Geology

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Trinity College Dublin
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Professor Carlos Rocha

Professor Carlos Rocha

Professor In, School Office - Natural Sciences

Professor In, Geology

Biography

Carlos Rocha is an Associate Professor in Environmental Change at the School of Natural Sciences, TCD. After graduating in Technological Chemistry with honours in 1991, he went on to obtain a PhD in Marine Chemistry "suma cum laude" at the University of Lisbon in 1997. His contribution to the field was recognized at an early stage by two national science awards (1999 & 2000) and a prestigious nomination for the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography Lindemann Award in 2001. Before joining Trinity College, he was a lecturer in Biogeochemistry and the deputy director of the Centre for Marine and Environmental research at the University of Algarve, Portugal. Currently, Carlos teaches various aspects of Earth System Science at both under- and postgraduate level and leads the Biogeochemistry Research Group at Trinity College. Our research focuses on the study of processes affecting the transport, fate and impact of chemical species, including contaminants, in aquatic ecosystems. These studies aim to increase, for example, our understanding of carbon and nutrient transport, bioavailability and reactivity in the aquatic environment. Our ultimate goal is to comprehend ecosystem functional plasticity in response to anthropogenic pressure, climate change and biological activity, leading to increased knowledge on the resilience of marine systems to environmental change.

