Philippe Tortell, University of British Columbia

Research

Photosynthesis automated instrumentation carbon fixation chlorophyll fluoresence dissolved gases electron transport net community production ocean optics

Latest papers

Fluorescence-based primary productivity estimates are influenced by non-photochemical quenching dynamics in Arctic phytoplankton.
Frontiers in microbiology · 2023 · senior author
WTO must ban harmful fisheries subsidies.
Science (New York, N.Y.) · 2021
Characterization of marine microbial communities around an Arctic seabed hydrocarbon seep at Scott Inlet, Baffin Bay.
The Science of the total environment · 2021

All 3 publications

Latest funding

A membrane inlet mass spectrometer for ocean productivity measurements and trace gas analysis
NSERC · 2025 · Principal investigator
$89,505
A sea-going mass spectrometer for the analysis of climate-active trace gases in surface ocean waters
NSERC · 2023 · Principal investigator
$52,152
Patterns and processes of primary productivity and trace gas dynamics in subpolar and polar oceans
NSERC · 2022 · Principal investigator
$183,000

All 42 grants and awards

3 publications.

01

Fluorescence-based primary productivity estimates are influenced by non-photochemical quenching dynamics in Arctic phytoplankton.

Sezginer Y, Campbell D, Pillai S, Tortell P

Frontiers in microbiology2023Senior author

DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1294521 PMID: 38143865

02

WTO must ban harmful fisheries subsidies.

Sumaila UR, Skerritt DJ, Schuhbauer A, Villasante S, Cisneros-Montemayor AM, Sinan H, Burnside D, Abdallah PR, Abe K, Addo KA, Adelsheim J, Adewumi IJ, Adeyemo OK, Adger N, Adotey J, Advani S, Afrin Z, Aheto D, Akintola SL, Akpalu W, Alam L, Alava JJ, Allison EH, Amon DJ, Anderies JM, Anderson CM, Andrews E, Angelini R, Anna Z, Antweiler W, Arizi EK, Armitage D, Arthur RI, Asare N, Asche F, Asiedu B, Asuquo F, Badmus L, Bailey M, Ban N, Barbier EB, Barley S, Barnes C, Barrett S, Basurto X, Belhabib D, Bennett E, Bennett NJ, Benzaken D, Blasiak R, Bohorquez JJ, Bordehore C, Bornarel V, Boyd DR, Breitburg D, Brooks C, Brotz L, Campbell D, Cannon S, Cao L, Cardenas Campo JC, Carpenter S, Carpenter G, Carson RT, Carvalho AR, Castrejón M, Caveen AJ, Chabi MN, Chan KMA, Chapin FS, Charles T, Cheung W, Christensen V, Chuku EO, Church T, Clark C, Clarke TM, Cojocaru AL, Copeland B, Crawford B, Crépin AS, Crowder LB, Cury P, Cutting AN, Daily GC, Da-Rocha JM, Das A, de la Puente S, de Zeeuw A, Deikumah SKS, Deith M, Dewitte B, Doubleday N, Duarte CM, Dulvy NK, Eddy T, Efford M, Ehrlich PR, Elsler LG, Fakoya KA, Falaye AE, Fanzo J, Fitzsimmons C, Flaaten O, Florko KRN, Aviles MF, Folke C, Forrest A, Freeman P, Freire KMF, Froese R, Frölicher TL, Gallagher A, Garcon V, Gasalla MA, Gephart JA, Gibbons M, Gillespie K, Giron-Nava A, Gjerde K, Glaser S, Golden C, Gordon L, Govan H, Gryba R, Halpern BS, Hanich Q, Hara M, Harley CDG, Harper S, Harte M, Helm R, Hendrix C, Hicks CC, Hood L, Hoover C, Hopewell K, Horta E Costa BB, Houghton JDR, Iitembu JA, Isaacs M, Isahaku S, Ishimura G, Islam M, Issifu I, Jackson J, Jacquet J, Jensen OP, Ramon JJ, Jin X, Jonah A, Jouffray JB, Juniper SK, Jusoh S, Kadagi I, Kaeriyama M, Kaiser MJ, Kaiser BA, Kakujaha-Matundu O, Karuaihe ST, Karumba M, Kemmerly JD, Khan AS, Kimani P, Kleisner K, Knowlton N, Kotowicz D, Kurien J, Kwong LE, Lade S, Laffoley D, Lam ME, Lam VWL, Lange GM, Latif MT, Le Billon P, Le Brenne V, Le Manach F, Levin SA, Levin L, Limburg KE, List J, Lombard AT, Lopes PFM, Lotze HK, Mallory TG, Mangar RS, Marszalec D, Mattah P, Mayorga J, McAusland C, McCauley DJ, McLean J, McMullen K, Meere F, Mejaes A, Melnychuk M, Mendo J, Micheli F, Millage K, Miller D, Mohamed KS, Mohammed E, Mokhtar M, Morgan L, Muawanah U, Munro GR, Murray G, Mustafa S, Nayak P, Newell D, Nguyen T, Noack F, Nor AM, Nunoo FKE, Obura D, Okey T, Okyere I, Onyango P, Oostdijk M, Orlov P, Österblom H, Owens D, Owens T, Oyinlola M, Pacoureau N, Pakhomov E, Abrantes JP, Pascual U, Paulmier A, Pauly D, Pèlèbè ROE, Peñalosa D, Pennino MG, Peterson G, Pham TTT, Pinkerton E, Polasky S, Polunin NVC, Prah E, Ramírez J, Relano V, Reygondeau G, Robadue D, Roberts C, Rogers A, Roumbedakis K, Sala E, Scheffer M, Segerson K, Seijo JC, Seto KC, Shogren JF, Silver JJ, Singh G, Soszynski A, Splichalova DV, Spring M, Stage J, Stephenson F, Stewart BD, Sultan R, Suttle C, Tagliabue A, Tall A, Talloni-Álvarez N, Tavoni A, Taylor DRF, Teh LSL, Teh LCL, Thiebot JB, Thiele T, Thilsted SH, Thumbadoo RV, Tigchelaar M, Tol RSJ, Tortell P, Troell M, Uzmanoğlu MS, van Putten I, van Santen G, Villaseñor-Derbez JC, Wabnitz CCC, Walsh M, Walsh JP, Wambiji N, Weber EU, Westley F, Williams S, Wisz MS, Worm B, Xiao L, Yagi N, Yamazaki S, Yang H, Zeller D

