Peter W. Bernhardt
Laboratory Manager
I am the Laboratory Manager for Dr. Mulholland’s Marine Nitrogen and Carbon Biogeochemistry Research Group and ODU Phytoplankton Analysis Lab. Before arriving at ODU in 2001, I received my M.S. in Biology from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania where I studied the pelagic barnacle, Lepas anatifera along the equatorial Pacific during the 1997-1998 El Nino. At ODU, I am responsible for supervising students, research associates and post-doctoral researchers in the Mulholland laboratories and overseeing the day to day operations of the research group. I am also responsible for maintaining and training individuals on proper use of all instrumentation in the laboratories as well as preparing for and participating in oceanographic research cruises. My research interests include nitrogen and carbon cycling, marine nitrogen fixation, phytoplankton cultivation and the study of Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB). I am also involved in the development of research techniques in Isotope Ratio Mass Spectroscopy (IRMS), High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Gas Chromatography (GC), seawater nutrient analysis and Flow Cytometry. I have participated in over 30 extended research cruises, spending over 2 years on the world’s oceans along with numerous coastal and Chesapeake Bay sampling trips on board small research vessels. In my spare time I enjoy boating and fishing. I also maintain and develop the department’s aquarium displays.