Sebastian Naeher

Full Name: Sebastian Naeher

Position: Organic Geochemist / Lead Scientist - Organic Geochemistry Laboratory

Contact details

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Phone: +64-4-570 4661

Specialist Profile

Dr Sebastian Naeher studied geology at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz (Germany) and ETH Zurich (Switzerland), specialising in geochemistry. His research has been multidisciplinary, comprising organic, inorganic and isotope geochemistry, but he also has a broad background in water, environmental and earth sciences. In his diploma thesis (MSc) he worked on radionuclides in drinking water. During his PhD at Eawag/ETH Zurich and one-year postdoctoral fellowship at the Universite Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris (France), he specialised in organic geochemistry, working in aquatic and terrestrial environments (lakes, oceans, river, estuary, lagoon, soils). In his PhD, Sebastian worked on lipid biomarkers, stable isotopes and transition metals as proxies for past eutrophication and hypoxia in lakes and oceans. The work was part of the European Union funded, multidisciplinary project “Hypox”. As a postdoctoral fellow, he worked on anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) in the Seine estuary. In 2014 he was granted a DFG Research Fellowship from the German Research Foundation (DFG, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft) to join the group of Prof. Kliti Grice at Curtin University. In April/May 2015 he was visiting scientist at JAMSTEC, Japan, with funding awarded by DFG. His research focused on tetrapyrrole pigments and their degradation products as palaeoenviromental indicators in ancient and modern aquatic systems. Then, he continued this research as DFG Postdoctoral Fellow (return fellowship grant) at the Center of Marine Environmental Sciences (MARUM) / University of Bremen in Germany and University Associate at Curtin University. Since November 2016, he is Organic Geochemist, Lead Scientist and manager of the Organic Geochemistry Laboratory at the National Isotope Center. He is Adjunct Teaching Fellow and Honorary Research Associate at Victoria University of Wellington. He is also Associate Editor of three scientific journals: Biogeosciences, New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, and New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research. In the Geoscience Society of New Zealand, he is Convener of the Geochemistry Special Interest Group and part of the National Committee.

Qualifications

2009: German Diplom (MSc), Geochemistry/Geology; 2013: PhD, Biogeochemistry

Areas of expertise

Geochemist: Biogeochemistry
Geochemist: Chemical Oceanography
Geochemist: Environmental Isotope Geochemsitry
Geochemist: Environmental geochemistry
Geochemist: Geochemistry
Geochemist: Global Environmental Change
Geochemist: Organic geochemistry
Geochemist: Paleoclimate
Geochemist: Petroleum geochemistry
Geochemist: Stable Isotopes
Geochemist: Trace Element Geochemistry
Geology: Depositional environments
Geology: Geoscience Education
Geology: Paleoclimatology
Geology: Paleoenvironmental Studies
Paleoclimate: Paleoenvironmental reconstruction

Professional activities

The Royal Society of New Zealand: Assoc. Editor, NZ Journal of Geology & Geophysics
Victoria University of Wellington: Adjunct Teaching Fellow
The Royal Society of New Zealand: Assoc. Editor, NZ Journal of Marine & Freshw. Res.
European Geosciences Union: Member
Geoscience Society of New Zealand: Convener, Geochemistry Special Interest Group
Associate Editor of Biogeosciences: Editorial Board
Geochemical Society: Member
Geoscience Society of New Zealand: National Committee
European Association of Organic Geochemists: Member

Major publications

Belem, A.; Bell, T.; Burdett, H.L.; Ibarra, D.; Kaushal, N.; Keenan, B.; Klimaszewski-Patterson, A.; Mette, M.; Naeher, S.; Onafeso, O.D.; Panmei, C.; Ratnayake, A.S.; Truax, O. 2022 Paleoclimatology and paleoceanography perspectives on Integrated, Coordinated, Open, Networked (ICON) science. Earth and Space Science, 9(1): e2021EA002115; doi: 10.1029/2021EA002115

Dwivedi, D.; Santos, A.L.D.; Barnard, M.A.; Crimmins, T.M.; Malhotra, A.; Rod, K.A.; Aho, K.S.; Bell, S.M.; Bomfim, B.; Brearley, F.Q.; Cadillo-Quiroz, H.; Chen, J.; Gough, C.M.; Graham, E.B.; Hakkenberg, C.R.; Haygood, L.; Koren, G.; Lilleskov, E.; Meredith, L.K.; Naeher, S.; Nickerson, Z.L.; Pourret, O.; Song, H.-S.; Stahl, M.; Tas, N.; Vargas, R.; Weintraub-Leff, S. 2022 Biogeosciences perspectives on Integrated, Coordinated, Open, Networked (ICON) science. Earth and Space Science, 9(3): e2021EA002119; doi: 10.1029/2021EA002119

