Research Associate (IODP)

Geophysics and Borehole Group

Direct contact:

Tel: 0116 252 3327 Email: lma9@le.ac.uk

Research interests:

The examination of life in extreme environments, particularly deep-sea hydrothermal vents, with emphasis on fossilisation processes and the transfer of energy from vent fluids to symbiotic fauna over space and time.  Main field areas include the Endeavour Segment, Juan de Fuca Ridge (NE Pacific), PACMANUS, Manus Basin (W Pacific), the East Pacific Rise 9°N (SE Pacific), the Troodos ophiolite, Cyprus and the Rainbow vent site, Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR).  Recent postdoctoral work as part of the large European project MoMARnet has concentrated on developing Energy-Filtering Transmission Electron Microscope (EFTEM) techniques to visualise bacteria-mineral associations within the vent shrimp Rimicaris exoculata in three-dimensions. See http://www.ipgp.jussieu.fr/rech/lgm/MOMARNET/MomarnetInfo.html.

More generally, I am interested in bacterial influences on mineral formation, and the adaptations of animals to environments with significant chemical and temperature gradients.

Four recent publications

• Anderson, L. M., Little, C. T. S., Kennedy, W. J. & Fowler, C. M. R. In Prep.  An Ammonite from a late Cretaceous vent community.  Geology.
• Le Bris, N., Anderson, L., Chever, F. & Gaill, F. 2008. Sulphide Diffusion and Chemoautotrophy Requirements in an Extremophilic Worm Tube. In Mertens, L. P. (ed.) (2008) Biological Oceanography Research Trends, Nova Science Publishers, 157-175. 
• Anderson, L. M., Halary, S., Lechaire, J-P., Boudier, T., Frébourg, G., Marco, S., Zbinden, M., & Gaill, F.  2008.  Tomography of bacteria-mineral associations within the deep sea hydrothermal vent shrimp Rimicaris exoculata. CR Chimie, 11 (3), 268-280.
• Valsami-Jones, E., Baltatzis, E., Bailey, E. H., Boyce, A.J., Alexander, J. L., Magganas, A., Anderson, L., Waldron, S. & Ragnarsdottir, K. V.  2005.  The geochemistry of fluids from an active shallow submarine hydrothermal system: Milos island, Hellenic Volcanic Arc. J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res., 148 (1-2), 130-151.