Douglas Capone
Professor of Biological Sciences
USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
As a former surfer, Douglas Capone has parlayed his love for the sea into his research on marine life. Rather than riding the waves, he is now studying them to understand how bacteria affect ocean environment.
Capone and his colleagues at the USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies are studying the importance of fixing nitrogen into biologically useable forms and what the impact of this has on marine life. The researchers hope to learn how bacteria might promote the absorption of greenhouse gases, shedding light on how oceans can mitigate the effects of pollution.
Along with other scientists from such disparate fields as economics, geology, medicine and the social sciences, researchers at the Wrigley Institute are working together to help solve society's daunting environmental problems and prepare for the future.