale K, K Johnson, F Chavez, K Buesseler, R Barber, M Brzezinski, W Cochlan, F Millero, P Falkowski, J Bauer, R Wanninkhof, R Kudela, M Altabet, B Hales, T Takahashi, M Landry, R Bidigare, X Wang, Z Chase, P Strutton, G Friederich, M Gorbunov, V Lance, A Hilting, M Hiscock, M Demarest, W Hiscock, F Sullivan, S Tanner, R Gordon, C Hunter, V Elrod, S Fitzwater, J Jones, S Tozzi , M Koblizek, A Roberts, J Herndon, J Brewster, N Ladizinsky , G Smith, D Cooper, D Timothy, S Brown, K Selph, C Sheridan, B Twining, Z Johnson (2004) Southern Ocean Iron Enrichment Experiment: Carbon Cycling in High- and Low- Si Waters. Science 304, 408-414.
Full list of publications