Publications and Further Research Outputs

  • Ibánhez J. Severino P., Rocha Carlos, Effects of recirculation of seawater enriched in inorganic nitrogen on dissolved organic carbon processing in sandy seepage face sediments , Marine Chemistry , 166 , ( ), 2014, p48 - 58Journal Article, 2014, DOI , URL , TARA - Full Text
  • Wilson, J., Coxon, C. & Rocha, C., A GIS and remote sensing based screening tool for assessing the potential for groundwater discharge to lakes in Ireland, Biology and Environment: Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 116B, (3), 2016, p265 - 277Journal Article, 2016, DOI , URL
  • Wilson, J., Rocha, C. & Coxon, C., Combining earth observation and geochemical tracing techniques for groundwater detection and evaluation in Ireland, EPA Research Report, 172, Wexford, Environmental Protection Agency, 2016, 56 pp.Report, 2016, URL
  • Lefevre, N.; Montes, M.F.; Gaspar, F.L.; Rocha, C.; Jiang, S.; De Araujo, M.C.; Ibanhez, J.S.P., Net heterotrophy in the Amazon continental shelf changes rapidly to a sink of CO2in the outer Amazon plume, Frontiers in Marine Science, 4, (SEP), 2017Journal Article, 2017, DOI , URL , TARA - Full Text
  • Oppelt, A.; Lopez Correa, M. and Rocha, C., Biogeochemical analysis of the calcification patterns of cold-water corals Madrepora oculata and Lophelia pertusa along contact surfaces with calcified tubes of the symbiotic polychaete Eunice norvegica: Evaluation of a mucus calcification hypothesis, Deep-Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, 127, 2017, p90-104Journal Article, 2017, DOI , URL
  • Lefevre, N.; da Silva Dias, F.J.; de Torres, A.R.; Noriega, C.; Araujo, M.; de Castro, A.C.L.; Rocha, C.; Jiang, S. and Ibanhez, J.S.P., A source of CO2to the atmosphere throughout the year in the Maranhense continental shelf (2°30'S, Brazil), Continental Shelf Research, 141, 2017, p38-50Journal Article, 2017, DOI , URL
  • Jiang, S. and Kavanagh, M. and Rocha, C., Evaluation of the suitability of vacutainers for storage of nutrient and dissolved organic carbon analytes in water samples, Biology and Environment, 117B, (1), 2017, p33-46Journal Article, 2017, DOI , URL
  • Rocha, C. and Veiga-Pires, C. and Scholten, J. and Knoeller, K. and Gröcke, D.R. and Carvalho, L. and Anibal, J. and Wilson, J., Assessing land-ocean connectivity via submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) in the Ria Formosa Lagoon (Portugal): Combining radon measurements and stable isotope hydrology, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 20, (8), 2016, p3077-3098Journal Article, 2016, DOI , URL
  • Ibanhez, J.S.P. and Rocha, C., Oxygen transport and reactivity within a sandy seepage face in a mesotidal lagoon (Ria Formosa, Southwestern Iberia), Limnology and Oceanography, 61, (1), 2016, p61-77Journal Article, 2016, DOI , URL
  • Green, D.S. and Boots, B. and Sigwart, J. and Jiang, S. and Rocha, C., Effects of conventional and biodegradable microplastics on a marine ecosystem engineer (Arenicola marina) and sediment nutrient cycling, Environmental Pollution, 208, 2016, p426-434Journal Article, 2016, DOI , URL
  • Rocha, C. and Wilson, J. and Scholten, J. and Schubert, M., Erratum to: Retention and fate of groundwater-borne nitrogen in a coastal bay (Kinvara Bay, Western Ireland) during summer [Biogeochemistry, DOI 10.1007/s10533-015-0116-1], Biogeochemistry, 125, (2), 2015, p301Journal Article, 2015, DOI , URL
  • Rocha, C. and Wilson, J. and Scholten, J. and Schubert, M., Retention and fate of groundwater-borne nitrogen in a coastal bay (Kinvara Bay, Western Ireland) during summer, Biogeochemistry, 125, (2), 2015, p275-299Journal Article, 2015, DOI , URL
  • Green, D.S. and Boots, B. and Blockley, D.J. and Rocha, C. and Thompson, R., Impacts of discarded plastic bags on marine assemblages and ecosystem functioning, Environmental Science and Technology, 49, (9), 2015, p5380-5389Journal Article, 2015, DOI , URL