Science (New York, N.Y.)2021

DOI: 10.1126/science.abm1680 PMID: 34709891

03

Characterization of marine microbial communities around an Arctic seabed hydrocarbon seep at Scott Inlet, Baffin Bay.

Cramm MA, Neves BM, Manning CCM, Oldenburg TBP, Archambault P, Chakraborty A, Cyr-Parent A, Edinger EN, Jaggi A, Mort A, Tortell P, Hubert CRJ

The Science of the total environment2021

DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143961 PMID: 33373752

A membrane inlet mass spectrometer for ocean productivity measurements and trace gas analysis

Principal investigatorNSERC2025Research Tools and Instruments

Principal investigators: Tortell, Philippe

Keywords: mass spectrometry; ocean productivity; photosynthesis; carbon sequestration; climate active gases; atmospheric aerosols

$89,505

A sea-going mass spectrometer for the analysis of climate-active trace gases in surface ocean waters

Principal investigatorNSERC2023Research Tools and Instruments

Principal investigators: Tortell, Philippe

$52,152

Patterns and processes of primary productivity and trace gas dynamics in subpolar and polar oceans

Principal investigatorNSERC2022Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Tortell, Philippe

Keywords: photosynthesis; carbon fixation; electron transport; dissolved gases; ocean optics; chlorophyll fluoresence; plant physiology; net community production; automated instrumentation

$183,000

Catalyzing a Canada - Chile coastal ocean research network

Principal investigatorNSERC2022Alliance Grants

Principal investigators: Tortell, Philippe PD

$25,000

Patterns and processes of primary productivity and trace gas dynamics in subpolar and polar oceans

Principal investigatorNSERC2022Discovery Grants Program - Northern Research Supplement

Principal investigators: Tortell, Philippe

Keywords: photosynthesis; carbon fixation; electron transport; dissolved gases; ocean optics; chlorophyll fluoresence; plant physiology; net community production; automated instrumentation

$48,000

Field-portable volatile trapping system for marine and atmospheric research

Principal investigatorNSERC2021Research Tools and Instruments

Principal investigators: Tortell, Philippe

$44,734

An autonomous submersible profiling and incubation system to investigate in-situ microbial activity and function in low oxygen waters

