I grew up in Wales and received my PhD in Marine Biogeochemistry from Newcastle University (Newcastle, England). After that I did a postdoc at Old Dominion University (Norfolk, VA) before becoming a professor at Skidaway Institute of Oceanography (UGA, Savannah, GA). Finally I moved to Northeastern in 2018. I study the natural carbon cycle, how humans are altering it, and plastics in the environment. I see plastics as a novel component of the carbon cycle as well as potential pollutants.
Publications
In The News
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Our Drinking Water Was Always Full Of Microbes. Are The Wrong Ones Thriving In The Pandemic?
Zooming in where only a microscope can see, Northeastern researchers are trying to determine how the lifestyle changes caused by COVID-19 might be helping harmful bacteria grow in our drinking water. -
Our plastic pollution problem may have more significant consequences than we think
Plastics are everywhere - and that's a problem. New research published in Science finds that plastics may be altering the Earth’s carbon cycle and our ability to monitor it. -
Is wildfire soot leaving a mark on the world’s oceans?
When clouds of smoke and ash billow out over the ocean, stretching away from the wildfires that are their source, they might not just affect the air quality. Rather, the wildfire soot could leave a chemical mark on the waters below. That’s the idea behind new research by Aron Stubbins, associate professor of marine and […] -
College of Science Connects: The Plastics Problem
Hear from Professor Aron Stubbins and students to discuss the interactions between humans and the environment. Explore the global cycle of plastics, the processes that breakdown plastics in the environment, and the ecological and human health implications of plastics and their by-products. Discover new innovations that may be instrumental in finding solutions to […] -
Following the trail of blue carbon in a Georgia salt marsh
Examining the rate of dissolved organic carbon outwelling in a salt marsh – the amount and speed carbon is moving out of the system – is important for understanding the extent and impact this outwelling has on broader coastal carbon cycles. A recent paper by Christina Codden and Aron Stubbins of Northeastern’s Stubbins Lab tackles this question, looking at this carbon outwelling patterns at Groves Creek in Georgia. -
Cross-COS Colloquium: Plastics and their fate in the environment
Aron Stubbins, professor of marine and environmental sciences, discusses plastics and their fate in the environment. -
Microplastics are everywhere, but their dangers largely remain a mystery, experts say
The abundance of microplastics found nearly anywhere around us has been a pressing issue for quite some time, but why? Sam Munoz and Aron Stubbins discuss the mystery of their effects. -
Celebrating our COS 2023 TIER1 Awardees
11 are faculty members of the College of Science are 2023 TIER1 Awardees. The TIER 1 Seed Grant/Proof of Concept Program awards are supported by the colleges and the Senior Vice Provost for Research. -
Building a more Environmentally Conscious Community
Earth Day, celebrated on April 22nd, is dedicated to sharing resources and information to promote environmental awareness. -
What happens when sunlight breaks down plastics in the ocean? Potentially harmful chemical byproducts are left behind, research finds
Northeastern researchers found in 2021 that an estimated 4 million to 10 million tons of plastic carbon enter the ocean each year. -
What is ‘marine snow’? And how do microplastics slow the rate at which carbon is pulled from the sea surface to the depths?
It turns out plastics in the ocean do more than suffocate turtles, fish and other marine life. A new study co-authored by Northeastern researcher Aron Stubbins shows that microplastics may reduce the ability of the ocean to help offset the climate crisis by slowing down the rate at which carbon is taken from the sea […] -
Northeastern delegation heads to South Korea for pivotal UN plastic pollution treaty talks
The delegation that will attend the negotiations includes Maria Ivanova, Aaron Stubbins and six graduate students from the university. -
Research
Plastics found to be abundant at deep-sea levels, new research reports
Aaron Stubbins, professor of marine and environmental sciences, and Northeastern researchers have discovered have uncovered a “light smog” of microplastics drifting below the surface of the world’s oceans.