World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
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Environmental Sciences
USA
2026

D-Index & Metrics

Environmental Sciences

D-Index
138
Citations
81923
World Ranking
51
National Ranking
20

Biology and Biochemistry

D-Index
138
Citations
81321
World Ranking
293
National Ranking
199

Hans W. Paerl publication distribution in Environmental Sciences in 2026

The chart shows the distribution of publications by all Research.com ranked scientists in the field of Environmental Sciences in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where Hans W. Paerl sits on this spectrum.

41–50 publications: 21 scientists 51–60 publications: 62 scientists 61–70 publications: 133 scientists 71–80 publications: 257 scientists 81–90 publications: 361 scientists 91–100 publications: 440 scientists 101–110 publications: 492 scientists 111–120 publications: 541 scientists 121–130 publications: 617 scientists 131–140 publications: 544 scientists 141–150 publications: 541 scientists 151–160 publications: 539 scientists 161–170 publications: 444 scientists 171–180 publications: 444 scientists 181–190 publications: 400 scientists 191–200 publications: 377 scientists 201–210 publications: 318 scientists 211–220 publications: 283 scientists 221–230 publications: 263 scientists 231–240 publications: 220 scientists 241–250 publications: 217 scientists 251–260 publications: 180 scientists 261–270 publications: 181 scientists 271–280 publications: 155 scientists 281–290 publications: 130 scientists 291–300 publications: 127 scientists 301–310 publications: 130 scientists 311–320 publications: 85 scientists 321–330 publications: 106 scientists 331–340 publications: 80 scientists 341–350 publications: 83 scientists 351–360 publications: 75 scientists 361–370 publications: 69 scientists 371–380 publications: 52 scientists 381–390 publications: 54 scientists 391–400 publications: 56 scientists 401–410 publications: 44 scientists 411–420 publications: 40 scientists 421–430 publications: 36 scientists 431–440 publications: 25 scientists 441–450 publications: 25 scientists 451–460 publications: 32 scientists 461–470 publications: 29 scientists 471–480 publications: 21 scientists 481–490 publications: 26 scientists 491–500 publications: 25 scientists 501–510 publications: 17 scientists 511–520 publications: 18 scientists 521–530 publications: 15 scientists 531–540 publications: 22 scientists 541–550 publications: 12 scientists 551–560 publications: 15 scientists 561–570 publications: 11 scientists 571–580 publications: 19 scientists 581–590 publications: 9 scientists 591–600 publications: 9 scientists 601–610 publications: 7 scientists 611–620 publications: 11 scientists 621–630 publications: 5 scientists 631–640 publications: 5 scientists 641–650 publications: 6 scientists 651–660 publications: 3 scientists 661–670 publications: 3 scientists 671–680 publications: 4 scientists 681–686 publications: 3 scientists 687+ publications: 100 scientists
41 publications 687+

This scientist: 547 publications — 98th percentile

98% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 687 publications or more.

Hans W. Paerl D-index placement in Environmental Sciences in 2026

The chart shows the D-index (discipline H-index) distribution of Environmental Sciences scientists ranked by Research.com in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where Hans W. Paerl sits on this spectrum.