Co-investigatorNSERC2020Research Tools and Instruments

Principal investigators: MaldonadoPareja, Maria

$150,000

Enabling the autonomous observation of Arctic Ocean turbulence and mixing

Co-investigatorNSERC2020Discovery Grants Program - Ship Time

Principal investigators: Waterman, Stephanie

$140,000

Nitrogen biogeochemistry and chromium isotopes in Saanich Inlet

Co-investigatorNSERC2018Discovery Grants Program - Ship Time

Principal investigators: Crowe, Sean

$47,699

Quantifying and predicting Canada's ocean carbon sink

Co-investigatorNSERC2018Advancing Climate Change Science in Canada

Principal investigators: Hamme, Roberta

$540,000

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

Frequent collaborators

William Cheung and Boris Worm: 7 shared papers
Daniel Pauly and William Cheung: 3 shared papers
Philippe Le Billon and Daniel Pauly: 2 shared papers
Daniel Pauly and Boris Worm: 2 shared papers
Boris Worm and Villy Christensen: 2 shared papers
Kristen Hopewell and Philippe Le Billon: 1 shared paper
Kristen Hopewell and Curtis Suttle: 1 shared paper
Kristen Hopewell and Brian Copeland: 1 shared paper
Kristen Hopewell and Natalie Ban: 1 shared paper
Kristen Hopewell and Tony Charles: 1 shared paper
Kristen Hopewell and William Cheung: 1 shared paper
Kristen Hopewell and Elena Bennett: 1 shared paper
Kristen Hopewell and Philippe Tortell: 1 shared paper
Kristen Hopewell and Evgeny Pakhomov: 1 shared paper
Kristen Hopewell and Villy Christensen: 1 shared paper
Kristen Hopewell and Tyler Eddy: 1 shared paper
Kristen Hopewell and Carol McAusland: 1 shared paper
Kristen Hopewell and Derek Armitage: 1 shared paper
Kristen Hopewell and Megan Bailey: 1 shared paper
Kristen Hopewell and Werner Antweiler: 1 shared paper
Kristen Hopewell and Frederik Noack: 1 shared paper
Kristen Hopewell and Gerald Singh: 1 shared paper
Kristen Hopewell and Evan Andrews: 1 shared paper
Philippe Le Billon and Curtis Suttle: 1 shared paper
Philippe Le Billon and Brian Copeland: 1 shared paper
Philippe Le Billon and Natalie Ban: 1 shared paper
Philippe Le Billon and Tony Charles: 1 shared paper
Philippe Le Billon and Elena Bennett: 1 shared paper
Philippe Le Billon and Philippe Tortell: 1 shared paper
Philippe Le Billon and Evgeny Pakhomov: 1 shared paper
Philippe Le Billon and Villy Christensen: 1 shared paper
Philippe Le Billon and Tyler Eddy: 1 shared paper
Philippe Le Billon and Carol McAusland: 1 shared paper
Philippe Le Billon and Derek Armitage: 1 shared paper
Philippe Le Billon and Megan Bailey: 1 shared paper
Philippe Le Billon and Werner Antweiler: 1 shared paper
Philippe Le Billon and Frederik Noack: 1 shared paper
Philippe Le Billon and Gerald Singh: 1 shared paper
Philippe Le Billon and Evan Andrews: 1 shared paper
Curtis Suttle and Brian Copeland: 1 shared paper
Curtis Suttle and Natalie Ban: 1 shared paper
Curtis Suttle and Tony Charles: 1 shared paper
Curtis Suttle and Elena Bennett: 1 shared paper
Curtis Suttle and Philippe Tortell: 1 shared paper
Curtis Suttle and Evgeny Pakhomov: 1 shared paper
Curtis Suttle and Tyler Eddy: 1 shared paper
Curtis Suttle and Carol McAusland: 1 shared paper
Curtis Suttle and Derek Armitage: 1 shared paper
Curtis Suttle and Megan Bailey: 1 shared paper
Curtis Suttle and Werner Antweiler: 1 shared paper
Curtis Suttle and Frederik Noack: 1 shared paper
Curtis Suttle and Gerald Singh: 1 shared paper
Curtis Suttle and Evan Andrews: 1 shared paper
Brian Copeland and Philippe Tortell: 1 shared paper
Daniel Pauly and Philippe Tortell: 1 shared paper
Natalie Ban and Philippe Tortell: 1 shared paper
Tony Charles and Philippe Tortell: 1 shared paper
Philippe Archambault and Philippe Tortell: 1 shared paper
William Cheung and Philippe Tortell: 1 shared paper
Elena Bennett and Philippe Tortell: 1 shared paper
Philippe Tortell and Evgeny Pakhomov: 1 shared paper
Philippe Tortell and Boris Worm: 1 shared paper
Philippe Tortell and Douglas Campbell: 1 shared paper
Philippe Tortell and Villy Christensen: 1 shared paper
Philippe Tortell and Tyler Eddy: 1 shared paper
Philippe Tortell and Carol McAusland: 1 shared paper
Philippe Tortell and Derek Armitage: 1 shared paper
Philippe Tortell and Megan Bailey: 1 shared paper
Philippe Tortell and Werner Antweiler: 1 shared paper
Philippe Tortell and Frederik Noack: 1 shared paper
Philippe Tortell and Gerald Singh: 1 shared paper
Philippe Tortell and Evan Andrews: 1 shared paper

Biology
School of Public Policy and Global Affairs
Earth Ocean & Atmsopheric Science
Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Department of Zoology at UBC
Geography
Environmental Management
Other

1 shared papers, latest 2021

William Cheung

Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries

1 shared papers, latest 2021

Elena Bennett

Geography

1 shared papers, latest 2021

Write to this professor

A short, specific email works best. This draft uses one of their recent papers; replace the parts in brackets with your own details before sending.

Applying for

Paper to mentionMention their NSERC grant from 2025

Subject: Prospective PhD student: Photosynthesis Dear Professor Tortell, My name is [your name], and I am a [your current degree or role] at [your institution]. I am applying for a PhD position starting in [term and year]. I read your paper "Fluorescence-based primary productivity estimates are influenced by non-photochemical quenching dynamics in Arctic phytoplankton." (2023), and it connects closely to my own work on [your research topic]. [One or two sentences on what you did and what you learned.] I also saw your NSERC-funded project "A membrane inlet mass spectrometer for ocean productivity measurements and trace gas analysis" (2025), and I would be glad to contribute to work in that direction. Are you accepting new PhD students for [term and year]? I have attached my CV and transcripts, and I would be glad to talk at a time that suits you. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, [your name]