Profile Page

Steven L. D'Hondt

100A, Horn Building

dhondt@gso.uri.edu

401-874-6808

http://www.gso.uri.edu/astrobiology/

Educational Background

Ph.D. Geological and Geophysical Sciences M.A., Geological and Geophysical Sciences Geology

Princeton University Princeton University Stanford University

1990 1986 1984

Areas of Specialization

Research

My current projects include studies of life in extreme environments (principally life in subseafloor sediments) and biological controls on the chemical evolution of the ocean and atmosphere. Members of my research group participate in expeditions throughout the world. Many of our projects utilize the URI Geobiology Field Laboratory.

Teaching

My recent graduate courses include "Marine Stratigraphy" and "Biological Control of Ocean Chemistry" (co-taught with Rebecca Robinson and Arthur Spivack). With Spivack, I regularly teach an undergraduate honors course on "Life in the Universe". In autumn (2008), I will co-lead the URI Honors Colloquium with Spivack and Judith Swift; the colloquium topic will be "Global Environmental Change".

Students

Carly Blair Bonnie Epstein Scott Rutherford Danielle Luttenberg Dania Whitaker

M.S. Ph.D. Ph.D. M.S. M.S.

2007 1999 1999 1997 1996

Publications:

D’Hondt, S., F. Inagaki, T. Ferdelman, B.B. Jørgensen, K. Kato, P. Kemp, P. Sobecky, M. Sogin and K. Takai, 2007. Exploring Subseafloor Life with the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program, Scientific Drilling, 5, 26-37.

Blair, C.C., S. D’Hondt, A.J. Spivack and R.H. Kingsley, 2007. Potential of radiolytic hydrogen for microbial respiration in subseafloor sediments, Astrobiology 7 (6), 951-970.

Riccardi, A., L.R. Kump, M.A. Arthur and S. D’Hondt, 2007. Carbon Isotopic Evidence for chemocline upward excursions during the end-Permian event, Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 248(1-2), 73-81.

Jørgensen, B.B., and S. D'Hondt, 2006. A starving majority deep beneath the seafloor, Science, 314, 932-943.

Jørgensen, B.B., S.L. D'Hondt, and D.J. Miller, 2006. Leg 201 synthesis: Controls on microbial communities in deeply buried sediments. In B.B. Jørgensen, S.L. D'Hondt, and D.J. Miller (Eds.), Proc. ODP, Sci. Results, 201, 1-45 [Print, CD-ROM and World Wide Web].

Coxall, H.K., S. D'Hondt, and J.C. Zachos, 2006. Pelagic evolution and environmental recovery after the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction, Geology, 34 (4), 297-300, doi: 10.1130/G21702.1.

Inagaki, F., T. Nunoura, S. Nakagawa, A. Teske, M. Lever, A. Lauer, M. Suzuki, K. Takai, M. Delwiche, F.S. Colwell, K.H. Nealson, K. Horikoshi, S. D’Hondt and B.B. Jørgensen, 2006. Biogeographical distribution and diversity of microbes in methane hydrate-bearing deep marine sediments on the Pacific Ocean Margin, Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, U.S.A. 103(8), 2815-2820.

Soffientino, B., A.J. Spivack, D.C. Smith, E. Roggenstein, S. D’Hondt, 2006. A versatile and sensitive tritium-based radioassay for measuring Hydrogenase activity in aquatic sediments, Journal of Microbiological Methods 66, 136-146.

D’Hondt, S., 2005. Consequences of the Cretaceous/Paleogene mass extinction for marine ecosystems, Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 36, 295–317, doi: 10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.35.021103.105715.

D'Hondt, S, B.B Jørgensen, D.J. Miller, A. Batzke, R. Blake, B.A. Cragg, H. Cypionka, G.R. Dickens, T. Ferdelman, K.-U. Hinrichs, N.G. Holm, R. Mitterer, A. Spivack, G. Wang, B. Bekins, Bert Engelen, K. Ford, G. Gettemy, S.D. Rutherford, Henrik Sass, C.G. Skilbeck, I.W. Aiello, G. Guérin, C. House, F. Inagaki, P. Meister, T. Naehr, S. Niitsuma, R.J. Parkes, A. Schippers, D.C. Smith, A. Teske, J. Wiegel, C. Naranjo Padilla, J.L. Solis Acosta, 2004. Distributions of microbial activities in deep subseafloor sediments, Science, 306, 2216-2221.

D'Hondt, S., S. Rutherford, and A.J. Spivack, 2002. Metabolic activity of subsurface life in deep-sea sediments. Science, 295, 2067-2070.

Presentations:

D’Hondt, S., L. Abrams, T. Ferdelman, J. Fischer, F. Hasiuk, J. Kallmeyer, R. Pockalny, H. Schrum, D.C. Smith, A. Spivack, A. Stancin and the Knox-02RR Shipboard Science Party, 2007, Life in Subseafloor Sediments of the South Pacific Gyre, Eos Trans. AGU 88(52), Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract B52A-08.

D’Hondt, S., A. J. Spivack and G. Wang, 2007, Maintenance Energy in Deep Ocean Sediments, International Workshop on Microbial Life under Extreme Energy Limitations “The Starving Majority”, University of Aarhus, Denmark, October 21-24, Program, Abstracts and Information, 14.

Fischer, J. P., T. Ferdelman, S. D'Hondt, F. Wenzhoefer, and Knox-02RR Shipboard Scientific Party, 2007, Extreme oligotrophy in subsurface sediments of the South Pacific Gyre: Evidence from low oxygen fluxes, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 71 (15), A281, Suppl. S.

Kallmeyer, J., S. D'Hondt, and Knox-02RR Shipboard Scientific Party, 2007, Cell enumeration in extremely nutrient-poor sediments, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 71 (15): A460, Suppl. S.

Forschner, S.R., R.G. Sheffer, D.C. Smith, S. D'Hondt, and D.C. Rowley, 2007, Marine Actinomycete Biodiversity in Subsurface Sediments of the South Pacific Gyre. Abstract P-027M, American Society of Pharmacognosy 48th Annual Meeting, Portland, Me, July 14-18, 2007.