30 D-Index: 12 scientists 31 D-Index: 26 scientists 32 D-Index: 51 scientists 33 D-Index: 88 scientists 34 D-Index: 123 scientists 35 D-Index: 163 scientists 36 D-Index: 206 scientists 37 D-Index: 267 scientists 38 D-Index: 265 scientists 39 D-Index: 275 scientists 40 D-Index: 321 scientists 41 D-Index: 343 scientists 42 D-Index: 305 scientists 43 D-Index: 336 scientists 44 D-Index: 330 scientists 45 D-Index: 348 scientists 46 D-Index: 291 scientists 47 D-Index: 275 scientists 48 D-Index: 272 scientists 49 D-Index: 273 scientists 50 D-Index: 263 scientists 51 D-Index: 232 scientists 52 D-Index: 266 scientists 53 D-Index: 217 scientists 54 D-Index: 199 scientists 55 D-Index: 177 scientists 56 D-Index: 202 scientists 57 D-Index: 204 scientists 58 D-Index: 166 scientists 59 D-Index: 177 scientists 60 D-Index: 166 scientists 61 D-Index: 152 scientists 62 D-Index: 143 scientists 63 D-Index: 150 scientists 64 D-Index: 124 scientists 65 D-Index: 119 scientists 66 D-Index: 120 scientists 67 D-Index: 118 scientists 68 D-Index: 82 scientists 69 D-Index: 98 scientists 70 D-Index: 94 scientists 71 D-Index: 105 scientists 72 D-Index: 74 scientists 73 D-Index: 84 scientists 74 D-Index: 70 scientists 75 D-Index: 67 scientists 76 D-Index: 78 scientists 77 D-Index: 60 scientists 78 D-Index: 59 scientists 79 D-Index: 52 scientists 80 D-Index: 47 scientists 81 D-Index: 38 scientists 82 D-Index: 48 scientists 83 D-Index: 42 scientists 84 D-Index: 42 scientists 85 D-Index: 43 scientists 86 D-Index: 29 scientists 87 D-Index: 37 scientists 88 D-Index: 29 scientists 89 D-Index: 30 scientists 90 D-Index: 34 scientists 91 D-Index: 20 scientists 92 D-Index: 22 scientists 93 D-Index: 17 scientists 94 D-Index: 19 scientists 95 D-Index: 24 scientists 96 D-Index: 21 scientists 97 D-Index: 20 scientists 98 D-Index: 24 scientists 99 D-Index: 17 scientists 100 D-Index: 17 scientists 101 D-Index: 21 scientists 102 D-Index: 25 scientists 103 D-Index: 18 scientists 104 D-Index: 26 scientists 105 D-Index: 19 scientists 106 D-Index: 15 scientists 107 D-Index: 10 scientists 108 D-Index: 13 scientists 109 D-Index: 15 scientists 110 D-Index: 12 scientists 111 D-Index: 8 scientists 112 D-Index: 7 scientists 113 D-Index: 9 scientists 114 D-Index: 6 scientists 115 D-Index: 12 scientists 116 D-Index: 7 scientists 117 D-Index: 8 scientists 118 D-Index: 3 scientists 119 D-Index: 5 scientists 120 D-Index: 7 scientists 121 D-Index: 2 scientists 122 D-Index: 4 scientists 123 D-Index: 8 scientists 124 D-Index: 7 scientists 125+ D-Index: 99 scientists
30 D-Index 125+

This scientist: 138 D-Index — 100th percentile

100% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 125 D-Index or more.

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2026 - Research.com Environmental Sciences in United States Leader Award
  • 2025 - Research.com Environmental Sciences in United States Leader Award
  • 2023 - Research.com Environmental Sciences in United States Leader Award
  • 2015 - Fellow of American Geophysical Union (AGU)

Overview

Hans W. Paerl is affiliated with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the United States. Their research primarily spans the fields of Environmental Science and Earth and Planetary Sciences, with substantial contributions in subfields such as Environmental Chemistry, Oceanography, Ecology, Global and Planetary Change, and Atmospheric Science.

Their work focuses on several main topics, including:

  • Aquatic Ecosystems and Phytoplankton Dynamics
  • Marine and coastal ecosystems
  • Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics
  • Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
  • Marine Biology and Ecology Research
  • Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
  • Fish Ecology and Management Studies

Paerl has a strong publication record with frequent appearances in venues such as:

  • UNC Libraries
  • Limnology and Oceanography
  • Faculty Opinions - Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature
  • Water Research
  • SSRN Electronic Journal

Notable recent papers by Paerl include:

  • "Toxic Cyanobacteria: A Growing Threat to Water and Air Quality," 2020, Environmental Science & Technology
  • "Shifting states, shifting services: Linking regime shifts to changes in ecosystem services of shallow lakes," 2020, Freshwater Biology
  • "Contributions of external nutrient loading and internal cycling to cyanobacterial bloom dynamics in Lake Taihu, China: Implications for nutrient management," 2021, Limnology and Oceanography
  • "Mitigating the global expansion of harmful cyanobacterial blooms: Moving targets in a human- and climatically-altered world," 2020, Harmful Algae
  • "Extreme Climate Anomalies Enhancing Cyanobacterial Blooms in Eutrophic Lake Taihu, China," 2021, Water Resources Research

The scientist has collaborated frequently with colleagues such as Nathan S. Hall, Boqiang Qin, Haley E. Plaas, Yunlin Zhang, and Malcolm A. Barnard. These collaborations suggest an interdisciplinary approach integrating environmental chemistry, aquatic ecology, and climatology.

