Dr. Pedro Echeveste, current researcher at the Millennium Institute of Oceanography (IMO), received funding from the National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development (Fondecyt) to carry out an important study entitled “Iron (Fe) Limitation in the Humboldt Current (HC).”
The context of Dr. Echeveste’s research is marine primary production, a key element in the functioning of the Earth, affecting the global carbon cycle and the air-sea CO2 exchange. In Dr. Echeveste’s own words, the aim of the study is to analyze the effects of iron limitation on the natural microbial communities of the HC through an analysis of the changes in growth, physiology, biochemistry, molecular activity and composition of those communities.
Marine phytoplankton, tiny plant organisms tossed back and forth by the currents, carry out photosynthesis, sustain aquatic life and require substantial quantities of certain nutrients, mainly nitrogen and phosphorus, but also smaller quantities of other nutrients such as Fe for primary production.
In this regard, Dr. Echeveste points out: “Iron represents an essential micronutrient because it plays a role in the functioning of specific enzymatic systems that allow the metabolic activity of phytoplankton. Globally, primary production in about 30% of the world’s oceans is limited by the bioavailability of Fe. The arrival of Fe on the ocean’s surface is principally caused by atmospheric deposition and upwelling currents, while coastal areas may also receive a great amount from rivers.”
One of the main characteristics of the HC is the fertilizing effect of coastal upwelling currents, cold and nutrient-rich waters responsible for a high biological productivity. Dr. Echeveste also emphasizes: “This upwelling is naturally rich in CO2 and low in pH (more acidic), as well as anoxic (low in oxygen), all of which affect the solubility of Fe and its bioavailability in surface waters. Along the Chilean Coast, Fe can significantly limit phytoplankton growth, affecting the carbon cycle and ocean productivity.”
Before focusing on research, Dr. Echeveste obtained a degree in Biology at the University of Navarra, Spain, in 2003 and he did a Master’s in Climate Risks and Environmental Impact at the National Institute for Meteorology, Spain, in 2004. After a brief but intense period carrying out research at the Finnish Forest Research Institute, Finland, Dr. Echeveste began his doctoral studies at The Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies, Spain, under the supervision of Professor Susana Agustí. His doctoral thesis, focusing on the effects of persistent organic pollutants and trace metals in cultured and natural communities of marine phytoplankton, was finished in 2011, when he was awarded his doctorate.
In 2012 he joined the Federal University of São Carlos, Brazil, as a postdoc, where he analyzed the biochemical and physiological effects of copper and cadmium on freshwater phytoplankton under the supervision of Prof. Ana Teresa Lombardi. Subsequently, Dr. Echeveste continued his postdoctoral activities at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile under the supervision of Prof. Peter von Dassow, analyzing the physiological effects of diverse metals on Emiliania huxleyi, the most widespread calcifying organism in the ocean. Recently, Dr. Echeveste was appointed assistant professor at the University of Antofagasta.
