Jens Borum

Current research

CV

Curriculum vitae:

Jens Borum, Ph.D. (born 1953), Associate professor (lektor, lic. scient.), Freshwater Biological Laboratory, Biological Institute, University of Copenhagen

Universitetsparken 4, 3, 2100 Denmark

1980           M.Sc. (cand. scient.), Univ. of Copenhagen.

1981-82      Ass. biologist at the Water Quality Institute.

1984           Ph.D. (lic. scient.), Univ. of Copenhagen.

1984-85      Marine Biologist at the Marine Pollution Laboratory, National Environmental Protection Agency.

1985-89      Assistant professor at Freshwater Biological Laboratory.

1989-          Associate professor at Freshwater Biological Laboratory.

Research area and strategy.

Main research areas are within ecophysiology and ecology of aquatic plants with emphasis on resource utilization, environmental requirements and growth dynamics of macroalgae, seagrasses and other submerged rooted macrophytes. Has published more than 50 papers in peer reviewed international journals (H-index 28).

The basic research strategy is to combine detailed studies on plant physiology with studies on resource acquisition and utilization and to evaluate how differences among these factors are expressed in plant growth, areal production and contribution to ecosystem production, rather than focusing on one of these more narrow research fields. The ultimate goal is to “understand” how plants of different size, morphology, and growth rate are adapted to aquatic life under different environmental conditions and to gain general predictive power with respect to plant community composition, success and survival.

Project experience, strategic activities and international cooperation

I have participated in more than 10 larger national and international projects and been international coordinator of the EU-funded project, Management and Monitoring of European Seagrasses (M&MS). Many projects have had substantial strategic objectives in combination with basic research aims and therefore have been funded by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency, the Council for Strategic Research or by the European Union. Funding has also been provided by the Carlsberg Foundation and Villum Kann Rasmussen. Overall, subjects have been to examine relationships between anthropogenic disturbance and their negative impacts on coastal marine areas of Australia, Denmark, Greenland, the Mediterranean, Florida Bay, USA and Southeast Asia.

          The different projects have been conducted in cooperation with a long list of international partners from Australia, The Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Spain, Holland and USA.

Teaching

My teaching ranges from basic courses in ecology, statistics and field biology to advanced courses in experimental ecology, freshwater ecology and ecophysiology of aquatic plants. I have  supervised >30 master students and 5 phd students.

Other activities

Member of the Eelgrass Committee, Ministry of Food; Member of the N-working group under the Commission for Nature and Farming, Ministry of the Environment; Reviewer of Limnology and Oceanography, Annals of Botany, Journal of Ecology, Marine Ecology Progress Series, Journal of Experimental Marine Biology, Aquatic Botany. Former subject editor of Estuaries. Former head of Freshwater Biological Laboratory. Member of Natur- og Miljøklagenævn.

Short presentation

Research areas

Ecophysiology of Macroalgae and submersed plants

Nutrient and inorganic carbon dynamics

Gasdynamics in seagrasses

Effects of climate change

Eutrophication