Mark Marvin-DiPasquale, PhD
Dr. Marvin-DiPasquale is a Research Microbiologist for the USGS Water Resources Mission Area.
A native of Rochester NY, Dr. Marvin-DiPasquale is Project Chief in the Water Mission Area (WMA) Earth System Processes Division (ESPD). He is the science lead of the "Microbial Biogeochemistry” workgroup and the project manager of the WMA "Proxies Project". He completed a B.S. in Chemistry at SUNY StonyBrook in 1987 and a Ph.D. in 1995 from University of Maryland, Marine and Estuarine Environmental Science Program, with a focus on the microbial ecology of Chesapeake Bay sediments. He began a career at USGS (Menlo Park, CA) as a ‘National Research Council’ post-doc in 1995, and became a Project Chief in 2004. During much of his USGS tenure, his research focus has been on mercury cycling in various ecosystems, including: the San Francisco Bay watershed and associated mining areas throughout CA; FL Everglades; Carson River, NV (mercury Superfund site); coastal Louisiana; Patagonia region of Argentina; Puget Sound, WA; USGS-NAWQA and USGS-WEBB Study Units in OR, FL, WI, SC, NY, CO, GA, PR, and VT.
Research Interests: microbial ecology, biogeochemistry, estuarine and freshwater ecology, mercury and other trace metal biogoechemistry
Professional Experience
Project Chief, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park and Moffett Field, CA, 2004-present.
Research Microbiologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park and Moffett Field, CA, 1998-present
National Research Council Associate, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA, 1995-1998.
Education and Certifications
University of Maryland, Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, Solomons, MD. 1987-95. Ph.D., Marine and Estuarine Environmental Sciences. Research Focus: Aquatic Microbial Ecology and Biogeochemistry
State University of N.Y., Stony Brook, NY. 1985‑87. B.S., Chemistry.
Affiliations and Memberships*
American Chemical Society
American Geophysical Union
American Society of Limnology and Oceanography
American Society for Microbiology
California Estuarine Research Society
Estuarine Research Federation
Science and Products
Procedures for collecting and processing streambed sediment and pore water for analysis of mercury as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program Procedures for collecting and processing streambed sediment and pore water for analysis of mercury as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program
Total mercury, methylmercury, methylmercury production potential, and ancillary streambed-sediment and pore-water data for selected streams in Oregon, Wisconsin, and Florida, 2003-04 Total mercury, methylmercury, methylmercury production potential, and ancillary streambed-sediment and pore-water data for selected streams in Oregon, Wisconsin, and Florida, 2003-04
Mercury and organic carbon dynamics during runoff episodes from a northeastern USA watershed Mercury and organic carbon dynamics during runoff episodes from a northeastern USA watershed
Wetlands as principal zones of methylmercury production in southern Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico region Wetlands as principal zones of methylmercury production in southern Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico region
Comparison of total mercury and methylmercury cycling at five sites using the small watershed approach Comparison of total mercury and methylmercury cycling at five sites using the small watershed approach
Influence of plankton mercury dynamics and trophic pathways on mercury concentrations of top predator fish of a mining-impacted reservoir Influence of plankton mercury dynamics and trophic pathways on mercury concentrations of top predator fish of a mining-impacted reservoir
Ecosystem conceptual model- Mercury Ecosystem conceptual model- Mercury
Environmental factors affecting mercury in Camp Far West Reservoir, California, 2001-03 Environmental factors affecting mercury in Camp Far West Reservoir, California, 2001-03
Legacy mercury in Alviso Slough, south San Francisco Bay, California: Concentration, speciation and mobility Legacy mercury in Alviso Slough, south San Francisco Bay, California: Concentration, speciation and mobility
Development of a mercury speciation, fate, and biotic uptake (BIOTRANSPEC) model: Application to Lahontan Reservoir (Nevada, USA) Development of a mercury speciation, fate, and biotic uptake (BIOTRANSPEC) model: Application to Lahontan Reservoir (Nevada, USA)
Methodological considerations regarding the use of inorganic 197Hg(II) radiotracer to assess mercury methylation potential rates in lake sediment Methodological considerations regarding the use of inorganic 197Hg(II) radiotracer to assess mercury methylation potential rates in lake sediment
USGS science in Menlo Park -- a science strategy for the U.S. Geological Survey Menlo Park Science Center, 2005-2015 USGS science in Menlo Park -- a science strategy for the U.S. Geological Survey Menlo Park Science Center, 2005-2015
Science and Products
Procedures for collecting and processing streambed sediment and pore water for analysis of mercury as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program Procedures for collecting and processing streambed sediment and pore water for analysis of mercury as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program
Total mercury, methylmercury, methylmercury production potential, and ancillary streambed-sediment and pore-water data for selected streams in Oregon, Wisconsin, and Florida, 2003-04 Total mercury, methylmercury, methylmercury production potential, and ancillary streambed-sediment and pore-water data for selected streams in Oregon, Wisconsin, and Florida, 2003-04
Mercury and organic carbon dynamics during runoff episodes from a northeastern USA watershed Mercury and organic carbon dynamics during runoff episodes from a northeastern USA watershed
Wetlands as principal zones of methylmercury production in southern Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico region Wetlands as principal zones of methylmercury production in southern Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico region
Comparison of total mercury and methylmercury cycling at five sites using the small watershed approach Comparison of total mercury and methylmercury cycling at five sites using the small watershed approach
Influence of plankton mercury dynamics and trophic pathways on mercury concentrations of top predator fish of a mining-impacted reservoir Influence of plankton mercury dynamics and trophic pathways on mercury concentrations of top predator fish of a mining-impacted reservoir
Ecosystem conceptual model- Mercury Ecosystem conceptual model- Mercury
Environmental factors affecting mercury in Camp Far West Reservoir, California, 2001-03 Environmental factors affecting mercury in Camp Far West Reservoir, California, 2001-03
Legacy mercury in Alviso Slough, south San Francisco Bay, California: Concentration, speciation and mobility Legacy mercury in Alviso Slough, south San Francisco Bay, California: Concentration, speciation and mobility
Development of a mercury speciation, fate, and biotic uptake (BIOTRANSPEC) model: Application to Lahontan Reservoir (Nevada, USA) Development of a mercury speciation, fate, and biotic uptake (BIOTRANSPEC) model: Application to Lahontan Reservoir (Nevada, USA)
Methodological considerations regarding the use of inorganic 197Hg(II) radiotracer to assess mercury methylation potential rates in lake sediment Methodological considerations regarding the use of inorganic 197Hg(II) radiotracer to assess mercury methylation potential rates in lake sediment
USGS science in Menlo Park -- a science strategy for the U.S. Geological Survey Menlo Park Science Center, 2005-2015 USGS science in Menlo Park -- a science strategy for the U.S. Geological Survey Menlo Park Science Center, 2005-2015
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government