Dr Laura Castro de la Guardia


        Dr Laura Castro de la Guardia wearing a red wooly hat in a snowy environment

Physical & Biological Oceanographer

I began my scientific journey studying coral reef ecology in Cuba, but over time I found myself drawn to the snow and ice of the Arctic, gradually moving my research focus northward.

From early on, I recognized the importance of an interdisciplinary approach, combining oceanography and biology to understand ecological changes in polar environments. I enjoy working in collaborative teams where ideas can be shared and developed collectively. I equally value hands-on fieldwork and computational modelling, appreciating the complementary insights each provides.

My work is driven by curiosity and a desire to translate science into meaningful impact: informing policy, supporting environmental assessments, or engaging students and the broader public through teaching and outreach. I continue to be inspired by polar environments and I am passionate about understanding and predicting how these fragile ecosystems respond to rapid environmental change.

Contact details:

My research interests

The Arctic Ocean is undergoing rapid change, and biological processes are responding in complex and interconnected ways. My research focuses on understanding and predicting the direction and magnitude of these changes. To pursue this, I integrate physical and biological datasets, combining in situ observations, satellite products, and model simulations. My overarching goal is to advance our understanding of biophysical interactions driven by climate change in polar regions. I am particularly interested in how large-scale atmospheric and ocean circulation changes—and the loss of ice and snow - affect marine primary producers, and how these shifts influence dissolved oxygen and carbon dynamics in the ocean.

 

Current research projects

OpKrop

OpKROP aims to synthesize and analyse long-term environmental and biological time-series from two Arctic fjords—Kongsfjorden and Isfjorden—to improve understanding of ecosystem change.

As a PDRA, I contribute to the project’s core objective by synthesizing and analysing long-term datasets from both fjords.

 

KANG-GLAC

KANG-GLAC investigates how ocean-driven warming affects marine-terminating glaciers in south-east Greenland, reconstructing glacier, ocean, and ecosystem change over the Holocene to understand past ice-sheet dynamics and future trajectories.

As a PDRA, I analyse physical oceanographic data collected during the project’s oceanographic cruises, and collaborate with biologists to interpret how glacier melt interacts with marine ecosystems.

 

GIANT

GIANT (Greenland Ice Sheet to AtlaNtic Tipping points) is a pioneering project that investigates whether accelerating melt from the Greenland Ice Sheet could trigger a critical climate tipping point—the disruption of North Atlantic ocean circulation—and explores the potential for early-warning indicators.

As a PDRA, I contribute to the collection and interpretation of new observational data to help detect emerging signals of change in the coupled ice–ocean system.

 

Selected past research projects

FACE-IT

FACE-IT investigates how rapid environmental change in Arctic coastal zones affects biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and local communities.

As a PDRA in the modelling team, I contributed to improving gas exchange parameterizations, evaluated fjord model simulations, and helped synthesize observational data to characterize the biogeochemical state of an Arctic fjord. I also developed a model to predict kelp biomass from underwater light measurements in Arctic fjords—data-limited environments undergoing rapid environmental change

 

Nansen Legacy

The Nansen Legacy is a large Norwegian research programme that studies how climate change is transforming the northern Barents Sea ecosystem. It provides year-round observations and modelling to support future sustainable management of the region.
As a PDRA in the modelling team, I contributed to estimating total phytoplankton biomass and detecting trends in the Barents Sea by integrating multiple data sources, including in situ observations, biogeochemical model outputs, and satellite products.

 

VITALS

VITALS – Ventilation, Interactions and Transports Across the Labrador Sea- project examined how physical processes in the Labrador Sea regulate oxygen, carbon, and heat exchange between the ocean and atmosphere. The project combined observations and modelling to improve predictions of climate-relevant ocean ventilation.

As a PhD researcher in the modelling team, I helped develop and test the biogeochemical model used in VITALS. I applied this model to investigate oxygen transport in the Labrador Sea and to assess how changes in sea ice and atmospheric forcing influence marine productivity in the Arctic Ocean.

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