Who's Who in FeMO
Find who is part of FeMO and who participated in all four FeMO seagoing cruises. Detailed biographies are included for all scientists.

University of Southern California

Diversity of FeOB involved in basalt weathering ...

Dave Emerson
American Type Culture Collection / George Mason University


Physiology and phylogeny of FeOB in iron microbial mats ...

Western Washington University

Diversity of microbial mat communities and correlation with environmental variables using T-RFLP and QPCR ...

Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Basalt alteration and data data data ...

Oregon Health and Sciences University

All things manganese and some iron stuff for kicks ...
Shawn Doan
Science teacher, Sehome High School


History of life on Earth, history of science, geology, and mechanical things. Design of effective curriculum, how people learn (engage, do, make mistakes, learn).

University of Hawaii

My research centers upon the synergy between microbes and their chemical environment in marine redox transition zones. Gradients of chemical species used as energy sources can constrain an organism to a particular metabolism, require it to switch to an alternate metabolism, or generate a displacement within the microbial community structure. My group will be using an In Situ Electrochemical Analyzer (ISEA) to perform real-time voltammetric analyses within hydrothermal fluids and microbial mats. Voltammetry allows simultaneous detection and quantification of multiple chemical species, including O2, Mn2+, Fe2+, H2S/HS-, Sx2-, S0(aq), S2O32-, S4O62-, FeS(aq), and Fe3+. Our ISEA provide an efficient and valuable means for directed discrete sampling of hydrothermal fluids and microbial flocs, as well as previously unattainable high spatial resolution geochemical profiles through the mats.

Oliver Rouxel
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution


Stable isotope geochemistry (Fe-, S-, Se-, Ge-isotopes), trace metal/metalloids geochemistry, and isotope tracers of seafloor hydrothermal systems and deep biosphere.

University of Colorado, Boulder

My group has been working to track rates of Fe and Mn oxidation and biofilm formation on freshly prepared basalt surfaces deployed across Loihi Seamount over 1-5 year time-scales. This data is also integrated with information on weathering products, particularly Fe and Mn minerals, on natural basalts present at each site. Mineralogical characterization is conducted by synchrotron-based x-ray scattering and spectroscopy (bulk and spatially-resolved). We are are also culturing organisms that can be sustained by simulating serpentinization reactions.

Oregon State University, EarthRef.org and FeMO Webmaster

The main design, engineering and maintenance of EarthRef.org are Anthony's responsibilities. He combines his database work with science projects involving 40Ar/39Ar geochronology, seamount geochemistry, information technology and software development. One of his main science objectives is to understand the "true" nature of intra-plate volcanism, normally explained by the now infamous "hotspot" hypothesis.

Geoff Wheat
Brad Bailey
Graduate Student, Scripps Institution of Oceanography


Microbial communities associated with basalt substrates of varying composition. Basalt dissolution ...

Postdoc, Oregon Health and Sciences University

I am interested in the role that microorganisms play in the biogeochemical cycling of carbon and manganese. I am using a polyphasic approach that includes the following: 1) culture-based methods to isolate more ecologically significant strains and to determine whether Mn-oxidizing bacteria may play a role in fixation of inorganic carbon into organic carbon in mixed or pure cultures, 2) culture-independent methods to identify the key organisms associated with Mn(II)-stimulated carbon uptake in environmental samples, and 3) peptide probes to physically separate Mn oxides and associated microorganisms from other particles and microbes, so that those organisms may be identified.

Postdoc, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

I study the geomicrobiology of terrestrial and marine iron-oxidizing microbes. I am interested in how they oxidize iron and affect iron mineralogy. My approaches include electron microscopy and synchrotron-based x-ray microscopy to study cellular ultrastructure and spatial relationships between cells, extracellular polymers, and minerals. I also study proteins from cultured and environmental samples in search of iron oxidizing enzymes.

Rick Davis
Graduate Student, Oregon Health and Sciences University

Greg Horn
Graduate Student, University of Southern California

Beth Orcutt
Postdoc, University of Southern California


Microbe/mineral interactions in the deep biosphere, chemolithoautotrophy.

Allen Rassa
Graduate Student, Western Washington University


T-RFLP analysis of microbial mats.

Lisa Sudek
Graduate Student, Scripps Institution of Oceanography


I study the abundance of Fe-oxidizing and siderophore producing bacteria on Vailulu’u seamount (Microbial diversity data: a) culture-based: FeOB and siderophore producers, b) molecular studies: clone libraries). Then I study the mechanisms of nutrient and energy acquisition from basaltic glass, and finally the effect of microbial activity on basalt alteration (rate of dissolution, effects of biofilms on surface structure and chemistry of glass).
Carolyn Sheehan
Staff, Oregon Health and Sciences University