image: Dr. Ilya Bobrovskiy will establish a research group at MARUM as part of his ERC Starting Grant. Photo: MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, V. Diekamp
Credit: MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, V. Diekamp
The record of environmental changes during this period, which have very likely driven the ecological and evolutionary changes, is stored in sedimentary rocks. "We know that these disturbances took place, but we don't know how big they were, how long they lasted, or what mechanisms triggered them. One of the biggest limitations in interpreting the data is that each sample represents dozens or even hundreds of years of sedimentation and contains a mixture of unevenly preserved remains of organisms that lived during that time," Bobrovskiy's project description states.
In the coming years, he plans to develop methods that combine organic geochemistry, isotope geochemistry, and paleontology to analyze ancient rocks. The project aims to improve understanding of the carbon cycle in ancient habitats to track down the coevolution of life and environments. In addition, the project will aim to identify what exactly were the first complex organisms to populate the oceans that paved the way for the emergence of animals.
“MARUM combines excellent research infrastructure with strong support for early-career researchers. Its close-knit community of research groups in geobiology, marine geochemistry, and Earth system science offers a collaborative environment that aligns closely with my project and provides an ideal setting for developing interdisciplinary perspectives on the coevolution of life and environments, both in deep time and recent Earth history,” says Ilya Bobrovskiy.
“I am very pleased that Ilya chose Bremen. His research addresses one of the most exciting questions in modern biogeosciences – the development of complex life on Earth. He uses state-of-the-art methods in biomarker analysis, which also show enormous potential for our research of marine ecosystems in recent Earth history as part of the Ocean Floor Cluster of excellence," emphasizes Prof. Kai-Uwe Hinrichs, Director of MARUM.
MARUM produces fundamental scientific knowledge about the role of the ocean and the seafloor in the total Earth system. The dynamics of the oceans and the seabed significantly impact the entire Earth system through the interaction of geological, physical, biological and chemical processes. These influence both the climate and the global carbon cycle, resulting in the creation of unique biological systems. MARUM is committed to fundamental and unbiased research in the interests of society, the marine environment, and in accordance with the sustainability goals of the United Nations. It publishes its quality-assured scientific data to make it publicly available. MARUM informs the public about new discoveries in the marine environment and provides practical knowledge through its dialogue with society. MARUM cooperation with companies and industrial partners is carried out in accordance with its goal of protecting the marine environment.