Professor Michael Krom

Profile

I was originally trained as a geologist/chemist having done my first degree at Queens’ college, Cambridge in Natural Sciences (1968-1971). My present research focuses on biogeochemical processes mainly but not exclusively in the marine environment. I work on nutrient cycling in atmospheric dust, natural and polluted waters and recent sediments. My particular interest is in  the biogeochemistry of P but I also work on N and Fe. The aim is to understand natural processes so we can identify and eleviate the effects of anthropogenic change. 

Positions held

2000 to present: Professor of Environmental and Marine Geochemistry in School of Earth Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK. Since 2015 Emeritus status

2013 to present: Professor of Marine Biogeochemistry in the Charney School of Marine Sciences, Haifa University, initially in Marine Geosciences, since 2016 in Marine Biology, now Emeritus. I am scientist in residence at the Sdot Yam Marine Biological Station.

1996 to 2000: Reader in Environmental and Marine Geochemistry in School of Earth Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.

1991 to 1996: Lecturer in Department of Earth Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK

1986 to 1990: Head of Department of Chemical Oceanography and Marine Pollution. I.O.L.R., National Institute of Oceanography, Haifa, Israel.

1982 to 1986: Senior Research Scientist, Head of the Department of Water quality in fishponds and Head of the Chemistry department, National Centre for Mariculture, I.O.L.R.,Eilat, Israel.

1976 to 1977: Higher Scientific Officer with Mr. A.Wilson, Water Res. Centre, Medmenham, UK

Visiting positions

2017 to present: Visiting Professor to College of Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University,China.

2015 to 2018: Adjunct Professor in Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada. 

2009: Visiting Full Professor at School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Insititute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia

1990 to 1991: Visiting Associate Professor (on sabbatical leave from IOLR, Haifa) at the Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island.

Hearing disability:

Since 2000 I have been registered disabled with a hearing problem which has limited my administrative work both nationally and internationally. 

Research interests

My research interests are at the interface between Environmental Geochemistry and Biology. Most of my research has been on nutrient cycling (P, N and Fe) in aquatic and sedimentary systems. This has included work on P and N cycling in the Eastern Mediterranean (probably my most important work), and in marine and freshwater sediments. I have developed a new nutrient analytical facility at the Sdot Yam Marine station to determine dissolved nutrients at the levels observed in the photic zone of the Eastern Mediterranean. The results are being used to develop new insights into nutrient cycling on the shelf and pelagic systems. I have recently worked on the importance of atmospheric processes in altering the bioavailability of Fe and P in Saharan dust where I have worked also with climate modellers.  I have worked for many years on developing sustainable mariculture systems initially at the NMC, IOLR, Eilat. I was one of the two oceanography experts on the feasibility study for the Red Sea Dead Sea canal.

Qualifications

• Postdoctoral Fellowship (1977 1982) in Sedimentary Geochemistry at Yale University
• Ph.D. in Low Temperature Geochemistry (1976) from the Grant Institute of Geology, University of Edin
• M.A. (Honours) in Natural Sciences (1971), Queens College, Cambridge University

Research groups and institutes

• Earth Surface Science Institute
• Cohen Geochemistry