Current Research

My primary research focus is the use of calcareous nannofossils and stable isotopes to address paleoceanographic and paleoclimatic questions. Currently I am working on the Albian-Cenomanian of Ocean Drilling Program Leg 207 (Demerara Rise) and the mid-Pleistocene of Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 306. For Leg 207, I am using semi-quantitative nannofossil data in conjunction with stable isotope analysis to look at changes in nutrient availability and sea surface temperature during the opening of the equatorial Atlantic gateway. My Expedition 306 project is a high-resolution (millennial-scale) study of glacial/interglacial changes in nannofossil abundance and diversity during Marine Isotope Stages 11-15. Results from this work will be compared to stable isotope, foraminifer abundance, and ice-rafted debris data to help quantify millennial-scale climate change in the North Atlantic.

Research Interests

• Antarctic Marine Geology
• Geochemistry
• Paleontology
• Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
• Ocean Drilling Program Leg 207: Demerara Rise
• Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 306: North Atlantic Paleoclimate Study II

Selected Publications

• Kulhanek, D.K. and Wise, S.W., 2006, Albian-Cenomanian calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy and paleoceanography from ODP Site 1258, Demerara Rise, INA11, (talk).


• Kulhanek, D.K. and the SHALDRILL II Scientific Party, 2006, Maastrichtian calcareous nannofossils from clasts in Pleistocene glaciomarine muds from the Northern James Ross Basin, Western Weddell Sea, Antarctica, INA11, (poster).


• Kulhanek, D.K. and Wise, S.W., 2006, Albian calcareous nannofossils from ODP Site 1258, Demerara Rise, Revue de micropaleontologie, 49(3):181-195.


• Anderson, J.B., Manley, P.L., Wise, S.W., Smith Wellner, J., Kulhanek, D.K., and the SHALDRIL II Scientific Party, 2006, SHALDRIL II 2006 NBP0602A Cruise report, Available online at, http://shaldril.rice.edu/PDFs/NBP0602A.pdf.


• Channell, J.E.T., Kanamatsu, T., Sato, T., Stein, R. Alvarez Zarikian, C.A., Malone, M.J., and the Expedition 303/306 Scientists, 2006, Proc. IODP 303/306, College Stateion TX (Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Management International, Inc.), doi:10.2204/iodp.proc.303306.2006. Available online at: http://iodp.tamu.edu/publications/exp303_306/30306toc.htm.


• Stein, R., Kanamatsu, T., Alvarez Zarikian, C., Higgins, S.M., Channell, J.E.T., Aboud, E., Ohno, M., Acton, G.D., Akimoto, K., Bailey, I., Bjorklund, K.R., Evans, H., Nielsen, S.H.H., Fang, N., Ferretti, P., Gruetzer, J., Guyodo, Y.J.B., Hagino, K., Harris, R. Hatakeda, K., Hefter, J., Judge, S.A., Kulhanek, D.K., Nanayama, F., Rashid, H., Sierro Sanchez, F.J., Voelker, A., and Zhai, Q., 2006, North Atlantic paleoceanography: The last five million years., Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union 87(13):129, 133.


• Kulhanek, D.K. and Watkins, D.K., 2002, Paleocene calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy and magnetobiochronology from ODP Leg 171B, Blake Nose, Journal of Nannoplankton Research, 24:127 (poster).


• Kulhanek, D.K., 1999, Calcareous nannofossil radiation following the K-T boundary event at ODP Leg 171B, Proceedings of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies, 109:74-75 (talk).

Teaching Assistant

Florida State University

• GLY1000L - Dynamic Earth Lab
• GLY2100 - Historical Geology
• GLY2100L - Historical Geology Lab

University of Nebraska, Lincoln

• GEOL 102 - Physical Geology Lab
• GEOL 103H - Honors Historical Geology Lab

Research Assistant

Assistant in the Antarctic Marine Geology Research Facility, in charge of the facility while the curators participated in the inaugural ANDRILL field season. Also, collaborative work on: Antarctic DiatomWare, an interactive, icon-driven digital image database/software package that displays over 500 illustrated Cenozoic Antarctic diatom taxa complete with original descriptions (including over 100 genera and 20 family-group descriptions).