Szymczak, Ron
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Name: Ron Szymczak |
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Ron utilises nuclear and isotopic tracer techniques to study the biogeochemical fate and behaviour of trace elements and radionuclides in the marine environment. He is Leader of the ANSTO Marine Systems Analysis Task within the Isotopes for Water project. Graduating from Sydney University (Marine Science) in 1980, Ron joined ANSTO in 1986 after several years with CSIRO Oceanography and the Institute for Marine Science at University of New South Wales.
Expertise:
Oceanography; radiochemistry; trace element & stable isotopes; marine biogeochemistry; coastal, oceanic, coral reef ecology; radiotracer technology
Qualifications & Achievements:
- IAEA Expert Nuclear Applications in Oceanography & IAEA/RCA Project Lead Country Coordinator (1994+)
- NATA Specialist Assessor in Chemical Testing (1994+)
- Independent International Marine Study Team for Assessment of Nuclear Testing at Mururoa Atoll (1996)
- UNSW adjunct lecturer in Marine Chemistry (1999+)
- Member of Editorial Board for international journal Environmental Bioindicators (2006+)
- Consultant to state authorities, universities, overseas institutions and inter-governmental agencies
- over 200 published papers/abstracts/reports and 170 unpublished seminars
- Supervision of 11 post graduate students and post-doctoral fellows
- 38 Oceanographic cruises, 626 sea days, 8 cruises as Chief Scientist/Expedition Leader
- 7 international conference chairs and over 20 invited plenary/keynote presentations
Key Publications:
Jeffree, R.A. and Szymczak, R. (2000) Enhancing effect of marine oligotrophy on environmental concentrations of particle-reactive trace elements, Environmental Science & Technology, 34, 1966-1969.
Sholkovitz, E.R. and Szymczak, R. (2000) The estuarine geochemistry of rare earth elements : Comparison of Amazon, Fly, Sepik and Gulf of Papua systems, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 179(2), 299-309.
Hatje, V., Payne, T.E., McOrist, G., Hill, D.M., Birch, G.F. and Szymczak, R. (2003) Kinetics of trace element uptake and release by particles in estuarine waters: effects of pH, salinity and particle loading, Environment International, 29, 619-629.
Salih, A., Cox, G., Szymczak, R., Coles, S.L., Baird, A.H., Dunstan, A., Cocco, G., Mills, J. and Larkum, A.W.D. (2006) The role of host-based color and fluorescent pigments in photoprotection and in reducing bleaching stress in corals. In, Proceedings of the 10th International Coral Reef Symposium (Okinawa, Japan – Jun/Jul ’04), CD-ROM ICRS Japan, p. 746-756.
Szymczak, R., Twining, J., Hollins, S., Hughes, C. Mazumder, D. and Alquezar, R. (2006) Nuclear and isotopic techniques underpinning probabilistic ecological risk analysis in coastal marine systems. In, CD-ROM Proceedings of the 15th Pacific Basin Nuclear Conference (Sydney, Oct ’06), ISBN 1 877040 58 4, pp.6.
Committee Memberships/Affiliations/ Other appointments:
- IAEA/RCA expert missions in Australia 94; Vietnam 94; Sri Lanka 94; Thailand 95/00/05/06; Myanmar 95; Monaco 95; Pakistan 99/06; Malaysia 01/06; Philippines 04, Indonesia 05/06; Korea 06; China 06; Austria 06/07
- Member of France-Australia Marine Science & Technology Ministerial Agreement Committee (2004)
- Member of IMO/FAO/UNESCO/IOC/WMO/IAEA/UN/UNEP Joint Group of Expert on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection [GESAMP] Expert Panel (2007+)
- Referee for Freshwater & Marine Research, Estuarine & Coastal Shelf Science, Environmental Radioactivity and Environmental Bioindicators.
- Referee for Australian Research Council (ARC) and Australian Marine National Facility (AMNF) Grants.