Dr. Tina Sanders
Dr. Tina Sanders
Aquatic Nutrient Cycles
Head of DepartmentPhone: +49 (0)4152 87-1898
Fax: +49 (0)4152 87-1875
My research focuses on the nitrogen cycle in coastal waters and land-sea transitions. I mainly study nitrification, the oxidation of ammonium to nitrate, and denitrification, the reduction of nitrate to atmospheric nitrogen. I am particularly interested in the diversity of the involved microorganisms. As a method I use stable isotope analysis to identify processes and sources. My main areas of investigation are the Elbe River in Germany, and the Lena River in northeast Siberia.
- Reactive nitrogen in the Elbe River
- Stable Isotopes approaches for turn over processes
- Impact of nitrification on the turnover of reactive Nitrogen in Elbe River
- Nitrifying microorganisms
- Nitrification in cold environments
- Since 2022 Senior Scientist Aquatic nutrient cycle, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon
- 2016 – 2021 PostDoc Aquatic nutrient cycle, Helmholtz-zentrum Geesthacht
- 09/2015 Research visit at NIOO, Wageningen, Netherlands
- 07/2011 - 2016 PostDoc Helmholtz-Young Investigators Group “Sources, sinks and internal cycling of nitrogen in coastal waters – Identification of key processes using stable N isotopes“
- 05/2007 - 06/2011 PhD on the Institute of Soils Science Thesis: Characterization of ammonia oxidizing organisms in soils of cold and moderate climates and their impact on the global nitrogen cycle.
- 11/ 2006 Diplom Biology University of Hamburg, Germany Vergleichende Untersuchungen kälteliebender nitrifizierender Bakterien aus Permafrostböden im Lena Delta, Sibirien
- 03/2002 Vordiplom Biology, March 2002 University of Oldenburg, Germany
- Kamjunke, N., & Sanders, T. (2024): Complete exhaustion of dissolved nutrients in a large lowland river. Environ Monit Assess 196, 660, doi:10.1007/s10661-024-12834-5
- Siems, A., Zimmermann, T., Sanders, T., & Pröfrock, D. (2024): Dissolved trace elements and nutrients in the North Sea - a current baseline. Environ Monit Assess 196, 539, doi:10.1007/s10661-024-12675-2
- Strauss, J., Marushchak, M.E., van Delden, L., Sanders, T., Biasi, C., Voigt, C., Jongejans, L.L., & Treat, C. (2024): Potential nitrogen mobilisation from the Yedoma permafrost domain. Environ. Res. Lett. 19 043002, doi:10.1088/1748-9326/ad3167
- Kamjunke, N., Brix, H., Flöser, G., Bussmann, I., Schütze, C., Achterberg, E.P., Ködel, U., Fischer, P., Rewrie, L., Sanders, T., Pein, J., Jacob, B., Borchardt, D., & Weitere, M. (2023): Large-scale nutrient and carbon dynamics along the river-estuary-ocean continuum. Science of The Total Environment, Vol. 890, 164421, doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164421
- Norbisrath, M., Neumann, A., Dähnke, K., Sanders, T., Schöl, A., van Beusekom, J.E.E., & Thomas, H. (2023): Alkalinity and nitrate dynamics reveal dominance of anammox in a hyper-turbid estuary. Biogeosciences, 20, 4307-4321, doi:10.5194/bg-20-4307-2023
- Ogneva, O., Mollenhauer, G., Juhls, B., Sanders, T., Palmtag, J., Fuchs, M., Grotheer, H., Mann, P. J., & Strauss, J. (2023): Particulate organic matter in the Lena River and its delta: from the permafrost catchment to the Arctic Ocean. Biogeosciences, 20, 1423–1441, doi:10.5194/bg-20-1423-2023
