Adrian Garcia is interested in the study of modern and fossil micro-organisms (charophytes, foraminifera and ostracods), from a systematic, (palaeo-) environmental and biogeographical point of view. She is currently a member of Geoquest and is involved in a large study of charophytes and foraminifera from Quaternary sediments from the Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia. The research includes systematics and geochemistry of foraminifera shells and charophyte gyrogonites.
She specialises in the non-marine Algae called charophytes or stoneworts (Charales) from Australia and South America. She has been working since her PhD (1987) on systematics and ecology of modern charophytes (eg. C. braunii, C. fibrosa, C. globularis), the characterisation of oospores and gyrogonites of modern taxa (eg.
Tribe Chareae, Tribe Nitelleae,
L. barbatus), and their use as modern analogues for the palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of Quaternary sediments.
See also Research projects below
1. The Systematics and ecology of modern Australian charophytes: collections from herbaria and own collections made in NSW, WA, Victoria, Queensland are under study.
2. Living specimens are sent regularly to K. Karol (Maryland, USA) for molecular analyses as part of a collaborative project. These results will be of huge importance to establish relationships amongst the taxa.
3. Oospore and gyrogonites: The use of the Scanning Electron Microscope in the characterisation of oospores and their use for taxa identification. It is intended to describe and illustrate oospore and gyrogonites from TYPE specimens, since this gap is very important to fill from a taxonomic point of view.
4. Study of fossil taxa from the Gulf of Carpentaria. This is a multidisciplinary project dedicated to reconstruct the palaeoclimate of this particular tropical area since the Last Interglacial, 125 ka ago (thousand years ago). I am studying foraminifera and charophytes, and their use as palaeoenvironmental indicators.
5. Experimental cultures of charophytes to analyse changes in stable isotopes and trace elements: application to palaeoenvironmental reconstruction (In collaboration with Prof A. Chivas.
6. Tertiary charophytes from Argentina. With Prof R. Herbst, University of Tucuman, Argentina
7. Cretaceous charophytes from Puerto Rico. In collaboration with M. Martinez, Universidad de Puerto Rico.
8. Quaternary charophytes from The United Kingdom. In collaboration with Carl Sayer from the Research Centre for Climate Change, University College London.
