Born in Sweden, Prof. Beer arrived in Israel in 1973, where he received his M.Sc. and Ph.D. from Tel Aviv University. As well as Hebrew, he is fluent in English, Swedish and German. Since retirement, he now divides his time between Israel and Australia.
| Education: | |
| 1969-1972 | B.A.; Biology, Universities of Uppsala and Stockholm |
| 1974-1975 | M.Sc.; Botany, Tel Aviv University |
| 1975-1979 | Ph.D.; Botany, Tel Aviv University |
| 1979-1980 | Post-doctoral research; Limnology, Tel Aviv University |
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Academic Appointments: |
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| 1974 - 1979 | Instructor; Botany, Tel Aviv University |
| 1981 - 1986 | Lecturer; Tel Aviv University |
| 1985 - 1987 | Visiting Scientist; Photosynthesis, University of Florida |
| 1986 - 1991 | Senior Lecturer; Tel Aviv University |
| 1988 - 1989 | Scientific Advisor; Oceanography, The Open University |
| 1991 - 2000 | Associate Professor; Tel Aviv University |
| 1994 - 1995 | Visiting Scientist; Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut |
| 2000 - 2011 | Full Professor; Tel Aviv University |
| 2000 - 2003 | Chairman of the Depatment; Tel Aviv University |
| 2001 - present | Lecturer; Marine Botany, Ruppin Academic Center |
| 2003 - 2004 | Visiting Scientist; Marine Botany, University of Stockholm |
| 2003 - present | Adjunct Professor; Botany, University of Stockholm |
| 2007 - 2008 | Visiting Scientist; Marine Sciences, University of Dar es Salaam |
| 2009 | Visiting Scientist; Marine Sciences, University of New Hampshire |
| 2011 - present | Emeritus Professor; Tel Aviv University |
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Professional Affiliations: |
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| Botanical Society of Israel (1981), Phycological Society of America (1983), American Society of Plant Physiologists (1983-1990), European Phycological Society (1995), World Seagrass Association (2002) | |
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Honors and Awards: |
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| 1981 | TAU grant for starting scientists (no. 5203) |
| 1981 | European Atomic Commission, travel grant |
| 1981-1982 | TAU grant for young scientists (no. 5229) |
| 1982 | Invited Panellist, AAPS Workshop, Athens, GA |
| 1986 | DNR of Florida, Proposal co-author and Project Leader |
| 1986 | Florida Institute of Oceanography, eight shipboard days for scientific cruise to the Bahamas, Proposal author and expedition participant |
| 1987, 1989 | Florida Institute of Oceanography, six shipboard days - same as 1986 |
| 1989, 1990 | The Danish Science Foundation / Ministry of Education (Photosynthesis), PI |
| 1989 | The Hunger Fund/TAU (with Y. Lipkin) (Edible Sea Vegetable Porphyra), PI |
| 1989, 1990 | The Ecology Fund, Israel (Algal Ecology), PI |
| 1991, 1992 | Swedish National Research Council (Marine Algal Ecology), PI |
| 1991 | Florida-Israel Institute (with G. Bowes) (Aquatic Macrophytes), PI |
| 1991-1993 | Israel Academy of Sciences (with A. Zilberstein) (Rubisco SSU physiology and molecular biology , PI |
| 1991, 1992 | TAU Fund for Basic Research (algal responses to CO2 ), PI |
| 1993-1996 | Israel Academy of Sciences (with M. Gurewits) (HCO3 transport in algae), PI |
| 1994-1995 | DNR of Connecticut (seagrass biology of Long Island Sound), scientist |
| 1997-2000 | R. Weil Research Grant, Proventus, Sweden (marine algae), PI |
| 1998-2001 | The Israel Science Foundation / Israel Academy of Sciences (with A. Israel) (algal responses to increasing CO2 levels), PI |
| 1998-2001 | World Wildlife Fund (WWF) (study grant for African Ph.D. student) |
| 2001-2004 | U.S.-Israel BiNational Science Foundation (BSF) (photosymbiotic relationships in marine sponges), PI |
| 2004 | European Community (artificial marine structures), co-PI |
| 2008 | Ministry of Nature Protection (molecular identification of phytoplankton), PI |
| 2010 | European Community (seagrass biology), Core-group member, Israeli representative |
Marine Photosynthesis and Ecophysiology: Photosynthetic carbon acquisition in marine plants (macroalgae and seagrasses)
Principal Research Interests:
For a full list
Selected Works (out of >120 peer-reviewed publications)
Beer, S., Eshel, A. and Waisel, Y. 1977. Carbon metabolism in seagrasses. I. The utilization of exogenous inorganic carbon species in photosynthesis. J. Exp. Bot. 106: 1180-1189