Hollis, C.J.; Naeher, S.; Clowes, C.D.; Naafs, B.D.A.; Pancost, R.D.; Taylor, K.W.R.; Dahl, J.A.; Ventura, G.T.; Sykes, R. 2022 Late Paleocene CO₂ drawdown, climatic cooling, and terrestrial denudation in the southwest Pacific. Climate of the past, 18: 1295-1320; doi: 10.5194/cp-2021-122

Pearman, J.K.; Wood, S.A.; Vandergoes, M.J.; Atalah, J.; Waters, S.; Adamson, J.; Thomson-Laing, G.; Thompson, L.; Howarth, J.D.; Hamilton, D.P.; Pochon, X.; Biessy, L.; Brasell, K.A.; Dahl, J.A.; Ellison, R.; Fitzsimons, S.J.; Gard, H.J.L.; Gerrard, T.; Gregsersen, R.; Holloway, M.; Li, X.; Kelly, D.J.; Martin, R.; McFarlane, K.; McKay, N.P.; Moody, A.; Moy, C.M.; Naeher, S.; Newnham, R.; Parai, R.; Picard, M.; Puddick, J.; Rees, A.B.H.; Reyes, L.; Schallenberg, M.; Shepherd, C.L.; Short, J.; Simon, K.S.; Steiner, K.; Šunde, C.; Terezow, M.G.; Tibby, J. 2022 A bacterial index to estimate lake trophic level : national scale validation. Science of the Total Environment, 812: article 152385; doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152385

Rotich, E.K.; Handler, M.R.; Sykes, R.; Selby, D.; Naeher, S. 2021 Depositional influences on Re-Os systematics of Late Cretaceous-Eocene fluvio-deltaic coals and coaly mudstones, Taranaki Basin, New Zealand. International journal of coal geology, 236: article 103670; doi: 10.1016/j.coal.2020.103670

Rotich, E.K.; Handler, M.R.; Naeher, S.; Selby, D.; Hollis, C.J.; Sykes, R. 2020 Re-Os geochronology and isotope systematics, and organic and sulfur geochemistry of the middle–late Paleocene Waipawa Formation, New Zealand : insights into early Paleogene seawater Os isotope composition. Chemical Geology, 536: article 119473; doi: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2020.119473

Naeher, S.; Hollis, C.J.; Clowes, C.D.; Ventura, G.T.; Shepherd, C.L.; Crouch, E.M.; Morgans, H.E.G.; Bland, K.J.; Strogen, D.P.; Sykes, R. 2019 Depositional and organofacies influences on the petroleum potential of an unusual marine source rock : Waipawa Formation (Paleocene) in southern East Coast Basin, New Zealand. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 104: 468-488; doi: 10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2019.03.035

Hoshino, Y.; Poshibaeva, A.; Meredith, W.; Snape, C.; Poshibaev, V.; Versteegh, G.J.M.; Kuznetsov, N.; Leider, A.; van Maldegem, L.; Neumann, M.; Naeher, S.; Moczydlowska, M.; Brocks, J.J.; Jarrett, A.J.M.; Tang, Q.; Xiao, S.; McKirdy, D.; Das, S.K.; Alvaro, J.J.; Sansjofre, P.; Hallmann, C. 2017 Cryogenian evolution of stigmasteroid biosynthesis. Science Advances, 3(9): e1700887; doi: 10.1126/sciadv.1700887

Naeher, S.; Ohkouchi, N. 2017 Pigmente – Indikatoren für Umweltveränderungen. Nachrichten aus der Chemie, 65(1): 16-20; doi: 10.1002/nadc.20174056149

Naeher, S.; Lengger, S.K.; Grice, K. 2016 A new method for the rapid analysis of 1H-Pyrrole-2,5-diones (maleimides) in environmental samples by two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Journal of chromatography A, 1435: 125-135; doi: 10.1016/j.chroma.2016.01.026

Naeher, S.; Suga, H.; Ogawa, N.O.; Schubert, C.J.; Grice, K.; Ohkouchi, N. 2016 Compound-specific carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions of chlorophyll a and its derivatives reveal the eutrophication history of Lake Zurich (Switzerland). Chemical Geology, 443: 210-219; doi: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2016.09.005

Naeher, S.; Suga, H.; Ogawa, N.O.; Takano, Y.; Schubert, C.J.; Grice, K.; Ohkouchi, N. 2016 Distributions and compound-specific isotopic signatures of sedimentary chlorins reflect the composition of photoautotrophic communities and their carbon and nitrogen sources in Swiss lakes and the Black Sea. Chemical Geology, 443: 198-209; doi: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2016.04.029

Tyroller, L.; Tomonaga, Y.; Brennwald, M.S.; Ndayisaba, C.; Naeher, S.; Schubert, C.; North, R.P.; Kipfer, R. 2016 Improved method for the quantification of methane concentrations in unconsolidated lake sediments. Environmental science & technology, 50(13): 7047-7055; doi: 10.1021/acs.est.5b05292

