Lei Chou

Professor of the University

Biogeochemistry and Modelling of the Earth System
Department of Geosciences, Environment and Society
Faculty of Sciences (ULB)

Area of research:
Aquatic geochemistry and marine biogeochemistry

Plaine Campus (map)

Building BC, wing B, 5th level
Office 1B5.108

Lei.Chou@ulb.be
+32 (2) 650 52 37

Research summary

The research topics of Lei Chou are strongly related to global change and environmental issues. She has developed an expertise in the biogeochemitry of carbon and associated elements in the natural environments. Her research activities over the past 15 years have been focused on 1) marine calcification as well as biological nitrogen fixation in relation to ocean acidification and warming, 2) coastal benthic hypoxia, 3) (bio)geochemistry of the phosphorus in relation to eutrophication in the Scheldt Estuary and Belgian coastal zone, 4) the dynamics of silica in the continuum of Scheldt River‐Estuary‐North Sea, 5) geochemistry of trace metals in the Scheldt Estuary and 6) biogeochemistry of iron and nutrients in the sea‐ice. She has also been working on the assessment of dissolution kinetics and solubility of marine biogenic carbonates in relation to ocean acidification.

Key publications

  1. Li X., N. Roevros, F. Dehairs, and L. Chou. (2017) Biological responses of the marine diatom Chaetoceros socialis to changing environmental conditions: A laboratory experiment. PLoS ONE, 12 (11): e0188615.
  2. Ammar R., H.J. Kanbar, V. Kazpard, M. Wazne, A.G. El Samrani,  N. Amacha, Z. Saad, L. Chou (2016) Role of phosphogypsum and NPK amendments on the retention or leaching of metals in different soils. Journal of Environmental Management, 178, 20-29.
  3. Delille B., M. Vancoppenolle, N.-X. Geilfus, B. Tilbrook, D. Lannuzel, V. Schoemann, S. Becquevort, G. Carnat, D. Delille, C. Lancelot, L. Chou, G.S. Dieckmann, and J.-L. Tison (2014) Southern Ocean CO2 sink: The contribution of the sea ice. J. Geophys. Res. Oceans, 119, doi:10.1002/2014JC009941.
  4. Elskens M., O. Gourgue, W. Baeyens, L. Chou, E. Deleersnijder, M. Leermakers and A. de Brauwere (2014) Modelling metal speciation in the Scheldt Estuary: combining a flexible-resolution transport model with empirical functions. Science of the Total Environment, 476–477, 346–358.
  5. Carbonnel V., J. –P. Vanderborght, M. Lionard and L. Chou (2013) Diatoms, dissolved silica and biogenic silica dynamics in the Scheldt estuary (Belgium/The Netherlands). Biogeochemistry, 113, 657-682. doi: 10.1007/s10533-012-9796-y.
  6. De Bodt, C., N. Van Oostende, J. Harlay, K. Sabbe, and L. Chou (2010) Individual and interacting effects of pCO2 and temperature on Emiliania huxleyi calcification: study of the calcite production, the coccolith morphology and the coccosphere size. Biogeosciences, 7, 1401–1412.
  7. Petit J. C. J., M. Bouezmarni, N. Roevros and L. Chou (2009) The use of acidimetric titration as a novel approach to study particulate trace metal speciation and mobility: application to sediments of the Scheldt estuary. Applied Geochemistry, 24, 1875–1888.
  8. Lannuzel D., V. Schoemann, J. de Jong, J.-L. Tison and L. Chou (2007) Distribution and Biogeochemical Behaviour of iron in East Antarctic Sea Ice. Marine Chemistry, 106, 18-32.
  9. van der Zee, C., N. Roevros and L. Chou (2007) Phosphorus and nitrogen speciation, transformation and retention in the Scheldt estuary (Belgium/The Netherlands) from the freshwater tidal limits to the North Sea. Marine Chemistry, 106, 76-91.
  10. Chou L. and R. Wollast (1984) Study of the weathering of albite at room temperature and pressure with a fluidized bed reactor. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 48, 2205-2217.

Short CV

  • Professor at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium, 10/2012 – Present
  • Associate Professor at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium, 01/2003 – 09/2012
  • Assistant Professor at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium, 10/1999 – 12/2002
  • Research Scientist at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium, 06/1989 – 09/1999
  • Visiting Scientist at the University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, 03/1989 – 05/1989
  • Post-doc at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium, 09/1988 – 02/1989
  • Post-doc at the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA, 09/1985 – 08/1988
  • Ph.D. in Geological Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA (1985)
  • M.Sc. in Earth Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
  • B.Sc. (Licence) in Earth Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, TAIWAN