Nathan G.

Background

About Nathan G.

Dr. Nathan Garcia is a Project Scientist at the University of California, Irvine in the Department of Earth System Science. His core interests in biology and the environment have driven his expertise in microbial physiology and ecology. His research has benefited from high profile endeavors, colleagues, institutions and support from the National Science Foundation and the UCI Chancellor's ADVANCE Postdoctoral Program. He has over 20 publications describing how phytoplankton from tropical, temperate and polar regions utilize carbon and other elements with implications for Earth's climate. At sea, in collaboration with multiple research teams and the Global Ocean Ship-based Hydrographic Investigations Program, he has managed projects that identify relationships between temperature, nutrient supply, microbial growth and genetics. In the laboratory, he combines proteomic and elemental analyses of some of the world's smallest photosynthetic organisms to discover how the environment shapes cellular metabolic pathways to influence global-ocean biogeochemistry. On a global scale, the particular genus of phytoplankton that he studies produce the most oxygen and consume the most carbon dioxide of any genus of organisms on the planet. Through these projects Nathan is a leader in mentoring underrepresented minority students in science career development. Future interests include interactions between the environment and biodiversity. Away from work he loves finding natural art underwater and in the forest.