Hans W. Paerl was recognized as a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) in 2015, reflecting a professional acknowledgment within the geophysical and environmental science community.

Best Publications

  • Controlling Eutrophication: Nitrogen and Phosphorus

    Daniel J. Conley;Hans W. Paerl;Robert W. Howarth;Donald F. Boesch

  • Cyanobacterial blooms

    Unknown

  • Blooms like it hot

    Hans W. Paerl;Jef Huisman

  • Harmful cyanobacterial blooms: causes, consequences, and controls.

    Hans W. Paerl;Timothy G. Otten;Timothy G. Otten

  • Climate change: A catalyst for global expansion of harmful cyanobacterial blooms

    Hans W. Paerl;Jef Huisman

  • Climate change: links to global expansion of harmful cyanobacteria.

    Hans W. Paerl;Valerie J. Paul

  • Trichodesmium, a Globally Significant Marine Cyanobacterium

    Douglas G. Capone;Jonathan P. Zehr;Hans W. Paerl;Birgitta Bergman

  • Harmful freshwater algal blooms, with an emphasis on cyanobacteria.

    Hans W. Paerl;Rolland S. Fulton;Pia H. Moisander;Julianne Dyble

  • Ecological Thresholds: The Key to Successful Environmental Management or an Important Concept with No Practical Application?

    Peter M. Groffman;Jill S. Baron;Tamara Blett;Arthur J. Gold

  • Nuisance phytoplankton blooms in coastal, estuarine, and inland waters1

    Hans W. Paerl

  • Controlling harmful cyanobacterial blooms in a world experiencing anthropogenic and climatic-induced change

    Hans W. Paerl;Nathan S. Hall;Elizabeth S. Calandrino

  • Nitrogen and phosphorus inputs control phytoplankton growth in eutrophic Lake Taihu, China.

    Hai Xu;Hans W. Paerl;Boqiang Qin;Guangwei Zhu

  • Controlling harmful cyanobacterial blooms in a hyper-eutrophic lake (Lake Taihu, China): The need for a dual nutrient (N & P) management strategy

    Hans W. Paerl;Hai Xu;Mark J. McCarthy;Mark J. McCarthy;Guangwei Zhu

  • Coastal eutrophication and harmful algal blooms : Importance of atmospheric deposition and groundwater as new nitrogen and other nutrient sources

    Hans W. Paerl

  • A review of the global ecology, genomics, and biogeography of the toxic cyanobacterium, Microcystis spp.

    Matthew J. Harke;Morgan M. Steffen;Christopher J. Gobler;Timothy G. Otten

  • A Drinking Water Crisis in Lake Taihu, China: Linkage to Climatic Variability and Lake Management

    Boqiang Qin;Guangwei Zhu;Guang Gao;Yunlin Zhang

  • Nutrients, eutrophication and harmful algal blooms along the freshwater to marine continuum

    Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh;Hans W. Paerl;Walter K. Dodds

  • The oceanic fixed nitrogen and nitrous oxide budgets: Moving targets as we enter the anthropocene?*

    L. A. Codispoti;Jay A. Brandes;J. P. Christensen;A. H. Devol

  • The role of microbes in accretion, lamination and early lithification of modern marine stromatolites

    R. P. Reid;P. T. Visscher;A. W. Decho;J. F. Stolz

  • Dinitrogen fixation in the world's oceans

    D. Karl;A. Michaels;B. Bergman;D.G. Capone

  • Allied attack: climate change and eutrophication

    B. Moss;S. Kosten;M. Meerhoff;R.W. Battarbee

Frequent Co-Authors

James L. Pinckney
James L. Pinckney University of South Carolina
Boqiang Qin
Boqiang Qin Chinese Academy of Sciences
Michael F. Piehler
Michael F. Piehler University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Guangwei Zhu
Guangwei Zhu Chinese Academy of Sciences
Pia H. Moisander
Pia H. Moisander University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Christopher L. Osburn
Christopher L. Osburn North Carolina State University
Mark J. McCarthy
Mark J. McCarthy Wright State University
Hai Xu
Hai Xu Tianjin University
Steven W. Wilhelm
Steven W. Wilhelm University of Tennessee at Knoxville
Yunlin Zhang
Yunlin Zhang Chinese Academy of Sciences

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