Nick Baetge, Ph.D.

NSF OCE Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Oregon State University

“Being a scientist and sailor is too good to be true.” — Roger Revelle

I am a microbial oceanographer dedicated to exploring the intricate ways marine microbial physiology influences organic carbon flux. My research investigates the effects of organic substrate quality on microbial community responses, with a particular emphasis on climate-driven environmental changes such as wildfire smoke deposition. By combining biological, geochemical, genomic, and bio-optical data from fieldwork, laboratory experiments, and remote sensing, I seek to elucidate the ecological connections between microbial groups and their environments and assess how shifts in these interactions impact ocean biogeochemistry.

During my doctoral research at UC Santa Barbara, I studied the temporal and spatial variability of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and its bioavailability during the annual North Atlantic phytoplankton bloom. An impactful experience was leading a student cruise in the Santa Barbara Channel amidst the Thomas Fire, which deepened my interest in wildfire smoke’s effects on ocean ecosystems. As a postdoctoral researcher at Oregon State University, I investigated the physiological responses of marine plankton to wildfire-derived ash as well as diel cycles in phytoplankton optical properties.

Currently, I am a research associate at Oregon State University helping to advance validation efforts for NASA’s Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission.

A short reel from a 5-day research cruise off Hawaii. Check out the blogs from this cruise!

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This website was last updated October 30, 2025.
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