Michael Fasham
Encyclopedia
Michael John Robert Fasham, FRS (May 29, 1942 – June 7, 2008) was a British
oceanographer
and ecosystem model
ler. He is best known for his pioneering work in the development of open ocean plankton
ecosystem models.
Fasham was born in 1942 in Edgware
in north London
, and attended Kilburn Grammar School
in Queen's Park. At the University of Birmingham
he initially studied physics
, obtaining his first degree in 1963, but moved to marine geology
for his doctoral studies. After completing his PhD thesis in 1968, he joined the National Institute of Oceanography
(NIO) in Wormley, and remained with this organisation and its successor institutes throughout his career. Here, together with NIO colleagues, Fasham developed one of the first shipborne computer systems. He also applied his experience in statistics
to the biogeography
of plankton
, a field that was then largely descriptive. This led to a series of papers on plankton distribution, as well as the development of an underway fluorimeter
that could be used to measure phytoplankton
chlorophyll
on hydrographic survey
s.
During the 1980s, Fasham began to direct his research toward quantitative treatments of the flows of energy
and material
through ocean food web
s. This work led to the development by Fasham and colleagues of a seminal open ocean plankton ecosystem
model. This model, sometimes known by the initials of its authors, "FDM", divides the plankton ecosystem into seven components including phytoplankton and zooplankton
, and includes a microbial loop
to represent remineralisation
. The study is one of the most highly cited papers in the field, and won the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography
John Martin Award in recognition of this in 2010. Subsequent joint work with colleagues in Princeton University
led to the ecosystem model being one of the first to be applied within a general circulation model of the North Atlantic
. In later work, Fasham continued to advance ecosystem models by considering aspects such as parameter optimisation, the balance of autotroph
ic and heterotroph
ic plankton, diel vertical migration
, and the role of the micronutrient
iron
in oceanic primary production
.
Fasham also played an important role in the international Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS) that ran from 1987 to 2003, and he served on both the National and International Committees before ultimately taking the role as chair of the International Committee from 1998 to 2000. In 2000, Fasham was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of London
, the UK's premier scientific society
, and in 2002 he received the Challenger Society Medal
in recognition of his role in marine science.
Though he officially retired in 2002, Fasham continued his research and teaching, but died in 2008 after a long battle with cancer.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
oceanographer
Oceanography
Oceanography , also called oceanology or marine science, is the branch of Earth science that studies the ocean...
and ecosystem model
Ecosystem model
An ecosystem model is an abstract, usually mathematical, representation of an ecological system , which is studied to gain a deeper understanding of the real system.Ecosystem models are formed by combining known ecological relations An ecosystem model is an abstract, usually mathematical,...
ler. He is best known for his pioneering work in the development of open ocean plankton
Plankton
Plankton are any drifting organisms that inhabit the pelagic zone of oceans, seas, or bodies of fresh water. That is, plankton are defined by their ecological niche rather than phylogenetic or taxonomic classification...
ecosystem models.
Fasham was born in 1942 in Edgware
Edgware
Edgware is an area in London, situated north-northwest of Charing Cross. It forms part of both the London Borough of Barnet and the London Borough of Harrow. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
in north London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and attended Kilburn Grammar School
Queens Park Community School
Queens Park Community School is a specialist Business and Enterprise inner city comprehensive secondary school and Sixth Form in Queen's Park, North West London, in the borough of Brent, UK.-Admissions:...
in Queen's Park. At the University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
he initially studied physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
, obtaining his first degree in 1963, but moved to marine geology
Marine geology
Marine geology or geological oceanography involves geophysical, geochemical, sedimentological and paleontological investigations of the ocean floor and coastal margins...
for his doctoral studies. After completing his PhD thesis in 1968, he joined the National Institute of Oceanography
National Institute of Oceanography
National Institute of Oceanography could refer to:*National Institute of Oceanography *National Institute of Oceanography *National Institute of Oceanography, Haifa*...
(NIO) in Wormley, and remained with this organisation and its successor institutes throughout his career. Here, together with NIO colleagues, Fasham developed one of the first shipborne computer systems. He also applied his experience in statistics
Statistics
Statistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
to the biogeography
Biogeography
Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species , organisms, and ecosystems in space and through geological time. Organisms and biological communities vary in a highly regular fashion along geographic gradients of latitude, elevation, isolation and habitat area...
of plankton
Plankton
Plankton are any drifting organisms that inhabit the pelagic zone of oceans, seas, or bodies of fresh water. That is, plankton are defined by their ecological niche rather than phylogenetic or taxonomic classification...
, a field that was then largely descriptive. This led to a series of papers on plankton distribution, as well as the development of an underway fluorimeter
Fluorescence spectroscopy
Fluorescence spectroscopy aka fluorometry or spectrofluorometry, is a type of electromagnetic spectroscopy which analyzes fluorescence from a sample. It involves using a beam of light, usually ultraviolet light, that excites the electrons in molecules of certain compounds and causes them to emit...
that could be used to measure phytoplankton
Phytoplankton
Phytoplankton are the autotrophic component of the plankton community. The name comes from the Greek words φυτόν , meaning "plant", and πλαγκτός , meaning "wanderer" or "drifter". Most phytoplankton are too small to be individually seen with the unaided eye...
chlorophyll
Chlorophyll
Chlorophyll is a green pigment found in almost all plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. Its name is derived from the Greek words χλωρος, chloros and φύλλον, phyllon . Chlorophyll is an extremely important biomolecule, critical in photosynthesis, which allows plants to obtain energy from light...
on hydrographic survey
Hydrographic survey
Hydrographic survey is the science of measurement and description of features which affect maritime navigation, marine construction, dredging, offshore oil exploration/drilling and related disciplines. Strong emphasis is placed on soundings, shorelines, tides, currents, sea floor and submerged...
s.