- Rewrie, L.C.V., Voynova, Y.G., van Beusekom, J.E.E., Sanders, T., Körtzinger, A., Brix, H., Ollesch, G., & Baschek, B. (2023): Significant shifts in inorganic carbon and ecosystem state in a temperate estuary (1985–2018). Limnol Oceanogr., doi:10.1002/lno.12395
- Schulz, G., Sanders, T., Voynova, Y.G., Bange, H.W., & Dähnke, K. (2023): Seasonal variability of nitrous oxide concentrations and emissions in a temperate estuary. Biogeosciences, 20, 3229–3247, doi:10.5194/bg-20-3229-2023
- Schulz, G., van Beusekom, J.E.E., Jacob, J., Bold, S., Schöl, A., Ankele, M., Sanders, T., & Dähnke, K. (2023): Low discharge intensifies nitrogen retention in rivers – A case study in the Elbe River. Science of The Total Environment, Volume 904, 166740, doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166740
- Dähnke, K., Sanders, T., Voynova, Y., & Wankel, S.D. (2022): Nitrogen isotopes reveal a particulate-matter-driven biogeochemical reactor in a temperate estuary. Biogeosciences, 19, 5879–5891, doi:10.5194/bg-19-5879-2022
- Fiencke, C., Marushchak, M.E., Sanders, T., Wegner, R., & Beer, C. (2022): Microbiogeochemical Traits to Identify Nitrogen Hotspots in Permafrost Regions. Nitrogen, 2022, 3(3):458-503, doi:10.3390/nitrogen3030031
- Fuchs, M., Palmtag, J., Juhls, B., Overduin, P.P., Grosse, G., Abdelwahab, A., Bedington, M., Sanders, T., Ogneva, O., Fedorova, I.V., Zimov, N.S., Mann, P.J., & Strauss, J. (2022): High-resolution bathymetry models for the Lena Delta and Kolyma Gulf coastal zones. Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 2279–2301, doi:10.5194/essd-14-2279-2022
- Haugk, C., Jongejans, L.L., Mangelsdorf, K., Fuchs, M., Ogneva, O., Palmtag, J., Mollenhauer, G., Mann, P.J., Overduin, P.P., Grosse, G., Sanders, T., Tuerena, R.E., Schirrmeister, L., Wetterich, S., Kizyakov, A., Karger, C., & Strauss, J. (2022): Organic matter characteristics of a rapidly eroding permafrost cliff in NE Siberia (Lena Delta, Laptev Sea region). Biogeosciences, 19, 2079–2094, doi:10.5194/bg-19-2079-2022
- Norbisrath, M., Pätsch, J., Dähnke, K., Sanders, T., Schulz, G., van Beusekom, J.E.E., & Thomas, H. (2022): Metabolic alkalinity release from large port facilities (Hamburg, Germany) and impact on coastal carbon storage. Biogeosciences, 19, 5151–5165, doi:10.5194/bg-19-5151-2022
- Reeder, C.F., Arévalo-Martínez, D.L., Carreres-Calabuig, J.A., Sanders, T., Posth, N.R., & Löscher, C.R. (2022): High Diazotrophic Diversity but Low N2 Fixation Activity in the Northern Benguela Upwelling System Confirming the Enigma of Nitrogen Fixation in Oxygen Minimum Zone Waters. Front. Mar. Sci. 9:868261, doi:10.3389/fmars.2022.868261
- Sanders, T., Fiencke, C., Fuchs, M., Haugk, C., Juhls, B., Mollenhauer, G., Ogneva, O., Overduin, P., Palmtag, J., Povazhniy, V., Strauss, J., Tuerena, R., Zell, N., & Dähnke, K. (2022): Seasonal nitrogen fluxes of the Lena River Delta. Ambio 51, 423–438, doi:10.1007/s13280-021-01665-0