  • Al-Ali, A.M. and Del Campo, A.G. and Rocha, C., Environmental assessment of mangrove communities in Tarut bay, eastern Arabian peninsula, based on multidisciplinary approach, 40, (7W3), 2015, pp269-276Conference Paper, 2015, DOI , URL
  • Ibánhez, J.S.P. and Rocha, C., Porewater Sampling for NH4+ with Rhizon Soil Moisture Samplers (SMS): Potential Artifacts induced by NH4+ Sorption, Freshwater Science, 33, (4), 2014, p1195-1203Journal Article, 2014, DOI , URL
  • Wilson, J. and Rocha, C., A remote sensing and geochemical tracing approach for localising groundwater discharge to lakes, 9239, (92391A), 2014Conference Paper, 2014, DOI , URL
  • Rocha, C. and Woodward, M., Nutrients, 2012, 197-221ppBook, 2012, DOI , URL
  • Fitzsimons, M.F. and Dawit, M. and Revitt, D.M. and Rocha, C., Effects of early tidal inundation on the cycling of methylamines in inter-tidal sediments, Marine Ecology Progress Series, 294, 2005, p51-61Journal Article, 2005, URL
  • Rocha, C., Density-driven convection during flooding of warm, permeable intertidal sediments: The ecological importance of the convective turnover pump, Journal of Sea Research, 43, (1), 2000, p1-14Journal Article, 2000, DOI , URL
  • Rocha, C. and Cabeçadas, G. and Brogueira, M.J., On the importance of sediment-water exchange processes of ammonia to primary production in shallow areas of the Sado estuary (Portugal), Netherlands Journal of Aquatic Ecology, 29, (3-4), 1995, p265-273Journal Article, 1995, DOI , URL
  • Petermann E., K Knoller, C Rocha, J Scholten, R Stollberg, H Weiss and M Schubert, Coupling End-Member Mixing Analysis and Isotope Mass Balancing (222-Rn) for Differentiation of Fresh and Recirculated Submarine Groundwater Discharge Into Knysna Estuary, South Africa., Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 123, 2018, p952-970Journal Article, 2018, DOI
  • JSP Ibanhez and C Rocha, Kinetics of inorganic nitrogen turnover in a sandy seepage face on a subterranean estuary., Applied Geochemistry, 87, 2017, p108 - 121Journal Article, 2017, DOI
  • Jiang S, JSP Ibánhez and C Rocha , Influence of labile dissolved organic matter on nitrate reduction in a seepage face., Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 25, 2018, p10654 - 10667Journal Article, 2018, DOI
  • Aghdam M.M., Crowley Q., Rocha C., Dentoni V., Pelo S.D., Long S., Savatier M., A study of natural radioactivity levels and radon/thoron release potential of bedrock and soil in southeastern ireland, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18, (5), 2021, p1 - 18, p1-18Journal Article, 2021, DOI
  • Ibánhez JSP, E Arevalo, T Kelly, S Papaspyrou, C Rocha, A Nicolaidou, Unravelling the dispersion and environmental impact of anthropogenic discharges in transitional water ecosystems, Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 216, 2019, p204 - 217Journal Article, 2019, URL
  • Jiang S, Y Zhang, J Jin, Y Wu, Y Wei, X Wang, C Rocha, JSP Ibánhez, J Zhang , Organic carbon at the seepage face of a subterranean estuary: Turnover and microbial interrelations, Science of the Total Environment, 725, 2020, p138220-Journal Article, 2020, URL
  • Calvo-Martin E, XA Álvarez-Salgado, C Rocha, JSP Ibánhez, Reactive solute transport through two contrasting subterranean exit sites in the Ria de Vigo (NW Iberian Peninsula), Frontiers in Marine Science, 8, 2021, p626813-Journal Article, 2021, URL
  • Savatier M, MT Guerra, JE Murphy, C Rocha, Radium isotopes as tools to characterise nutrient dynamics in a variably stratified temperate fjord, Marine Chemistry, 231, 2021, p103934-Journal Article, 2021, URL
  • Rocha C, CE Robinson, IR Santos, H Waska, HA Michael, HJ Bokuniewicz, A place for subterranean estuaries in the coastal zone., Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 250, 2021, p107167-Journal Article, 2021, URL