During the 1980s, Fasham began to direct his research toward quantitative treatments of the flows of energy
Energy flow
In ecology, energy flow, also called the calorific flow, refers to the flow of energy through a food chain. In an ecosystem, ecologists seek to quantify the relative importance of different component species and feeding relationships....
and material
Biogeochemical cycle
In ecology and Earth science, a biogeochemical cycle or substance turnover or cycling of substances is a pathway by which a chemical element or molecule moves through both biotic and abiotic compartments of Earth. A cycle is a series of change which comes back to the starting point and which can...
through ocean food web
Food chain
A food web depicts feeding connections in an ecological community. Ecologists can broadly lump all life forms into one of two categories called trophic levels: 1) the autotrophs, and 2) the heterotrophs...
s. This work led to the development by Fasham and colleagues of a seminal open ocean plankton ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
model. This model, sometimes known by the initials of its authors, "FDM", divides the plankton ecosystem into seven components including phytoplankton and zooplankton
Zooplankton
Zooplankton are heterotrophic plankton. Plankton are organisms drifting in oceans, seas, and bodies of fresh water. The word "zooplankton" is derived from the Greek zoon , meaning "animal", and , meaning "wanderer" or "drifter"...
, and includes a microbial loop
Microbial loop
The microbial loop describes a trophic pathway in the marine microbial food web where dissolved organic carbon is returned to higher trophic levels via the incorporation into bacterial biomass, and coupled with the classic food chain formed by phytoplankton-zooplankton-nekton. The term microbial...
to represent remineralisation
Remineralisation
In biogeochemistry, remineralisation refers to the transformation of organic molecules to inorganic forms, typically mediated by biological activity....
. The study is one of the most highly cited papers in the field, and won the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography
American Society of Limnology and Oceanography
Initiated in 1947, the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography is a scientific society with the goal of Advancing the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography. With approximately 4000 members in nearly 60 different countries, ASLO is the largest scientific society, worldwide, devoted to...
John Martin Award in recognition of this in 2010. Subsequent joint work with colleagues in Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
led to the ecosystem model being one of the first to be applied within a general circulation model of the North Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. In later work, Fasham continued to advance ecosystem models by considering aspects such as parameter optimisation, the balance of autotroph
Autotroph
An autotroph, or producer, is an organism that produces complex organic compounds from simple inorganic molecules using energy from light or inorganic chemical reactions . They are the producers in a food chain, such as plants on land or algae in water...
ic and heterotroph
Heterotroph
A heterotroph is an organism that cannot fix carbon and uses organic carbon for growth. This contrasts with autotrophs, such as plants and algae, which can use energy from sunlight or inorganic compounds to produce organic compounds such as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins from inorganic carbon...
ic plankton, diel vertical migration
Diel vertical migration
Diel vertical migration, also known as diurnal vertical migration, is a pattern of movement that some organisms living in the ocean and in lakes undertake each day. Usually organisms move up to the epipelagic zone at night and return to the mesopelagic zone of the oceans or to the hypolimnion zone...
, and the role of the micronutrient
Micronutrient
Micronutrients are nutrients required by humans and other living things throughout life in small quantities to orchestrate a whole range of physiological functions, but which the organism itself cannot produce. For people, they include dietary trace minerals in amounts generally less than 100...
iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
in oceanic primary production
Primary production
400px|thumb|Global oceanic and terrestrial photoautotroph abundance, from September [[1997]] to August 2000. As an estimate of autotroph biomass, it is only a rough indicator of primary production potential, and not an actual estimate of it...
.
Fasham also played an important role in the international Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS) that ran from 1987 to 2003, and he served on both the National and International Committees before ultimately taking the role as chair of the International Committee from 1998 to 2000. In 2000, Fasham was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of London
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
, the UK's premier scientific society
Learned society
A learned society is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline/profession, as well a group of disciplines. Membership may be open to all, may require possession of some qualification, or may be an honor conferred by election, as is the case with the oldest learned societies,...
, and in 2002 he received the Challenger Society Medal
Challenger Society for Marine Science
The Challenger Society for Marine Science is a learned society established in 1903 in the United Kingdom around the interdisciplinary subject of marine science...
in recognition of his role in marine science.
Though he officially retired in 2002, Fasham continued his research and teaching, but died in 2008 after a long battle with cancer.
External links
- Obituary, NOCSNational Oceanography Centre, SouthamptonThe National Oceanography Centre, Southampton describes the integrated collaboration between the Southampton-based part of the Natural Environment Research Council’s National Oceanography Centre, and University of Southampton Ocean and Earth Science...
- Obituary, Ocean ChallengeChallenger Society for Marine ScienceThe Challenger Society for Marine Science is a learned society established in 1903 in the United Kingdom around the interdisciplinary subject of marine science...
- Challenger Medal, Challenger SocietyChallenger Society for Marine ScienceThe Challenger Society for Marine Science is a learned society established in 1903 in the United Kingdom around the interdisciplinary subject of marine science...
- ASLO John Martin Award, American Society of Limnology and OceanographyAmerican Society of Limnology and OceanographyInitiated in 1947, the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography is a scientific society with the goal of Advancing the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography. With approximately 4000 members in nearly 60 different countries, ASLO is the largest scientific society, worldwide, devoted to...