Beer, S., Shomer-Ilan, A. and Waisel, Y. 1980. Carbon metabolism in seagrasses. II. Patterns of photosynthetic CO2 incorporation. J. Exp. Bot. 31: 1019-1026
Beer, S. and Eshel, A. 1983. Photosynthesis of Ulva sp. II. Utilization of CO2 and HCO3‑ when submerged. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 70: 99- 106
Beer, S., Israel, A., Drechsler, Z. and Cohen, Y. 1990. Photosynthesis in Ulva fasciata. V. Evidence for an inorganic carbon concentrating system, and Rubisco CO2 kinetics. Plant Physiol. 94: 1542-1546
Sharkia, R., Cabantchik, Z.I. and Beer, S. 1994. A membrane-located polypeptide which may be involved in the HCO3‑ transport of Ulva sp. is recognized by antibodies raised against the red blood cell anion exchange protein. Planta 194: 247-249
Axelsson, L., Ryberg, H. and Beer, S. 1995. Two modes of bicarbonate acquisition in Ulva lactuca. Plant Cell and Environ. 18: 439-445
Beer, S. and Koch, E. 1996. Photosynthesis of seagrasses vs. marine macroalgae in globally changing CO2 environments. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 141: 199-204
Beer, S., Vilenkin, B., Weil, A., Veste, M., Susel, L. and Eshel, A. 1998. Measuring photosynthetic rates in seagrasses by pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) fluorometry. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 174: 293-300
Ilan, M. and Beer, S. 1999. A new technique for non-intrusive in situ measurements of symbiotic photosynthesis under water. Coral Reefs 18: 74
Beer, S., Larsson, C., Poryan, O. and Axelsson, L. 2000. Measuring Photosynthetic Rates of the Marine Macroalga Ulva by Pulse Amplitude Modulated (PAM) Fluorometry. Eur. J. Phycol. 35: 69-74
Beer, S., Björk, M., Hellblom, F. and Axelsson, L. 2002. Inorganic Carbon Utilisation in Marine Angiosperms (Seagrasses). Funct. Plant Biol. (former Australian J. Plant Physiol.) 29: 349-354
Winters, G., Loya, Y., Rottgers, R. and Beer, S. 2003. Photoinhibition in shallow water colonies of the coral Stylophora pistillata as measured in situ. Limnol. Oceanogr. 48: 1388-1393
Björk, M., Axelsson, L. and Beer, S. 2004. Why is Ulva intestinalis the only macroalga inhabiting isolated rockpools along the Swedish Atlantic coast? Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 284: 109-116
Saroussi, S. and Beer, S. 2007. Alpha and quantum yield of aquatic plants as derived from PAM fluorometry: Uses and misuses. Aquat. Bot. 86: 89-92
Sharon, Y. and Beer, S. 2008. Diurnal movements of chloroplasts in Halophila stipulacea and their effect on PAM fluorometric measurements of photosynthetic rates. Aquat. Bot. 88: 273-276
Semesi, S., Beer, S. and Björk, M. 2009. Seagrass photosynthesis controls rates of calcification and photosynthesis of calcareous macroalgae in a tropical seagrass meadow. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 382: 41-47
Sharon, Y., Silva, J., Santos, R., Runcie, J., Chernihovsky, M. and Beer, S. 2009. Photosynthetic responses of Halophila stipulacea to a light gradient: II – Plastic acclimations following transplantations. Aquat. Biol. 7: 153-157
Sharon, Y., Levitan, O., Spungin, D., Berman-Frank, I. and Beer, S. 2011. Photoacclimations of the seagrass Halophila stipulacea to the dim irradiance at its 48-m depth limit. Limnol. Oceanogr. 56: 357-362
Beer, S., Björk, M. and Beardall, J. 2014. Photosynthesis in the Marine Environment. Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford, UK (ISBN: 978-1-119-97957-9)
Kaewsrikhaw, R., A. Pratheb, A. Darakrai and S. Beer. 2016. Photosynthesis and calcification in two Halimeda species from Phuket, Thailand. Bot. Mar. 59: 187-192.
Winter, G., Beer, S. and others. 2020. The invasive tropical seagrass Halphila ovalis: A review of what we know, and identifying gaps in our knowledge. Front. Mar. Sci. | doi: 10.3389/fmars.2020.00300/
Beer, S., Björk, M, and Beardall, J. 2020. Chlorophyll Fluorescence: Basic Concepts and Key Parameters of Chlorophyll Fluorescence (Ch. 6:1). In: K. Gao & J. Beardall (Eds.) Research Methods of Environmental Physiology and Aquatic Sciences. Springer and China Science Press.
Beer, S., Björk, M, and Beardall, J. 2020. Fluorescence measurement techniques (Ch. 6:2). In: K. Gao & J. Beardall (Eds.) Research Methods of Environmental Physiology and Aquatic Sciences. Springer and China Science Press.
