Dr. Charlotte Kleint (Scientific Fellow)

Currently on parental leave

Senior Scientist at MARUM

Research Interests:

Fluid geochemistry of deep-sea and shallow-marine hydrothermal vent systems, stabilization of hydrothermally derived metals (e.g. Fe), trace metal geochemistry and trace metal cycling in the ocean, organic and inorganic stabilization of metals in the ocean

Processes controlling the elemental composition of Fe-Mn deposits, selective leaching (bioleaching) of Fe-Mn nodules, ecological effects of deep-sea mining

Research coordination (cruises, proposals, workshops etc.)

Research project: Transport and speciation of hydrothermally derived metals from different island arc systems and mid-ocean ridges

Iron (Fe) and e.g. zinc (Zn) represent limited but essential micronutrients within the marine biogeochemical cycle in most oceans. For many years, hydrothermal vents were neglected as sources of dissolved metals into the oceans.

However, ongoing research has shown that Fe is introduced to the world oceans and stabilized at elevated concentrations by hydrothermal venting, potentially transported thousands of kilometers away from its original source into the distal oceans, thereby contributing to the global oceanic metal budget. This is due to both inorganic (e.g. as sulfide nanoparticles) as well as organic complexation by small metal chelating molecules –  so called organic ligands.

Island arc hydrothermalism occurs at much shallower water depths than hydrothermalism at mid-ocean ridges. Hence, dissolved stabilized bioactive trace metals may be transported into the photic zone, the area of highest primary production rates in the ocean.  There, hydrothermally derived metals may serve as essential micronutrients (Fe and Zn) or potential toxins (Al or Cu) to marine organisms, such as phytoplankton.

Island arc hydrothermalism has not gained much attention thus far. In our projects related to RV SONNE cruises into the SW Pacific, SO253 (Kermadec Arc) and  SO263 (Tonga Arc), we show that the role of this process in the oceans’ biogeochemical cycle of metals and the metals’ bioavailability may have been underestimated to date.

Projects

2019 – 2026     Cluster of Excellence, University of Bremen, MARUM (DFG)

The Ocean Floor – Earth’s Uncharted Interface

Research Unit “REACTOR”, Theme 3: Processes and dynamics of vents and seeps

https://www.marum.de/en/The-Ocean-Floor.html

2018 – 2020     TONGARIFT (BMBF)

active participation as fluid chemistry leader in RV SONNE (SO 263) reserach cruise to the Tonga Island Arc, SW Pacific, June 2018 (Suva-Suva); (Chief scientist K. Haase, Univ. Erlangen; co-PIs: W. Bach, Univ. Bremen, and A. Koschinsky, Jacobs University Bremen); ROV QUEST, CTD, TV grab, rock corer

Blog from the cruise:
https://www.jacobs-university.de/ships-log-sonne-so263

2016 – 2019     HYDROTHERMADEC (BMBF)

active participation in RV SONNE  (SO 253) research cruise to the Kermadec Island Arc, SW Pacific, Dec. 2016 – Jan. 2017 (Nouméa-Auckland); (Chief Scientist: A. Koschinsky, Jacobs University Bremen); ROV QUEST, CTD, trace metal free CTD, clean container, in-situ pumps

Blog and video from the cruise:
http://geschichten.ptj.de/so253-en

https://www.bmbf.de/SharedDocs/Videos/de/bmbf/7/73/7393_expedition-sonne.html

2015 – 2017     FLUM (BMBF)

Active participation in RV SONNE (SO 240) research cruise to the Clarion Clipperton Zone, Central Pacific, May 2015 (Manzanillo-Manzanillo); (Chief scientist T. Kuhn, BGR Hannover; co-PIs: A. Koschinsky, Jacobs University Bremen, S. Kasten, AWI Bremerhaven, and H. Villinger, Uni Bremen); CTD, MUC, piston corer, gravity corer, dregde

2013 – 2015     COVOLVE (BMBF)

Active participation in RV SONNE (SO 229) research cruise to the New Hebrides Island Arc, Vanuatu, June 2013 (Townsville-Nouméa); (Chief scientist K. Haase, Univ. Erlangen; co-PIs: U. Schwarz-Schampera, BGR Hannover, and A. Koschinsky, Jacobs University Bremen); ROV KIEL 6000, TV grab, CTD

All projects related to hydrothermal vent fluids are carried out in collaboration with Dr. Dieter Garbe-Schönberg (Univ. Kiel) and his ICP-MS laboratory.

Further previous investigations of shallow hydrothermal vents haven taken place in collaboration with the working group of Dr. Solveig Bühring (Univ. Bremen) at Milos (Mediterranean), Iceland, and Dominica (Caribbean).

