Research
Aquatic biogeochemist with over a decade of experience leading research programs at the interface of ocean science, climate, and environmental change.
Hannah's research focuses on how elemental cycles shape ecosystems, and how these cycles are being altered by a rapidly changing climate. Her research interests centre on metals and their interactions with organic matter and biology in aquatic systems. Her work spans terrestrial and marine interfaces, from the Arctic tundra to deep-sea hydrothermal vents, and has included the development of novel methods to study trace metals and carbon cycling.
Hannah is involved in many international research projects, particularly through her involvement in the GEOTRACES program. She is currently leading two interdisciplinary Royal Society grants: one advancing marine carbon dioxide removal approaches, and another improving the efficiency and resilience of indoor farming. Together, these projects reflect her broader commitment to using science and technology to strengthen the foundations of ecosystems and food systems in the face of global change.
Her research areas have expanded from coastal and open ocean research to working on terrestrial, glacial and freshwater systems, as well as consultancy roles and projects with industry involving water quality and water treatment, aquaculture and hydroponics.
Metals and Climate
Relevant funding:
PI Whitby, Effects of Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement on Marine Diazotrophs, Royal Society (2024-2026)
Relevant outputs:
The iron-carbon cascade from soils to the sea - Invited talk, Duke University 2025
From soils to the sea: Building the iron bridge - Invited Keynote - Ocean Sciences Meeting (ASLO/AGU), New Orleans (USA):
Publications:
Many relevant publications; see publication list.
Whitby et al., 2020. A call for refining the role of humic-like substances in the oceanic iron cycle. Scientific Reports, 10, 1, 6144
Tang, W., Cerdán-García, E., Berthelot, H., Polyviou, D., Wang, S., Baylay, A., Whitby, H., Planquette, H., Mowlem, M. Robidart, J. and others. 2020. New insights into the distributions of nitrogen fixation and diazotrophs revealed by high-resolution sensing and sampling methods. The ISME Journal 14(10):2514-2526, 10.1038/s41396-020-0703-6.
Wang, S., Tang, W. Delage, E., Gifford, S., Whitby, H., González, A.G., Eveillard, D., Planquette, H., and N. Cassar. 2021. Investigating the microbial ecology of coastal hotspots of marine nitrogen fixation in the western North Atlantic. Scientific Reports 11(1):5508, 10.1038/s41598-021-84969-1.
Long, M., A. Holland, H. Planquette, D. González Santana, Whitby, H., P. Soudant, G. Sarthou, H. Hégaret, and D.F. Jolley. 2019. Effects of copper on the dinoflagellate Alexandrium minutum and its allelochemical potency. Aquatic Toxicology 210:251-261, doi.org/10.1016/j.aquatox.2019.03.006.
Improving Sustainability in Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA)
Relevant funding:
PI Whitby, FOOD-INSIDE : Food Output OptimiseD - Innovation in Nutrient Sensing for InDoor Environments, Royal Society (2025)
PI Whitby, Improving the longevity of hydroponic nutrient solutions to minimise discards, NERC Cross-disciplinary Discovery Science (2023)
Collaboration with Farm Urban Ltd (Liverpool), Liverpool John Moores University, Manchester University.
Relevant student theses/publications: Bannon et al., in prep.
Cycling of marine metal-binding ligands
Supervision of PhD theses:
Millie Goddard-Dwyer, 'Marine humic substances: distribution, cycling pathways, and biogeochemical function', 2024
Gemma Portlock, 'The sources and sinks of thiols, reduced sulphur substances, and humic-like substances in hydrothermal waters', 2023
Leo Mahieu, 'Analytical challenges, development and application of CLE-ACSV for the determination of the organic speciation of iron in marine waters', 2023
Funding:
PI Whitby, 'Investigation of the marine sources of iron-binding ligands (IMIL), British Council (2020-2022)
PI Whitby, 'Investigating the sources of marine humic substances', IsBlue and Marie Curie PRESTIGE Fellowships (2018-2020)
Collaboration on relevant projects:
TONGA (http://tonga-project.org/web/), SWINGS (https://swings.geotraces.org/en/about/), SCALE (https://www.sanap.ac.za/scale-win22-science-team-fe), AMAZON (https://andrea-koschinsky.org/research-projects/amazon-geotraces/)
Many relevant publications; see publication list.
Research groups
Research grants
Food Output OptimiseD - Innovation in Nutrient Sensing for InDoor Environments (FOOD-INSIDE)
ROYAL SOCIETY (CHARITABLE)
October 2025 - September 2027
Effects of Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement on Marine Diazotrophs
ROYAL SOCIETY
December 2024 - November 2026
Cross-disciplinary research for Discovery Science
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH COUNCIL
January 2023 - March 2023
Investigation of Marine sources of Iron-binding Ligands (IMIL)
BRITISH COUNCIL (UK)
January 2021 - December 2022