- Schulz, G., Sanders, T., van Beusekom, J.E.E., Voynova, Y.G., Schöl, A., & Dähnke, K. (2022): Suspended particulate matter drives the spatial segregation of nitrogen turnover along the hyper-turbid Ems estuary. Biogeosciences, 19, 2007–2024, doi:10.5194/bg-19-2007-2022
- Strauss, J., Biasi, C., Sanders, T., Abbott, B.W., Schneider von Deimling, T., Voigt, C., Winkel, M., Marushchak, M.E., Kou, D., Fuchs, M., Horn, M.A., Jongejans, L.L., Liebner, S., Nitzbon, J., Schirrmeister, L., Anthony, K.W., Yang, Y., Zubrzycki, S., Laboor, S., Treat, C., & Grosse, G. (2022): A globally relevant stock of soil nitrogen in the Yedoma permafrost domain. Nat Commun 13, 6074, doi:10.1038/s41467-022-33794-9
- Tian, S., Gaye, B., Tang, J., Luo, Y., Lahajnar, N., Dähnke, K., Sanders, T., Xiong, T., Zhai, W., & Emeis, K.-C. (2022): Nitrate Regeneration and Loss in the Central Yellow Sea Bottom Water Revealed by Nitrogen Isotopes. Front. Mar. Sci. 9:834953, doi:10.3389/fmars.2022.834953
- Tian, S., Gaye, B., Tang, J., Luo, Y., Li, W., Lahajnar, N., Dähnke, K., Sanders, T., Xiong, T., Zhai, W., & Emeis, K.-C. (2022): A nitrate budget of the Bohai Sea based on an isotope mass balance model. Biogeosciences, 19, 2397–2415, doi:10.5194/bg-19-2397-2022
- Townhill, B.L., Reppas-Chrysovitsinos, E., Sühring, R., Halsall, C.J., Mengo, E., Sanders, T., Dähnke, K., Crabeck, O., Jan Kaiser, J., & Silvana N. R. Birchenough, S.N.R. (2022): Pollution in the Arctic Ocean: An overview of multiple pressures and implications for ecosystem services. Ambio 51, 471–483, (2022), doi:10.1007/s13280-021-01657-0
- Tuerena, R.E., Mahaffey, C., Henley, S.F., de la Vega, C., Norman, L., Brand, T., Sanders, T., Debyser, M., Dähnke, K., Braun, J., & März, C. (2022): Nutrient pathways and their susceptibility to past and future change in the Eurasian Arctic Ocean. Ambio 51, 355–369 (2022), doi:10.1007/s13280-021-01673-0
- Pein, J., Eisele, A., Sanders, T., Daewel, U., Stanev, E.V., van Beusekom, J.E.E., Staneva, J., & Schrum, C. (2021): Seasonal Stratification and Biogeochemical Turnover in the Freshwater Reach of a Partially Mixed Dredged Estuary. Front. Mar. Sci. 8:623714, doi:10.3389/fmars.2021.623714
- Sanders, T., Fiencke, C., Fuchs, M., Haugk, C., Juhls, B., Mollenhauer, G., Ogneva, O., Overduin, P., Palmtag, J., Povazhniy, V., Strauss, J., Tuerena, R., Zell, N., & Kirstin Dähnke, K. (2021): Seasonal nitrogen fluxes of the Lena River Delta. Ambio, doi:10.1007/s13280-021-01665-0
- Townhill, B.L., Reppas-Chrysovitsinos, E., Sühring, R., Halsall, C.J., Mengo, E., Sanders, T., Dähnke, K., Crabeck, O., Jan Kaiser, J., & Silvana N. R. Birchenough, S.N.R. (2021): Pollution in the Arctic Ocean: An overview of multiple pressures and implications for ecosystem services. Ambio, doi:10.1007/s13280-021-01657-0
- Tuerena, R.E., Mahaffey, C., Henley, S.F., de la Vega, C., Norman, L., Brand, T., Sanders, T., Debyser, M., Dähnke, K., Braun, J., & März, C. (2021): Nutrient pathways and their susceptibility to past and future change in the Eurasian Arctic Ocean. Ambio, doi:10.1007/s13280-021-01673-0
- Bratek, A., Beusekom, J.E.E. van, Neumann, A., Sanders, T., Friedrich, J., Emeis, K.-C., & Dähnke, K. (2020): Spatial variations in sedimentary N-transformation rates in the North Sea (German Bight). Biogeosciences, 17, 2839–2851, doi:10.5194/bg-17-2839-2020
