Eva ORTEGA-RETUERTA

Expertise

I am interested in the linkage between organic matter and microbes across aquatic ecosystems, mostly in the ocean. In particular, I look at how heterotrophic microbes (bacteria and archaea) shape organic matter quality and how this affects key processes: Light transmission through the water column, carbon and particle vertical fluxes, air-sea interactions, microbial colonization and structuring. I test how these processes occur in a climate change context; looking at effects of e.g. aerosol inputs, UV radiation, temperature, or ice melting. Although not exclusively, I focus my research in areas that are particularly vulnerable to global change: The Mediterranean Sea and polar oceans (both Arctic and Antarctic), and I combine in situ observations (timeseries, oceanographic cruises) with laboratory incubations with model organisms.

Education:

2008: PhD University of Granada, Spain. Organic matter dynamics in marine ecosystems: Field, experimental and remote sensing approaches. Supervisors: Drs. Isabel Reche and Carlos Duarte

2017-2019: Marie Curie Fellow LOMIC, France: Unravelling the microbial carbon pump in the ocean: Linking gene expression to RDOM generation. Supervisors: Drs. Ingrid Obernosterer and Fabien Joux

2011-2017: Postdoc ICM, Barcelona: Linkage between DOM architecture and microbial diversity. Supervisor: Dr. Josep Gasol

2009-2011: Postdoc LOMIC, France: How changes in ice cover, permafrost and UV radiation impact on biodiversity and biogeochemical fluxes in the Arctic Ocean? (Malina). Supervisors: Drs. Fabien Joux and Jean-François Ghiglione

Current Projects

Organic matter dynamics in the NW Mediterranean Sea: Main microbial players and effects for carbon cycling (ODISEA2). INSU Lefe Cyber Program 2020. PI Ortega-retuerta

Biogenic trace gases and their cycling processes in the surface sea (Biogaps) PI: Rafel 
Simó. (Instituto de Ciencias del Mar)

Student mentoring

PhD Thesis. Mrs. Marina Zamanillo. Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya. 12/12/2019 Excellent cum laude

PhD Thesis: Mrs. Nawal Bouchachi. Sorbonne University. Expected completion October 2022

Master 2: Quentin Devresse. U. des Antilles (2018) ; Nawal Bouchachi. Sorbonne Univ. (2019)

Others: Ana Muñoz (U. Barcelona, bachelor thesis), Maria Castellvi (external practicum, Aut. U. Barcelona), Zachary Wallot-Beale (Dalhousie Univ)

Publications

38 publications, H index 19

https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=14063577900

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ug4CygEAAAAJ&hl=es&oi=ao

5 main publications:

• Ortega-Retuerta, E., Joux, F., Jeffrey, W.H., Ghiglione, J.F. Spatial variability of particle-attached and free-living bacterial diversity in surface waters from the Mackenzie River to the Beaufort Sea (Canadian Arctic)
• (2013) Biogeosciences, 10 (4), pp. 2747-2759
• Ortega-Retuerta, E., Passow, U., Duarte, C.M., Reche, I. Effects of ultraviolet B radiation on (not so) transparent exopolymer particles (2009) Biogeosciences, 6 (12), pp. 3071-3080
• Ortega-Retuerta, E., Frazer, T.K., Duarte, C.M., Ruiz-Halpern, S., Tovar-Sańchez, A., Arrieta, J.M., Reche, I. Biogeneration of chromophoric dissolved organic matter by bacteria and krill in the southern ocean(2009) Limnology and Oceanography, 54 (6), pp. 1941-1950
• Catalá, T.S., Reche, I., Fuentes-Lema, A., Romera-Castillo, C., Nieto-Cid, M., Ortega-Retuerta, E., Calvo, E., Álvarez, M., Marrasé, C., Stedmon, C.A., Álvarez-Salgado, X.A. Turnover time of fluorescent dissolved organic matter in the dark global ocean(2015) Nature Communications, 6, art. no. 6986.
• Arrigo, K.R., Perovich, D.K., Pickart, R.S…., Ortega-Retuerta, E…, Swift, J.H. Massive phytoplankton blooms under arctic sea ice(2012) Science, 336 (6087), p. 1408