European Geosciences Union Honors Bianchi

Thomas Bianchi, research professor in the UNH Ocean Process Analysis Laboratory, has been awarded the 2026 Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky Medal for his research on the carbon cycle in rivers, estuaries, and coastal oceans. 

This prestigious medal is bestowed by the European Geosciences Union¡¯s Biogeosciences Division to one scientist per year for their exceptional contributions to the field of biogeosciences ¡ª the interdisciplinary study of the interactions between biological, geological, atmospheric, and hydrologic systems. 

Bianchi is recognized for his pioneering research that has fundamentally advanced the scientific understanding of how organic carbon moves, transforms, and is buried along the land-ocean boundary. His work has explained the ¡°missing¡± terrestrial carbon in coastal and oceanic carbon cycle, identified major global carbon burial in fjords, and revealed how human engineering influences carbon storage in the Mississippi River delta. 

He has authored more than 300 scientific papers and several influential books, and he serves as editor-in-chief of the journal Marine Chemistry. Bianchi is also widely regarded as a dedicated mentor to graduate students and scientists around the globe.