Associate Research Scientist
Institute of Marine Sciences
Earth and Marine Science, Room C308
University of California, Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, CA 95064
Office: (831) 459-1437
Fax: (831) 459-3074
Email | Website
Research Interests
- Marine biogeochemical cycles and dynamics in the present and past, and on their connection to the Earth system as a whole. The overarching goal of her work is to investigate the relation between these cycles and global climate, tectonics, and environmental changes.
- The field of biogeochemistry in general and marine biogeochemistry in particular is interdisciplinary; it requires understanding geological, chemical, physical and biological processes and the complex interaction among these processes.
- Dr. Paytan and her students are currently participating in several projects in paleoceanography including reconstructing the seawater calcium isotopes and carbonate deposition history; reconstruction of seawater redox state using molybdenum (Mo) isotope ratios; determining the responses and feedbacks between export production and the global C cycle; environmental reconstruction of the Permian-Triassic boundary; and, using isotopes to study the hydrologic variability (precipitation, river and groundwater discharge), and estuarine paleosalinity, and their relation to climate in water stressed regions.
- Science education and outreach. She devotes time to develop and implement programs that enhance the process of learning science, expose students at all levels to the excitement of doing science, and introduce the relevance of science to real-world problems and current issues. Her instruction promotes active learning and includes innovative teaching.
- Ph.D., Oceanography, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
- M.S., Earth Sciences Oceanography, Hebrew University, Jerusalem
- M.S., Science Education, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot
- B.S., Geology and Biology, Hebrew University, Jerusalem