Re­viewer for

  • Scientific Reports
  • Marine Chemistry
  • G-cubed
  • Environmental Chemistry
  • Geofluids

Teach­ing (Jac­obs Uni­versity)

(Bach­elor Pro­gram Earth & En­vir­on­mental Sci­ences, EES)

  • Introduction into EES
  • Applied Geochemistry
  • Environmental Geochemistry
  • Geochemistry of Aqueous Systems

Publications:

  • Klose, L., Kleint, C., Bach, W., Diehl, A., Wilckens, F., Peters, C., Strauss, H., Haase, K. and Koschinsky, A. (under review): Hydrothermal activity and associated subsurface processes at Niuatahi rear-arc volcano, North East Lau Basin, SW Pacific: Implications from trace elements and stable isotope systematics in vent fluids. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. 
  • Dede, B., Hansen, C.T., Neuholz, R., Schnetger, B., Kleint, C., Walker, S., Bach, W., Amann, R. and Meyerdierks, A.(accepted): Niche differentiation of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SUP05) in submarine hydrothermal plumes. The ISME Journal.
  • Kleint, C., Zitoun, R., Neuholz, R., Walter, M., Schnetger, B., Klose, L., Chiswell, S.M., Middag, R., Laan, P., Sander, S.G. and Koschinsky, A. (in revision): Tra­ce me­tal dy­na­mics of Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, La and Pb in hydro­ther­mal plu­mes of the Bro­thers and Ma­cau­ley vol­ca­nic sys­tems at the Ker­ma­dec arc. Frontiers in Marine Science.
  • Klose, L., Keith, M., Hafermaas, D., Kleint, C., Bach, W., Diehl, A., Wilckens, F., Peters, C., Strauss, H., Klemd, R., van Geldern, R., Haase, K. and Koschinksy, A. (2021): Trace element and isotope systematics in vent fluids and sulphides from Maka volcano, North Eastern Lau Spreading Centre: Insights into three-component fluid mixing.Frontiers in Earth Science 9, 776925. doi: 10.3389/feart.2021.776925 
  • Kleint, C., Zitoun, R., Neuholz, R., Walter, M., Schnetger, B., Klose, L., Chiswell, S.M., Middag, R., Laan, P., Sander, S.G. and Koschinsky, A. (2022): Tra­ce me­tal dy­na­mics in shal­low hydro­ther­mal plu­mes at the Ker­ma­dec arc. Frontiers in Marine Science 8, 782734. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2021.782734
  • Peters, C., Strauss, K., Haase, K., Bach, W., de Ronde, C., Kleint, C., Stucker, V. and Diehl, A. (2021): Hydrothermal sulfur cycling: insights from multiple sulfur isotopes for hydrothermal fluids from the Tonga-Kermadec intraoceanic arc and the NE Lau Basin. Chemical Geology 586. doi: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2021.120586
  • Neuholz, R., Kleint, C., Schnetger, B., Koschinsky, A., Laan, P., Middag, R., Sander, S.G., Thal, J., Türke, A., Walter, M., Zitoun, R. and Brumsack, H.J. (2020): Submarine Hydrothermal Discharge and Fluxes of Dissolved Fe and Mn, and He Isotopes at Brothers Volcano Based on Radium Isotopes. Minerals 10 (11), 969 – Special Issue: Advances in Integrated Mineralogical, Geochemical, Isotopic and Numerical Modeling Study of Magmatic-Hydrothermal Systems. doi: 10.3390/min10110969
  • Neuholz, R., Schnetger, B., Kleint, C., Koschinsky, A., Lettmann, K., Sander, S.G., Türke, A., Walter, M., Zitoun, R. and Brumsack, H.J. (2020): Near-field hydrothermal plume dynamics at Brothers Volcano (Kermadec Arc): A short-lived radium isotope study, Chemical Geology 533. doi: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2019.119379
  • Kleint, C., Bach, W., Diehl, A., Fröhberg, N., Garbe-Schönberg, D., Hartmann, J.F., de Ronde, C.E.J., Sander, S.G., Strauss, H., Stucker, V., Thal, J., Zitoun, R. and Koschinsky, A. (2019): Geochemical characterization of highly diverse hydrothermal fluids from volcanic vent systems of the Kermadec intraoceanic arc, Chemical Geology 528. doi: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2019.119289
  • Böhnke, S., Sass, K., Gonnella, G., Diehl, A., Kleint, C., Bach, W., Zitoun, R., Koschinsky, A., Indenbirken, D., Sander, S.G.,  Kurtz, S. and Perner, M.(2019): Parameters governing the community structure and element turnover in Kermadec volcanic ash and hydrothermal fluids as monitored by inorganic electron donor consumption, autotrophic CO2 fixation and 16S tags of the transcriptome in incubation experiments, Frontiers in Microbiology 10:2296. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2019.02296
  • Kleint, C., Pichler, T., and Koschinsky, A. (2017): Geochemical characteristics, speciation and size-fractionation of iron (Fe) in two marine shallow-water hydrothermal systems, Dominica, Lesser Antilles. Chemical Geology 454, 44-53. doi: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2017.02.021
  • Kleint, C., Hawkes, J. A., Sander, S. G. and Koschinsky, A. (2016): Voltammetric investigation of hydrothermal iron speciation. Frontiers in Marine Science 3:75. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2016.00075
  • Kleint, C., Kuzmanovski, S., Powell, Z., Bühring, S.I., Sander, S.G. and Koschinsky, A. (2015): Organic Cu-complexation at the shallow marine hydrothermal vent fields off the coast of Milos (Greece), Dominica (Lesser Antilles) and the Bay of Plenty (New Zealand). Marine Chemistry 173, 244-252. doi: 10.1016/j.marchem.2014.10.012
  • Mohwinkel D., Kleint C. and Koschinsky A. (2014) Phase associations and potential selective extraction methods for selected high-tech metals from ferromanganese nodules and crusts with siderophores. Applied Geochemistry 43. pp 13-21. doi: 10.1016/j.apgeochem.2014.01.010

