1 U.S. GLOBEC Georges Bank U.S. GLOBEC Georges Bank <p>The U.S. GLOBEC <a href="http://globec.whoi.edu/globec-dir/about_georges_bank.html">Georges Bank</a> Program is a large multi- disciplinary multi-year oceanographic effort. The proximate goal is to understand the population dynamics of key species on the Bank - <a href="http://globec.whoi.edu/images/Cod106.7.gif"></a><a>Cod</a>, <a href="http://globec.whoi.edu/images/haddock103.07.gif">Haddock</a>, and two species of zooplankton (<a href="http://globec.whoi.edu/images/calanus-finmarchicus.html"><i>Calanus finmarchicus</i></a> and <a href="http://globec.whoi.edu/images/pseudocalanus.html"><i>Pseudocalanus</i></a>) - in terms of their coupling to the physical environment and in terms of their <a href="http://globec.whoi.edu/images/targetpp.gif">predators and prey</a>. The ultimate goal is to be able to predict changes in the distribution and abundance of these species as a result of changes in their physical and biotic environment as well as to anticipate how their populations might respond to climate change. </p> <p>The effort is substantial, requiring broad-scale surveys of the entire Bank, and process studies which focus both on the links between the target species and their physical environment, and the determination of fundamental aspects of these species' life history (birth rates, growth rates, death rates, etc). </p> <p>Equally important are the modelling efforts that are ongoing which seek to provide realistic predictions of the flow field and which utilize the life history information to produce an integrated view of the dynamics of the populations. </p> <p>The U.S. GLOBEC Georges Bank <a href="http://globec.whoi.edu/globec-dir/EXCO.html">Executive Committee (EXCO)</a> provides program leadership and effective communication with the funding agencies.</p> GB http://globec.whoi.edu/globec_program.html http://globec.whoi.edu/images/gb.jpg 1991-01-01T00:00:01 2 U.S. GLOBEC Northeast Pacific U.S. GLOBEC Northeast Pacific <strong>Program in a Nutshell</strong></font><br><br> <font face=&#34;Arial, Helvetica&#34; size=&#34;2&#34;><b>Goal: </b> To understand the effects of climate variability and climate change on the distribution, abundance and production of marine animals (including commercially important living marine resources) in the eastern North Pacific. To embody this understanding in diagnostic and prognostic ecosystem models, capable of capturing the ecosystem response to major climatic fluctuations.</font><br><br> <font face=&#34;Arial, Helvetica&#34; size=&#34;2&#34;> <b>Approach: </b>To study the effects of past and present climate variability on the population ecology and population dynamics of marine biota and living marine resources, and to use this information as a proxy for how the ecosystems of the eastern North Pacific may respond to future global climate change. The strong temporal variability in the physical and biological signals of the NEP will be used to examine the biophysical mechanisms through which zooplankton and salmon populations respond to physical forcing and biological interactions in the coastal regions of the two gyres. Annual and interannual variability will be studied directly through <b>long-term observations</b> and detailed <b>process studies</b>; variability at longer time scales will be examined through <b>retrospective analysis</b> of directly measured and proxy data. Coupled <b>biophysical models</b> of the ecosystems of these regions will be developed and tested using the process studies and data collected from the long-term observation programs, then further tested and improved by hindcasting selected retrospective data series.</font></font></p><p> <!-- <font face=&#34;Arial, Helvetica&#34;><strong>Job Opportunities</strong></font><br><br> <font size=&#34;2&#34; face=&#34;Arial, Helvetica&#34;> The Cooperative Institute for Oceanographic Satellite Studies (CIOSS), located at Oregon State University, has three open positions for fulltime postdoctoral research associates. Closing date for all three positio ns is October 15, 2004. <a href=&#34;http://cioss.coas.oregonstate.edu/CIOSS/index.html&#34;>More info here</a></font><p> --> <!-- <br><br> <P> <font face=&#34;Arial, Helvetica&#34;><strong>Call for Additional Coastal Gulf of Alaska (CGOA) Proposals for US GLOBEC Synthesis from the U.S. GLOBEC Science Steering Committee</strong></font><br> <font size=&#34;2&#34; face=&#34;Arial, Helvetica&#34;> Proposals are due 1 July 2006. More details <a href=&#34;globec_gap.pdf&#34;>here</a></font>.