Dr. Ron Kiene
For Dr. Kiene, the road to marine biology, and particularly biogeochemistry, began with a love for the water in his native Brooklyn, New York. Growing up near the famed Verrazano Bridge, where the Hudson River enters the Atlantic Ocean, marine biology seemed a natural course of study; it wasn’t, however, his first choice of profession. With a baseball scholarship to Saint John’s University in New York, he aspired to become a professional pitcher. "It’s what I REALLY wanted to do, at first. When that didn’t pan out, marine biology came second," he mused. A college course in marine invertebrate zoology convinced him that his initial love of the seas could become a lively career.
With "amazing foresight," according to Dr. Kiene, he combined his major in biology with a minor in chemistry. Not deterred by the extra coursework, he was later to bless the chemistry background that enables him to pursue his current research interests. A chance assignment to the lab of Dr. Doug Capone during graduate school at The State University of New York at Stony Brook gave Dr. Kiene the opportunity to conduct experiments in methane gas production by marsh sediments. "I wound up thinking that this was a pretty neat thing to do," he said. This biologist began to specialize in biogeochemistry.
| The word "biogeochemistry" may raise eyebrows among non-scientists. Simply put, biological and chemical processes together influence our environment. From photosynthesis to the microbial structure of the earth and rocks, chemical processes constantly transform our world. Disciplinary boundaries dissolve in this process; sharp definitions yield to the connectedness of constantly transforming chemistry and biology. "We try to do that all the time," Dr. Kiene stated, "make divisions. We say, ‘This is the bay,’ or ‘This is the ocean,’ but in reality, they’re connected and we can’t separate them; the divisions are always arbitrary." This is particularly true when considering the influence of naturally occurring sulfur or DMS production, which eventually enters the atmosphere. |
 Dr. Ron Kiene (l) and graduate student Brian Jones (r) prepares to deploy quartz tubes to determine the effects of differing ultraviolet light exposures on sulfur compounds. |
A volatile compound, DMS is a naturally occurring sulfur that is produced by plants including microscopic marine algae, and released into the atmosphere. But in today’s world, the natural processes are far outstripped by human production. "Man is doubling, tripling sulfur additions," warned Dr. Kiene. Humans have tipped the delicate balance of sulfur emissions, and there is a balance to be maintained. Sulfur, it turns out, isn’t all bad.
Once sulfur is in the atmosphere, it can oxidize to sulfate, tiny crystals of salt in the atmosphere. The sun shines on this multitude of crystals, and they reflect some of the solar heat, contributing a direct cooling effect to the global climate system. Additionally, these sulfate crystals provide water droplets with a foothold on which to grow, enabling the tiny droplets to form heavier ones, which is how clouds are formed. Clouds can
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have a big impact on climate. So important is the effect of sulfur on the earth’s climate, that meteorologists have recently added the compound’s releases as a factor in their modeling systems, rendering predictions more accurate. Controversy exists as to the best method of calculating the impact of sulfur aerosols in these models, but advances in calculations are being made rapidly. So if sulfur is cooling the atmosphere, what’s all this talk about global warming? The fact remains that carbon dioxide and other human-influenced greenhouse gases are contributing to a potentially devastating greenhouse effect, despite the current presidential administration’s opinion to the contrary "We in the USA are the biggest source of carbon dioxide, per capita, on a global basis—it’s a potential environmental disaster," Dr. Kiene stated. "All projections say sea level will rise rather significantly. What will be the implications for atoll and coastal countries?" Can sulfur play a role in counteracting the effects of global warming? "We have to be very |
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 A lab away from home - Dr. Ron Kiene in his lab set up aboard the R/V Pelican, the vessel he uses to cruise the Gulf of Mexico |
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Understanding the processes through which DMS is produced has taken Dr. Kiene to a range of research sites. To study DMS production in clear, nutrient-poor water, he has recently taken his team of researchers on cruises in the Gulf of Mexico and to the North Atlantic Ocean near Greenland. To study DMS processes in freshwater environments, he has established field sites in the sphagnum peat bogs of Alaska. By contrasting these different field sites and the data they yield, he is trying to determine how significant DMS production is in each system, and what mechanisms controls production in each environment. DMS is not only generated, but through a series of processes it is also consumed or removed from the water or sediments.
Interestingly, peat bogs represent an environment where plant biomass is not particularly degraded; it just keeps building and building. There, DMS is not consumed at a rapid rate, leading to relatively high emissions. Per unit area, the bogs emit as much as the ocean does.
Throw into the mix the effects of ultraviolet (UV) light on the DMS cycle, a new area of research into which Dr. Kiene is delving, and the biogeochemical processes become even more complicated. Ultraviolet light can effect organisms and microbes in clear ocean waters by inhibiting them. At the same time, UV causes a chemical reaction that destroys the DMS. "So we have a complicated interaction there—the ultraviolet is destroying the DMS, but it may also be causing it to be consumed LESS by biology, and produced more," according to Dr. Kiene.
From the small scale of microbes and compounds to the global scale of the world’s atmosphere, Dr. Kiene exemplifies how science crosses boundaries and disciplines. His early studies in chemistry and biology set an example for other aspiring biologists interested in entering the field. "Don’t shy away from the hard courses. Get a good foundation in the natural sciences, mathematics, biology, chemistry and physics," he advises.
And teachers also have a responsibility to make these subjects relevant to the real world. "This may be trivializing it a little, but much of the world around us can be explained by advanced calculus. For example, how NASA calculates where they have to shoot the space shuttle in order to have it meet up with the space station—it’s complicated, but it’s calculus. This kind of relevance to the real world is what would be inspiring to students.
"Informing people that there is a lot of DMS in beer, corn and other foods usually gets their attention and makes the issue of natural sulfur compounds more relevant," Kiene concluded.