Grice, K.; Riding, J.B.; Foster, C.B.; Naeher, S.; Greenwood, P.F. 2015 Vascular plant biomarker distributions and stable carbon isotopic signatures from the Middle and Upper Jurassic (Callovian–Kimmeridgian) strata of Staffin Bay, Isle of Skye, northwest Scotland. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 440: 307-315; doi: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2015.08.036

Naeher, S.; Gilli, A.; Hamann, Y.; Schubert, C.J. 2015 Wie viel Sauerstoff war im Zürichsee? VTA-Aktuell, 1/2015: 32-37

Naeher, S.; Grice, K. 2015 Novel 1H-Pyrrole-2,5-dione (maleimide) proxies for the assessment of photic zone euxinia. Chemical Geology, 404: 100-109; doi: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2015.03.020

Naeher, S.; Huguet, A.; Roose-Amsaleg, C.L.; Laverman, A.M.; Fosse, C.; Lehmann, M.F.; Derenne, S.; Zopfi, J. 2015 Molecular and geochemical constraints on anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) in a riparian zone of the Seine Estuary (France). Biogeochemistry, 123(1): 237-250; doi: 10.1007/s10533-014-0066-z

Friedrich, J.; Janssen, F.; Aleynik, D.; Bange, H.W.; Boltacheva, N.; Çağatay, M.N.; Dale, A.W.; Etiope, G.; Erdem, Z.; Geraga, M.; Gilli, A.; Gomoiu, M.T.; Hall, P.O.J.; Hansson, D.; He, Y.; Holtappels, M.; Kirf, M.K.; Kononets, M.; Konovalov, S.; Lichtschlag, A.; Livingstone, D.M.; Marinaro, G.; Mazlumyan, S.; Naeher, S.; North, R.P.; Papatheodorou, G.; Pfannkuche, O.; Prien, R.; Rehder, G.; Schubert, C.J.; Soltwedel, T.; Sommer, S.; Stahl, H.; Stanev, E.V.; Teaca, A.; Tengberg, A.; Waldmann, C.; Wehrli, B.; Wenzhoefer, F. 2014 Investigating hypoxia in aquatic environments: diverse approaches to addressing a complex phenomenon. Biogeosciences, 11: 1215-1259; doi: 10.5194/bg-11-1215-2014

Naeher, S.; Gilli, A.; Hamann, Y.; Schubert, C.J. 2014 Wie viel Sauerstoff war im Seewasser? Nachrichten aus der Chemie, 62(11): 1094-1097; doi: 10.1002/nadc.201490384

Naeher, S.; Niemann, H.; Peterse, F.; Smittenberg, R.H.; Zigah, P.K.; Schubert, C.J. 2014 Tracing the methane cycle with lipid biomarkers in Lake Rotsee (Switzerland). Organic geochemistry, 66: 174-181; doi: 10.1016/j.orggeochem.2013.11.002

Naeher, S.; North, R.P.; Gilli, A.; Livingstone, D.M.; Schubert, C.J. 2014 Lake sediments tell the story of climate change. CHIMIA, 68(5): 333; doi: 10.2533/chimia.2014.333

Naeher, S.; Peterse, F.; Smittenberg, R.H.; Niemann, H.; Zigah, P.K.; Schubert, C.J. 2014 Sources of glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) in catchment soils, water column and sediments of Lake Rotsee (Switzerland) – Implications for the application of GDGT-based proxies for lakes. Organic geochemistry, 66: 164-173; doi: 10.1016/j.orggeochem.2013.10.017

Naeher, S.; Gilli, A.; North, R.P.; Hamann, Y.; Schubert, C.J. 2013 Tracing bottom water oxygenation with sedimentary Mn/Fe ratios in Lake Zurich, Switzerland. Chemical Geology, 352: 125-133; doi: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2013.06.006

Naeher, S.; Schaeffer, P.; Adam, P.; Schubert, C.J. 2013 Maleimides in recent sediments – Using chlorophyll degradation products for palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 119: 248-263; doi: 10.1016/j.gca.2013.06.004

Naeher, S. 2012 Sedimentary lipid biomarkers and trace metals as indicators for past hypoxia and eutrophication. PhD thesis, ETH Zurich. 171 p.

Naeher, S.; Geraga, M.; Papatheodorou, G.; Ferentinos, G.; Kaberi, H.; Schubert, C.J. 2012 Environmental variations in a semi-enclosed embayment (Amvrakikos Gulf, Greece) – reconstructions based on benthic foraminifera abundance and lipid biomarker pattern. Biogeosciences, 9: 5081-5094; doi: 10.5194/bg-9-5081-2012

Naeher, S.; Smittenberg, R.H.; Gilli, A.; Kirilova, E.P.; Lotter, A.F.; Schubert, C.J. 2012 Impact of recent lake eutrophication on microbial community changes as revealed by high resolution lipid biomarkers in Rotsee (Switzerland). Organic geochemistry, 49: 86-95; doi: 10.1016/j.orggeochem.2012.05.014