Professor Webpages: Software on GitHub Education B.Sc. Astronomy (University College London, UK) M.A.St. Theoretical Physics (Cambridge University, UK) D.Phil, Astronomy (Sussex University, UK) Research Labs: The Burd Lab Research Areas: Physical Oceanography Biological Oceanography Biogeochemistry Climate Change Research Interests: My research involves the use of mathematical and computer modeling to understand how different marine systems function and how they might change under changing environmental and climate conditions. For me, a marine system can mean many things; a the biological and chemical transformations of a single particle of detrital material settling through the water column; the productivity of a seagrass bed along the coast; the cycling of carbon in the global ocean. Particle Flux: Sinking particulate organic material formed from phytoplankton cells, fecal pellets, and detritus is one of the main routes that organic matter can get from the surface to the deep ocean. The biological and chemical transformations that these particles undergo as they sink help determine the vertical profiles of various elements in the oceans and the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. I am interested in understanding and being able to model the factors affecting the quality and composition of this flux and how it changes on its journey from the surface to the deep ocean. Coastal Systems: I am interested in understanding the factors affecting the productivity of marine macrophytes such as seagrasses and seaweeds, as well as saltmarsh grass systems. Most of my work in this area has concerned seagrasses in Texas and Florida, seaweeds along the northern shore of Alaska, and saltmarshes in Georgia. The approach is to work closely with field scientists and ecologists in developing a mathematical and computational model that follows the dynamics of the plant growth over time and under different environmental conditions. Selected Publications Siegel, D.A., Burd, A.B., Estapa, M, Fields, E., Johnson, L., Passow, U., Romanelli, E., Brzezinski, M.A., Buesseler, K.O., Clevenger, S., Cetinić, I., Drago, L., Durkin, C.A., Kiko, R., Kramer, S.J., Maas, A., Omand, M., Steinberg, D.K.. 2025. Assessing marine snow dynamics during the demise of the North Atlantic spring bloom using in situ particle imagery, Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 39, e2025GB008676. DOI Google Scholar. Steidle, L., Pein, J., Burd, A., & Vennell, R. 2025. Effects of coagulation processes on phytoplankton mortality in the Elbe estuary from a Lagrangian perspective; Frontiers in Marine Science, 12:1624762. DOI Google Scholar Jung, Y, Burd A.B. 2025. Carbon allocation dynamics of Spartina alterniflora in Georgia saltmarsh, USAAquatic Botany, 196:103821. DOI Google Scholar. Burd, A.B. 2024. Modeling the vertical flux of organic carbon in the global ocean, Annual Review of Marine Science, 16:135–161, DOI Google Scholar. Song, Y., Burd, A.B., Rau, M.J. 2023. The deformation of marine snow enables its disaggregation in simulated oceanic shear, Frontiers of Marine Science, 10:1224518, DOI Google Scholar. Reed, D.C., Schmitt, R.J., Burd, A.B., Burkepile, D.E., Kominoski, J.S., McGlathery, K.J., Miller, R.J., Morris, J.T., Zinner, J.C. 2022. Responses of coastal ecosystems to climate change: insights from long-term ecological research, BioScience, 72(9):871–888, DOI Google Scholar. Countryman, C.E., Steinberg, D.K., Burd, A.B. 2022. Modeling the effects of copepod diel vertical migration and community composition on ocean carbon flux using an agent-based model, Ecological Modelling, 470:110003, DOI Google Scholar Xiang, Y., Lam, P.J., Burd, A.B., Hayes, C.T. 2022. Estimating mass flux from size-fractionated filtered particles: Insights into controls on sinking velocities and mass fluxes in recent U.S. GEOTRACES cruises Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 36:e2021GB007292, DOI Google Scholar. Coles V.J, Stukel M.R, Brooks M.T, Burd A., Crump B.C, Moran M.A, Paul J.H, Satinsky B.M, Yager P.L, Zielinski B.L et al.. 2017. Ocean biogeochemistry modeled with emergent trait-based genomics. Science. 358(6367):1149-1154.DOI Google Scholar Xavier M, Passow U, Migon C, Burd AB, Legendre L. 2017. Transparent Exopolymer Particles: Effects on carbon cycling in the ocean. Progress in Oceanography. DOI Google Scholar Burd AB, Frey S, Cabre A, Ito T, Levine NM, nborg Cø, Long M, Mauritz M, R. Thomas Q, Stephens BM et al.. 2016. Terrestrial and Marine Perspectives on Modeling Organic Matter Degradation Pathways. Global Change Biology. :n/a-n/a. DOI Google Scholar Siegel DA, Buesseler KO, Behrenfeld MJ, Benitez-Nelson CR, Boss E, Brzezinski MA, Burd A, Carlson CA, D'Asaro EA, Doney SC et al.. 2016. Prediction of the Export and Fate of Global Ocean Net Primary Production: The EXPORTS Science Plan. Frontiers in Marine Science. 3. DOI Google Scholar Burd AB, Hansell DA, Steinberg DK, Anderson TR, Arístegui J, Baltar F, Beaupré SR, Buesseler KO, DeHairs F, Jackson GA et al.. 2010. Assessing the apparent imbalance between geochemical and biochemical indicators of meso- and bathypelagic biological activity: What the @$♯! is wrong with present calculations of carbon budgets? Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography. 57(16):1557-1571. DOI Google Scholar Burd AB, Jackson GA. 2009. Particle Aggregation. Annual Review of Marine Science. 1(1):65-90. DOI Google Scholar Courses Regularly Taught MARS 7380 MARS (MATH) 4730 MARS 6730 MARS 3550