  • Savatier, M., Rocha, C., Rethinking tracer-based (Ra, Rn, salinity) approaches to estimate point-source submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) into coastal systems, Journal of Hydrology, 598, 2021, p126247-Journal Article, 2021, URL
  • Jiang, S., Jin, J., Wu, Y., Zhang, Y., Wei, Y., Rocha, C., Ibánhez, J.S.P., Zhang, J., Response of Nitrate Processing to Bio-labile Dissolved Organic Matter Supply Under Variable Oxygen Conditions in a Sandy Beach Seepage Face, Frontiers in Marine Science, 8, 2021, p642143-Journal Article, 2021, URL
  • Ibánhez, J.S.P., Álvarez-Salgado, X.A., Rocha, C., , Does Nitrate Enrichment Accelerate Organic Matter Turnover in Subterranean Estuaries?, Frontiers in Marine Science, 8, 2021, p661201-Journal Article, 2021, URL
  • Ibánhez, J.S.P., Álvarez‐Salgado, X.A., Nieto‐Cid, M., Rocha, C., Fresh and saline submarine groundwater discharge in a large coastal inlet affected by seasonal upwelling, Limnology & Oceanography , 66, 2021, p2141 - 2158Journal Article, 2021, URL
  • Jiang, S., Kavanagh, M., Ibánhez, J.S.P., Rocha, C., Denitrification-nitrification process in permeable coastal sediments: An investigation on the effect of salinity and nitrate availability using flow-through reactors., Acta Oceanol. Sin, 40, 2021, p1 - 12Journal Article, 2021, URL
  • O Connell D.W., Rocha C., Daly E., Carrey Labarta R., Marchesi R., Ansems N., Wilson J., Hickey C., Gill L.W., Characterization of seasonal groundwater origin and evolution processes in a geologically heterogeneous catchment using geophysical, isotopic and hydro-chemical techniques (Lough Gur, Ireland), Hydrological Processes, 36, 2022, pe14706Journal Article, 2022, DOI
  • Calvo-Martin, Elisa, Eva Teira, Xosé Antón Álvarez-Salgado, Carlos Rocha, Shan Jiang, Maider Justel-Díez, and Juan Severino Pino Ibánhez. , On the Hidden Diversity and Niche Specialization of the Microbial Realm of Subterranean Estuaries, Environmental Microbiology, 2022Journal Article, 2022, DOI , URL
  • Rocha, Carlos, Henry Bokuniewicz, Clare E. Robinson, Isaac R. Santos, and Hannelore Waska, To Study the Invisible: Hydraulics, Biogeochemistry, and Life in Subterranean Estuaries [Editorial: Subterranean Estuaries], Frontiers in Environmental Science, 10, 2022Journal Article, 2022, URL
  • Rocha, Carlos, Shan Jiang, J. S. P. Ibánhez, Qiang Yang, Katerina Mazi, and Antonis D. Koussis, The Effects of Subterranean Estuary Dynamics on Nutrient Resource Ratio Availability to Microphytobenthos in a Coastal Lagoon, Science of the Total Environment , 851, 2022, p157522Journal Article, 2022, DOI
  • Aníbal J, C. Rocha & M. Sprung, Mudflat surface morphology as a structuring agent of algae and associated macroepifauna communities: A case study in the Ria Formosa , Journal of Sea Research, 57, 2007, p36 - 46Journal Article, 2007
  • Fitzsimmons MF, M Dawit, DM Revitt and C Rocha, A study of the effects of early tidal inundation on the cycling of methylamines in inter-tidal sediments, Marine Ecology Progress Series, 294, 2005, p51 - 61Journal Article, 2005
  • Rocha C, S Forster, E Koning and E Epping, High-resolution permeability determination and two-dimensional pore water flow in sandy sediment, Limnology & Oceanography: Methods, 3, 2005, p10 - 23Journal Article, 2005
  • Rocha C, H Galvão and A Barbosa, Role of transient silicon limitation in the development of cyanobacteria blooms in the Guadiana estuary, South-western Iberia, Marine Ecology Progress Series, 228, 2002, p35 - 45Journal Article, 2002
  • Vidal S, C Rocha, and H Galvão, A comparison of organic and inorganic carbon controls over biological denitrification in aquaria, Chemosphere, 48, 2002, p445 - 451Journal Article, 2002
  • Rocha C, S Mesquita, S Vidal and H Galvão, Impact of clam harvesting on benthic nitrifiers in sandy intertidal sediments of the Ria Formosa coastal lagoon, Portugal, Journal of Coastal Research, 34 , (SI), 2001, p623 - 632Journal Article, 2001
