Christopher L. Sabine

NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory

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About

Christopher L. Sabine is a leading oceanographer whose work has fundamentally advanced our understanding of the ocean’s role in the global carbon cycle. His research focuses on marine carbon chemistry, ocean acidification, and the development of autonomous observing technologies. Sabine is best known for his pivotal contributions to the global carbon survey, which provided the first comprehensive, high-quality dataset of ocean carbon inventories, and for leading the groundbreaking synthesis that quantified the ocean’s uptake of anthropogenic CO₂. His work has been cited over 23,000 times, reflecting its immense influence on climate science and policy. Notably, Sabine spearheaded the collaboration between NOAA PMEL and Liquid Robotics to create an autonomous platform for underway surface carbon measurements, a transformative innovation that enables sustained, high-resolution monitoring of CO₂ in both open-ocean and coastal waters. As a former Director of the NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, he has been a driving force in ocean observing systems, earning numerous accolades including the NOAA Bronze Medal. Sabine’s legacy lies in equipping the scientific community with the data and tools to track ocean acidification and its impacts on marine ecosystems.