Gerald started to work on coccolithophores during his PhD at the AWI, Bremerhaven / University of Bremen, Germany. Gerald is interested in various aspects of coccolithophore cell biology, eco-physiology, diversity, geochemistry, and biogeochemistry. He has been working mainly on laboratory experiments investigating the response of coccolithophores to changing environmental parameters such as seawater carbonate chemistry, as well as cell biological experiments aimed at elucidating the complex biomineralization mechanism of coccolithophores. His work combines cell biology, mineralogy, and geochemistry to glean a deeper understanding of biologically controlled calcium carbonate formation.