  • Rocha, C, Convective turnover on flooding of warm, permeable, intertidal sediments: The ecological importance of the convective turnover pump, Journal of Sea Research, 43, 2000, p1 - 14Journal Article, 2000
  • Rocha, C, Rhythmic ammonium regeneration and flushing in intertidal sediments of the Sado estuary, Limnology and Oceanography, 43, (5), 1998, p823 - 831Journal Article, 1998
  • Rocha C and AP Cabral, The influence of tidal action on pore water nitrate in intertidal sediments of the Sado estuary, Estuaries, 21, (4A), 1998, p635 - 645Journal Article, 1998
  • Biogeochemical Fluxes in intertidal zones: examples from Portuguese ecosystems in, editor(s)R. Prego & J. M. Fernandez , Biogeochemical processes in Luso-Spanish coastal systems, Pontevedra, Spain, 1995, pp15 - 19, [Vale C, I Caçador, MJ Madureira, M Falcão, M Caetano, T Cabrita and C Rocha]Book Chapter, 1995
  • Rocha C, G Cabeçadas and MJ Brogueira, Indications of the importance of sediment water exchange processes of ammonia in low depth areas to primary production in the Sado estuary, Netherlands Journal of Aquatic Ecology, 29, (3-4), 1995, p265 - 273Journal Article, 1995
  • Rocha C, J Madureira and M Caetano, Role of microorganisms in the mineralization processes of intertidal surface sediments subject to high temperatures: an incubation experiment, Netherlands Journal of Aquatic Ecology, 29, (3-4), 1995, p257 - 263Journal Article, 1995
  • Brogueira MJ, G Cabeçadas and C Rocha, Sado estuary coastal waters: thermohaline properties and chemical composition, GAIA, 8, 1994, p23 - 25Journal Article, 1994
  • Iley J, Norberto F, E Rosa, V Cardoso and C Rocha, N-nitrosocompounds Part 2. The Synthesis of N-nitrosoclonidine and its decomposition in aqueous acidic media, Journal of the Chemical Society - Perkin Transactions II, 1993, p591-Journal Article, 1993
  • Leote C, J Ibanhez and C Rocha, Submarine Groundwater Discharge as a nitrogen source to the Ria Formosa studied with seepage meters, Biogeochemistry, 88, 2008, p185 - 194Journal Article, 2008
  • Rocha C, Sandy sediments as active bigeochemical reactors: compound cycling on the fast lane, Aquatic Microbial Ecology, 53(1), 2008, p119 - 127Journal Article, 2008
  • Leote C, J Ibanhez and C Rocha, Coastal Groundwater Discharge in the Ria Formosa identified as a major source of Nitrogen to the lagoon's internal nutrient mass balance, published in CD-ROM, XXXV IAH (International Association of Hydrogeologists) Congress - Groundwater and Ecosystems, Lisbon, 17-21 September, 2007, pp9ppConference Paper, 2007
  • Ibanhez SP, C Leote and C Rocha, Biogeochemical mediation of groundwater-borne nitrate seepage into the Ria Formosa coastal lagoon by beach face sandy sediments, published in CD-ROM, XXXV IAH (International Association of Hydrogeologists) Congress - Groundwater and Ecosystems, Lisbon, 17-21 September, 2007, pp10Conference Paper, 2007
  • Rocha C, Biogeochemistry of nitrogen in intertidal sediments supporting Submarine Groundwater Discharge (SGD), RSC Invited Talk, University of Plymouth, UK, 4th February, 2009, Royal Society of ChemistryInvited Talk, 2009
  • Rocha C, Sandy sediments as active bigeochemical reactors: compound cycling on the fast lane?, 10th Symposium on Aquatic Microbial Ecology, Faro, Portugal, 2-7 September, 2007, ISME-International Society for Microbial EcologyInvited Talk, 2007
  • Rocha, C.; J. Ibanhez & C. Leote, Benthic nitrate biogeochemistry affected by tidal modulation of Submarine Groundwater Discharge (SGD) through a sandy beach face, Ria Formosa, Southwestern Iberia, Marine Chemistry, 115, (1-2), 2009, p43 - 58Journal Article, 2009, URL
  • Simao MF, RB Leite, C Rocha and ML Cancela, Changes in Bioturbation of Iron Biogeochemistry and in Molecular Response of the Clam Ruditapes decussates upon Perkinsus olseni Infection. , Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 2010Journal Article, 2010, URL