- Bratek, A., Emeis, K.-C., Sanders, T., Wankel, S.D., Struck, U., Möbius, J., & Dähnke, K. (2020): Nitrate sources and the effect of land cover on the isotopic composition of nitrate in the catchment of the Rhône River. Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies, 56:1, 14-35, doi:10.1080/10256016.2020.1723580
- Pein, J., Eisele, A., Hofmeister, R., Sanders, T., Daewel, U., Stanev, E.V., Beusekom, J. van, Staneva, J., & Schrum, C. (2019): Nitrogen cycling in the Elbe estuary from a joint 3D-modelling and observational perspective. Biogeosciences Discuss., doi:10.5194/bg-2019-265
- Sanders, T., Fiencke, C., Hüpeden, J., Pfeiffer, E.M., & Spieck, E. (2019): Cold Adapted Nitrosospira sp.: A Potential Crucial Contributor of Ammonia Oxidation in Cryosols of Permafrost-Affected Landscapes in Northeast Siberia. Microorganisms 2019, 7, 699, doi:10.3390/microorganisms7120699
- Fiencke, C., Sanders, T., Beermann, F., Lebedeva, E.E., & Pfeiffer, E.-M. (2018): Microbial Nitrogen Turnover in the Active Layer and Deeper Permafrost Sediments of the Lena River Delta. In: Hubberten, H.-W., Bolshiyano, D.Y., Grigoriev, M.N., Grosse, G., Morgenstern, A., Pfeiffer, E.-M., Rachold, V., & Schirrmeister, L. (Ed.): 20 Years of Terrestrial Research in the Siberian Arctic. The History of the LENA Expeditions, ISBN 978-3-88808-714-1
- Sanders, T., & Laanbroek, H.J. (2018): The distribution of sediment and water column nitrification potential in the hyper-turbid Ems estuary. Aquatic Sciences; 80:33, doi:10.1007/s00027-018-0584-1
- Sanders, T., Schöl, A., & Dähnke, K. (2018): Hot Spots of Nitrification in the Elbe Estuary and Their Impact on Nitrate Regeneration. Estuaries and Coasts, January 2018, Volume 41, Issue 1, pp 128–138, doi:10.1007/s12237-017-0264-8
- Brase, L., Sanders, T., & Daehnke, K. (2018): Anthropogenic changes of nitrogen loads in a small river: external nutrient sources vs. internal turnover processes. Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies, Vol. 54 (2018) 2, 168-184, doi:10.1080/10256016.2018.1428580
- Jacob J, Nowka B, Merten V, Sanders T, Spieck E, Dähnke K (2017): Oxidation kinetics and inverse isotope effect of marine nitrite-oxidizing isolates. Aquat Microb Ecol 80:289-300. doi:10.3354/ame01859
- Sanders, T, Fiencke, C. & Pfeiffer, E.M. Small-Scale Variability of Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen (DIN) and C/N ratios in Permafrost Soils of the Island Samoylov, Lena River Delta, North-East Siberia. Polarfoschung. 80(1), 23-35., 2010 http://epic.awi.de/epic/Main?puid=36447
- Sanders, T., C. Fiencke, E. Spieck, and E.-M. Pfeiffer. (2008). "Detection and enrichment of ammonia oxidizers from permafrost soils of Siberia." In: Kane, D.L., and K.M. Hinkel (eds). Ninth International Conference on Permafrost. Institute of Northern Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks 2: 1567-1571.
- Alawi, M., Lipski, A., Sanders, T., Pfeiffer, E.M. & Spieck, E. (2007). "Cultivation of a novel cold-adapted nitrite oxidizing betaproteobacterium from Siberian Artic." ISME. 1, 256–264