Conference Presentations:

  • Kleint, C., Bach, W., Sander, S.G., Zitoun, R., Middag, R., Laan, P. and  Koschinsky, A.: Hydrothermal fluxes of trace metals (such as Zn and Fe) into surface waters along the Kermadec Intraoceanic Arc (Talk); Goldschmidt 2019, Barcelona, Spain.
  • Kleint, C., Bach, W., Diehl, A., Fröhberg N., Garbe-Schönberg, D., Hartmann, J. F., de Ronde, C., Sander, S. G., Strauss, H., Stucker, V., Zitoun, R. and Koschinsky, A.: Heterogeneous Geochemical Composition of Hydrothermal Fluids from the Kermadec Intraoceanic Arc with Potential Implications for Ocean Biogeochemistry (selected/invited Talk and Poster); Gordon Research Conference on Ocean Biogeochemistry (GRC) 2018, Hong Kong, China.
  • Kleint, C., Bach, W., Diehl, A., Fröhberg N., Garbe-Schönberg, D., Hartmann, J. F., de Ronde, C., Sander, S. G., Strauss, H., Stucker, V., Zitoun, R. and Koschinsky, A.: Heterogeneous Geochemical Composition of Hydrothermal Fluids from the Kermadec Intraoceanic Arc with Potential Implications for Ocean Biogeochemistry (Talk and Poster); Gordon Research Seminar on Ocean Biogeochemistry (GRS) 2018, Hong Kong, China.
  • Kleint, C., Fröhberg, N., Zitoun, R., Sander, S. G., Strauss H. and Koschinsky A.: Diversity of hydrothermal fluids from four vent sites at the Kermadec Island Arc and its relevance for elemental fluxes (Talk); Goldschmidt 2017, Le Palais des Congrès de Paris, Paris, France.
  • Kleint C., Sander S. G. und Koschinsky A.: Dissolved Fe and Fe binding ligand concentrations at the hydrothermal vent fields in the Coriolis Troughs, New Hebrides Island Arc (Poster); Ocean Sciences Meeting (OSM) 2016, Ernest N. Morial Convention Center New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
  • Sander S. G., Powell Z., Koschinsky A., Kuzmanovski S. und Kleint C.: Stabilization of dissolved trace metals at hydrothermal vent sites: Impact on their marine biogeochemical cycles; EGU General Assembly 2014, Vienna, Austria.
  • Kleint C., Kraemer D. und Koschinsky A.: Phase associations and selective extraction of high-technology metals from ferromanganese nodules and crusts with the siderophore Desferrioxamine B (Talk); GeoFrankfurt 2014, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.
  •  Kleint C. und Koschinsky A.: Copper-ligand complexation at shallow water hydrothermal vents off the coast of Milos and Dominica (Poster); Ocean Sciences Meeting (OSM) 2014, Convention Center Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.
  • Kleint C., Koschinsky A. und Powell Z.: Geo-Bio interactions in shallow water hydrothermal vents and their impact on trace metals (Talk); ASLO 2013, Ernest N. Morial Convention Center New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
  • Kleint C. und Koschinsky A.: High-tech metals in marine ferromanganese nodules and crusts: concentrations, phase associations and potential methods of selective extraction (Talk); GeoHannover 2012, Leibniz University Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
  • Kleint C., Koschinsky A. und Mohwinkel D.: High-tech metals in marine ferromanganese nodules and crusts: contents and possibilities of selective extraction (Talk); European Mineralogical Conference (EMC) 2012, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.
  •  Koschinsky A., Kleint C., Mohwinkel D., Halbach P. und Kuhn T.: Extraction of valuable trace metals from ferromanganese nodules and crusts with different chemical leaching agents; Underwater Mining Institute (UMI) 2011, Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, Hawaii, USA.

Workshops

  • GIF Young Scientists Meeting (German-Israeli Foundation for Scientific Research and Development)  –  “Going Down Into the Abyss: Ocean-Floor Processes, Deep Life, and Climate Archives” (invited Talk), MARUM, Bremen, October 2019
  • „Initiative: future-orientated deep-sea mining” (Coordination and Talk), Jacobs University und MARUM, Bremen, Germany, 2014, 2015 and 2016.
  • „Organic Ligands – A Key Control on Trace Metal Biogeochemistry in the Oceans” SCOR Working Group 139, Sibenik, Croatia, April 2015.
  • „Research in Shallow Marine and Fresh Water Systems” (Talk) University of Bremen, Germany, February 2013.
  •  „Voltammetry and Geotraces” COST Action Group ES801 „The Ocean Chemistry of Bioactive Trace Elements and Paleoclimate Proxies”, (Talk) Sibenik, Croatia, October 2012.