<p><br><br> --> </p><p><font face=&#34;Arial, Helvetica&#34;> NEP http://globec.oce.orst.edu/ http://globec.whoi.edu/images/nep.jpg 1997-01-01T00:00:01 3 U.S. GLOBEC Southern Ocean U.S. GLOBEC Southern Ocean <p> The fundamental objectives of United States Global Ocean Ecosystems Dynamics (U.S. GLOBEC) Program are dependent upon the cooperation of scientists from several disciplines. Physicists, biologists, and chemists must make use of data collected during U.S. GLOBEC field programs to further our understanding of the interplay of physics, biology, and chemistry. Our objectives require quantitative analysis of interdisciplinary data sets and, therefore, data must be exchanged between researchers. To extract the full scientific value, data must be made available to the scientific community on a timely basis. </p> SOGLOBEC http://www.ccpo.odu.edu/Research/globec_menu.html http://globec.whoi.edu/images/southern_ocean_logo300_sm2.gif 2001-01-01T00:00:01 4 Census of Marine Zooplankton Census of Marine Zooplankton <p><em>The Census of Marine Zooplankton</em> (CMarZ) is a field project of the Census of Marine Life (see <a href="http://www.coml.org" target="_blank" class="navigation">www.CoML.org</a>). CMarZ is working toward a taxonomically comprehensive assessment of biodiversity of animal plankton throughout the world ocean. The project goal is to produce accurate and complete information on zooplankton species diversity, biomass, biogeographical distribution, genetic diversity, and community structure by 2010. Our taxonomic focus is the animals that drift with ocean currents throughout their lives (i.e., the holozooplankton, Fig. 1). This assemblage currently includes ~6,800 described species in fifteen phyla; our expectation is that at least that many new species will be discovered as a result of our efforts. The census encompasses unique marine environments and those likely to be inhabited by endemic and undescribed zooplankton species.</p> CMarZ http://www.cmarz.org/ http://cmarz.whoi.edu/images/CMarZ_Wiebe_logo_6Sept2004_trans_1inch.gif 5 U.S. JGOFS North Atlantic Bloom Experiment U.S. JGOFS North Atlantic Bloom Experiment <p>One of the first major activities of JGOFS was a multinational pilot project, North Atlantic Bloom Experiment (NABE), carried out along longitude 20¬° West in 1989 through 1991. The United States participated in 1989 only, with the April deployment of two sediment trap arrays at 48¬° and 34¬° North. Three process-oriented cruises where conducted, April through July 1989, from R/V <i>Atlantis II</i> and R/V <i>Endeavor</i> focusing on sites at 46¬° and 59¬° North. Coordination of the NABE process-study cruises was supported by NSF-OCE award # 8814229. Ancillary sea surface mapping and AXBT profiling data were collected from NASA's P3 aircraft for a series of one day flights, April through June 1989. <br><br>A detailed description of NABE and the initial synthesis of the complete program data collection efforts appear in: Topical Studies in Oceanography, JGOFS: The North Atlantic Bloom Experiment (1993), Deep-Sea Research II, Volume 40 No. 1/2. <br><br>The U.S. JGOFS Data management office compiled a preliminary NABE data report of U.S. activities: Slagle, R. and G. Heimerdinger, 1991. U.S. Joint Global Ocean Flux Study, North Atlantic Bloom Experiment, Process Study Data Report P-1, April-July 1989. NODC/U.S. JGOFS Data Management Office, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 315 pp. (out of print). </p> NABE http://usjgofs.whoi.edu/research/nabe.html http://bcodata.whoi.edu/images/logo_jgofsg.gif http://bcodata.whoi.edu/images/logo_jgofs_sm.png 1989-04-01T00:00:01 1989-07-31T23:59:59 6 U.S. JGOFS Equatorial Pacific U.S. JGOFS Equatorial Pacific <p>The U.S. EqPac process study consisted of repeat meridional sections (12¬°N -12¬°S) across the equator in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific from 95¬°W to 170¬°W during 1992. The major scientific program was focused at 140¬° W consisting of two meridional surveys, two equatorial surveys, and a benthic survey aboard the R/V Thomas Thompson. Long-term deployments of current meter and sediment trap arrays augmented the survey cruises. NOAA conducted boreal spring and fall sections east and west of 140¬°W from the R/V Baldridge and R/V Discoverer. Meteorological and sea surface observations were obtained from NOAA's in place TOGA-TAO buoy network. <br> <br> The scientific objectives of this study were to determine the fluxes of carbon and related elements, and the processes controlling these fluxes between the Equatorial Pacific euphotic zone and the atmosphere and deep ocean. A broad overview of