Our tools are

• Proxies (Cs ~ K, Sr ~ Ca, and rare earth oxides for aggregate stability), using ICP-MS
• Stable isotopes (e.g., ¹³CO2, ¹³C-compounds; ¹⁵N-compounds, ¹⁸O-water, ²H-water) to determine transformations, rates, pools and fluxes
• Position-specific labelling
• Radioactive isotopes (e.g., ¹⁴CO2, ¹⁴C-compounds, ³³P-phosphate, ³H-water) to determine the spatial distribution, rates and pools at high sensitivity; and transformations.

We analyse

• bulk pools (DOC, DON, DP, CAL-P, C/N), but also isotopic compositions (EA, EA-IRMS, TC-IRMS)
• nutrient fingerprints (ICP-MS)
• biomarker contents, fingerprints, and isotopic composition (GC-C-IRMS, GC-FID, GC-MS, LC-MS)
• Respiration rates, gaseous or trapped CO_² (Shimadzu TOC-L, GC-ECD/FID with CH₄izer)
• Tracer recovery (IRMS, scintillation counter, e.g. ³³P-phospholipids)
• Functional parameters like exo-enzymatic activities
• Functional gene abundance, microbial community composition (sequencing, qPCR, PLFAs)