Kanchan Maiti headshotKanchan Maiti

Position: Professor and Chair, Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences,  Shell Professor in Oceanography/Wetland Studies

Phone: 225-578-4531

Fax: 225-578-6326

E-mail: kmaiti@lsu.edu 

Office: 1143 Energy, Coast and Environment Building
Chair Office: 1002X Energy, Coast and Environment Building

Bachelor's Degree(s): Presidency College, University of Calcutta

Master's Degrees(s): Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee

Ph.D.(s): University of South Carolina, Columbia

Research Interests

Research conducted at the Marine Geochemistry Laboratory led by Dr. Maiti explores interlinked topics related to transport and transformation of carbon, nutrients, and contaminants in coastal and deep ocean systems utilizing geochemical tracers and autonomous observation platforms. The availability of organic and inorganic carbon species can directly and indirectly impact various biogeochemical processes across the land-estuary-ocean aquatic continuum like formation of hypoxia, increase in ocean acidification, benthic elemental fluxes, biological carbon pump and air-sea exchange of greenhouse gases, which has implications for carbon budget at both local and global scales. Dr. Maiti’s research group seeks to provide answers to some of the fundamental questions related to ocean carbon biogeochemistry and environmental quality through field-based observations, natural isotope tracers and laboratory microcosm experiments. Current projects investigate the impacts of hurricanes on carbon budget in coastal Louisiana/Texas, lateral carbon flux from coastal wetlands, carbon remineralization pathways and methane fluxes in GOM sediments, sediment driven ocean acidification in Louisiana shelf, submarine groundwater discharge in coastal Turkey, biological carbon fluxes and sediment carbon accumulation in Ross Sea, Antarctica and methane emission from orphan wells in Louisiana.

Classes Taught

OCS4126/GEOL4081: Chemical Oceanography
OCS7131: Marine Sediment Geochemistry
OCS7130: Marine Isotope Biogeochemistry
OCS3103: Global Biogeochemical Cycles

Awards & Honors

LSU Alumni Association Faculty Excellence Award 2019

LSU Alumni Association Rising Faculty Research Award 2015

Joseph Lipsey, Jr. and Richard A. Lipsey Excellence in Teaching Award 2015

Tiger Athletic Foundation Undergraduate Teaching Award 2015

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Postdoctoral Fellowship 2007

Professional Affiliations and Service Activities

Associate Editor, Marine Chemistry

Recent Publications

Google Scholar Profile

Recent Grants

2023-2026 Maiti. K. “Collaborative Research: Methane efflux from River Influenced Coastal Marine Sediments”– NSF, Chemical Oceanography Program.

2023-2026 Xue, Z., Maiti, K., Hu, X., Lagomasino, D. “Impacts of Transient Events on Ecosystem Resistance and Resilience along Western Gulf of Mexico Coast” - NASA Carbon Cycle Program.

2022-2027 Maiti, K., Upton, G., Snyder, B. Gupta, I. “Estimating Methane Emissions from Orphaned and Idle Oil & Gas Wells in Louisiana, Louisiana” – LA DNR /US Department of Interior.

2022-2025 Maiti, K., Midway, S., Glaspie, C. “Environmental and Human Exposure to Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials Associated with Oil and Gas Activities in the Outer Continental Shelf” - Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).

2021-2028 Maiti. K., He, S. “Influence of Salt Marsh Porewater Chemistry on Coastal Carbon Cycling”– United States Geological Survey (USGS).

2020-2024 Xue, Z., Maiti, K., Xu, K. Gillespie, C. “Impact of Non-linear sedimentation on Dredge Area Benthic Ecosystem on Louisiana Shelf” Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.

2020-2023 Maiti, K “Impacts of Eutrophication Driven Acidification in Barataria Bay, LA - Implications for Oyster Health, NOAA Ocean Acidification Program

2019-2024 Maiti, K. “Sediment Geochemical Control on Ocean Acidification and Carbon Budget in a River Dominated Shelf System” NSF, Chemical Oceanography.