Research Associate, The Morris Khan Marine Research Station

Research Areas: 
Natural discharge of fossil hydrocarbons from seabed reservoirs fuels chemosynthetic microbial productivity, producing the largest biomass of all the deep-sea ecosystems, driving autogenesis and forming unique habitats. The recently-discovered hydrocarbon seeps in the warm deep waters of the ultra-oligotrophic southeastern Mediterranean Sea (SEMS) provide a fascinating opportunity to study the mesophilic seep microbiota. I aim to elucidate the functional repertoire of microbial communities in a fascinating and globally-important marine habitat, the deep-sea hydrocarbon seeps that are characterized by the low diffusive flux of hydrocarbons, warm temperatures of deep water mass and therefore low gas solubility with a comparison to the cold-water seeps.

Email: sofimarman@gmail.com