  • J Ibanhez, Leote C and C Rocha, Porewater nitrate profiles in sandy sediments hosting submarine groundwater discharge described by an Advection-Dispersion-Reaction (ADR) model, Biogeochemistry, 103, 2011, p159 - 180Journal Article, 2011
  • Wilson J & C Rocha , Regional Scale Assessment of SGD (Submarine Groundwater Discharge) in Ireland. , Proceedings of RSPSoc2010 Annual Conference, RSPSoc 2010 Annual Conference, Cork, Ireland, 1st-3rd September 20, 2010, pp123 - 130Conference Paper, 2010
  • Marine monitored parameters, matrices and related techniques - Nutrients. in, editor(s)Quevauvilliler, P., Roose, P & Verreet, G. , Chemical Marine Monitoring - Policy Framework and Analytical Trends, Chichester, UK, John Wiley & Sons, 2011, pp195 - 221, [Rocha C and EMS Woodward]Book Chapter, 2011
  • Anibal J, E Esteves and C Rocha, Seasonal variations in gross biochemical composition, percent edibility, and condition index of the clam Ruditapes decussatus cultivated in the Ria Formosa (south Portugal), Journal of Shellfish Research, 30, 2011, p17 - 23Journal Article, 2011
  • Wilson J & C Rocha , Regional scale assessment of Submarine Groundwater Discharge in Ireland combining medium resolution satellite imagery and geochemical tracing techniques, Remote Sensing of Environment, 119, 2012, p21 - 34Journal Article, 2012
  • Ibanhez, J., Leote, C. & C Rocha, Seasonal enhancement of Submarine Groundwater Discharge (SGD)-derived nitrate loading into the Ria Formosa coastal lagoon assessed by 1-D modelling of benthic NO3- profiles, Estuarine and Coastal Shelf Science, 132, 2013, p56 - 64Journal Article, 2013
  • Remote Sensing of Environment, 119, (2012), 21 - 34p, Elsevier, [eds.]Journal, 2012, DOI
  • Stevenson, A. & C. Rocha, Evidence for the bioerosion of deep-water corals by echinoids in the Northeast Atlantic. , Deep-Sea Research, Part I, 71, 2013, p73 - 78Journal Article, 2013
  • Green, D.S., C. Rocha & T. Crowe, Effects of Non-indigenous Oysters on Ecosystem Processes Vary with Abundance and Context. , Ecosystems, 16, 2013, p881 - 893Journal Article, 2013, DOI
  • Craven, K., Edwards, R.J., Goodue, R., Rocha, C., Evaluating the influence of selected acid-pretreatment methods on the environmental interpretation of C/N and δ13C of temperate inter-tidal sediments for relative sea-level reconstruction, Irish Journal of Earth Sciences, 31, 2013, p25 - 42Journal Article, 2013, DOI , TARA - Full Text
  • Carvalho, LF, C Rocha, A Fleming, C Veiga-Pires, J Anibal, Interception of nutrient rich submarine groundwater discharge seepage on European temperate beaches by the Acoel flatworm, Symsagittifera roscoffensis., Marine Pollution Bulletin, 75, 2013, p150 - 156Journal Article, 2013, URL
  • Anibal, J, H Madeira, LF Carvalho, E Esteves, C Veiga-Pires, C Rocha, Macroalgae mitigation potential for fish aquaculture effluents: an approach coupling nitrogen uptake and metabolic pathways using Ulva rigida and Enteromorpha clathrata., Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2013Journal Article, 2013, DOI , URL

Research Expertise

Ecology, Agricultural, veterinary and food sciences, Earth and related environmental sciences, Oceanography, Hydrology, Fisheries sciences, Soil sciences, Environmental geoscience, Climate change science, Pollution and contamination, Agriculture, horticulture, forestry and fisheries,

Recognition

  • Nominated by students for Provost Teaching Award 2012
  • Calouste Gulbenkian Young Researcher Award in Environmental Chemistry 1999
  • Nominated by students to Provost Teaching Award 2018
  • Lindemann award nominee, ASLO-American Society for Limnology and Oceanography 2001
  • IMAR/Luiz Saldanha Young Researcher Award in Marine Science and Technology 2000
  • American Society for Limnology and Oceanography 1998
  • European Association of Geochemistry (EAG) present
  • Member of the Editorial Board, Journal of Sea Research (ISSN-1385-1101) since 2004