Professor
Canada Research Chair in Boreal Biogeochemistry (Tier 1)
Department of Earth Sciences
Memorial University of Newfoundland
St. John’s, NL A1B 3X5 Canada
709.864.2669
sziegler@mun.ca
I really enjoy uncovering the chemical clues left behind in our environment and figuring out what they tell us about how ecosystems function and ultimately how they respond to environmental change. These chemical clues are a part of elemental cycles that form the underpinnings of how our world functions including foodwebs, atmospheric composition and ultimately the climate we thrive in. I feel extremely fortunate for the great opportunities to learn about ecosystems here in Newfoundland and Labrador, and with knowledgeable people particularly in the small communities throughout the region living within such spectacular environments spanning boreal forests and peatlands to beautiful Arctic char, salmon and trout streams and rivers to breath taking coastlines and fjord estuaries.
My research group and I investigate the biogeochemistry of both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems here in this important boreal region of the northwest Atlantic. Specifically, we are interested in contributing to the development of the understanding of how landscapes in this region are responding to climate change, including impacts on the cycling of organic matter and inorganic nutrients. Much of our work involves the use of biomarkers (chemical clues with unique source) and stable isotopes to track elements as they cycle through the environment. The elemental reservoirs, specifically dissolved and soil organic matter, that we study are important to local and global carbon cycling and related climate feedbacks, ecosystem function, and water quality. We are involved in research aimed at bridging scientific understanding and local and Indigenous knowledge to develop more integrated and targeted knowledge and sustainable methodologies to more explicitly address local needs for climate preparation and adaptation.
Since starting my research at Memorial University I’ve spearheaded the development of the Newfoundland and Labrador Boreal Ecosystem Latitudinal Transect (NL-BELT) in collaboration with colleagues including those within the Canadian Forest Service and Newfoundland and Labrador Forestry. This research platform has enabled ecosystem level research into the impact of climate change on the boreal environment. I am also collaborating within community-based research programs focused on contributing and synthesizing knowledge of coastal margin river-fjord ecosystems in Nunatsiavut and elsewhere in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Feel free to contact me or any of the Biogeochemistry of Boreal Ecosystem Research Group (BBERG) members if you have interest in any of our research activities or opportunities. We are always interested in working with new individuals motivated to better understand our landscapes and coastal environments!
Education
B.S. 1993. University of Massachusetts at Amherst – Environmental Science
Ph.D. 1998. University of Texas at Austin – Marine Science
Postdoctoral Fellow 1999. Carnegie Institution of Washington, Geophysical Laboratory
Academic positions
2017-present Tier I Canada Research Chair in Boreal Biogeochemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland
2014-present Professor, Department of Earth Sciences, Memorial University of Newfoundland
2006-2016 Canada Research Chair in Environmental Sciences, Memorial University of Newfoundland
2006-present Associate Professor, Department of Earth Sciences, Memorial University of Newfoundland
2005-2006 Associate Professor, Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas
2002-2006 Co-director, University of Arkansas Stable Isotope Laboratory
2000-2005 Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas
1998-1999 Postdoctoral Fellow, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Geophysical Laboratory