DAN THORNTON

Assistant Professor
Oceanography

Department of Oceanography
Texas A&M University
TAMU 3146
College Station, TX 77843-3146
Office: 518/521 Eller (O&M Bldg.) (map)
Phone: 979.845.4092
Fax: 979.845.6331
E-mail: thornton@ocean.tamu.edu
Department Web page

Keywords: Marine ecology; microbial ecology; biogeochemistry; Population, community and ecosystem ecology

Interests:
I am an ecologist and biogeochemist whose research focuses on how microorganisms affect carbon and nitrogen cycling in coastal ecosystems. My research contributes to our understanding of the basic structure and function of coastal ecosystems, and how human activity impacts the coastal ocean.
Specific research interests include:
• Nitrogen cycling in sediments
• Ecology and physiology of microphytobenthos and phytoplankton
• Production of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) by diatoms
• Formation and ecology of transparent exopolymer particles (TEP)

Disciplines: Community Ecology & Population Biology

Courses:
OCNG 622: Analysis of benthic communities
OCNG 627: Ecology of the Continental Shelf
OCNG 652: Sedimentary biogeochemistry

Selected publications:
Patel D, Thake B, Thornton DCO (2005) Effect of light and turbulent mixing on the growth of Skeletonema costatum (Bacillariophyceae). Marine Biology 146: 633-644.

Thornton DCO (2004) Formation of transparent exopolymeric particles (TEP) from macroalgal detritus. Marine Ecology Progress Series 282: 1-12

Dong LF, Nedwell DB, Underwood GJC, Thornton DCO, Rusmuna I (2002) Nitrous oxide formation in estuaries: the central role of nitrite. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 68: 1240-1249.

Thornton DCO (2002) Individuals, clones or groups? Phytoplankton behaviour and units of selection. Ethology, Ecology and Evolution 14:165-173.

Dong LF, Thornton DCO, Underwood GJC, Nedwell DB (2000) Denitrification in the sediments of the Colne estuary, England. Marine Ecology Progress Series 203: 109-122.