the program at the 140¬°W site is given by Murray et al. (Oceanography, 5: 134-142, 1992). A full description of the Equatorial Pacific Process Study, including the international context and the scientific results, appears in a series of Deep-Sea Research Part II special volumes: <br> </font></p><dl> <font face="verdana,arial,helvetica,courier,sans-serif" size="2"> <dt></dt><dd> Topical Studies in Oceanography, A U.S. JGOFS Process Study in the Equatorial Pacific (1995), Deep-Sea Research Part II, Volume 42, No. 2/3. <br><br> Topical Studies in Oceanography, A U.S. JGOFS Process Study in the Equatorial Pacific. Part 2 (1996), Deep-Sea Research Part II, Volume 43, No. 4/6. <br><br> Topical Studies in Oceanography, A U.S. JGOFS Process Study in the Equatorial Pacific (1997), Deep-Sea Research Part II, Volume 44, No. 9/10. <br><br> Topical Studies in Oceanography, The Equatorial Pacific JGOFS Synthesis (2002), Deep-Sea Research Part II, Volume 49, Nos. 13/14. </font> </p> EqPac http://usjgofs.whoi.edu/research/eqpac.html http://bcodata.whoi.edu/images/logo_jgofsg.gif http://bcodata.whoi.edu/images/logo_jgofs_sm.png 1992-01-01T00:00:01 1992-12-31T23:59:59 7 U.S. JGOFS Arabian Sea U.S. JGOFS Arabian Sea <p>The U.S. Arabian Sea Expedition which began in September 1994 and ended in January 1996, had three major components: a U.S. JGOFS Process Study, supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF); Forced Upper Ocean Dynamics, an Office of Naval Research (ONR) initiative; and shipboard and aircraft measurements supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The Expedition consisted of 17 cruises aboard the R/V Thomas Thompson, year-long moored deployments of five instrumented surface buoys and five sediment-trap arrays, aircraft overflights and satellite observations. Of the seventeen ship cruises, six were allocated to repeat process survey cruises, four to SeaSoar mapping cruises, six to mooring and benthic work, and a single calibration cruise which was essentially conducted in transit to the Arabian Sea. </p> Arabian Sea http://usjgofs.whoi.edu/research/arabian.html http://bcodata.whoi.edu/images/logo_jgofsg.gif http://bcodata.whoi.edu/images/logo_jgofs_sm.png 1994-09-01T00:00:01 1996-01-31T23:59:59 8 U.S. JGOFS Antarctic Environment and Southern Ocean Process Study U.S. JGOFS Antarctic Environment and Southern Ocean Process Study <p>The U.S. Southern Ocean JGOFS program, called Antarctic Environment and Southern Ocean Process Study (AESOPS), began in August 1996 and continued through March 1998. The U.S. JGOFS AESOPS program focused on two regions in the Southern Ocean: an east/west section of the Ross-Sea continental shelf along 76.5¬°S, and a second north/south section of the Southern Ocean spanning the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) at ~170¬°W (identified as the Polar Front). The science program, coordinated by Antarctic Support Associates (ASA), comprised eleven cruises using the R.V.I.B Nathaniel B. Palmer and R/V Roger Revelle as observational platforms and for deployment and recovery of instrumented moorings and sediment-trap arrays. The Ross-Sea region was occupied on six occasions and the Polar Front five times. Mapping data were obtained from SeaSoar, ADCP, and bathymetric systems. Satellite coverage was provided by the NASA SeaWiFS and the NOAA/NASA Pathfinder programs. </p> AESOPS http://usjgofs.whoi.edu/research/aesops.html http://bcodata.whoi.edu/images/logo_jgofsg.gif http://bcodata.whoi.edu/images/logo_jgofs_sm.png 1996-08-01T00:00:01 1998-03-31T23:59:59 10 NorthEast Consortium NorthEast Consortium <div id="indexstatement"> The Northeast Consortium encourages and funds <strong><br /> cooperative research</strong> and monitoring projects in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank that have effective, <strong><br/> equal partnerships</strong> among fishermen, scientists, educators, and marine resource managers. </div> <p align="left">At the 2008 Maine Fisheremen's Forum, the Northeast Consortium organized a session on data collection and availability. Participants included several key organizations in the Gulf of Maine area, sharing what data are out there and how you can find them. <a href="http://www.northeastconsortium.org/oceans_of_data.shtml" target="_blank">Read more...</a> </p> <p align="left"><strong>The Northeast Consortium has joined the Gulf of Maine Ocean Data Partnership. </strong>The purpose of the GoMODP is to promote and coordinate the sharing, linking, electronic dissemination, and use of data on the Gulf of Maine region.</p> <p>The Northeast Consortium was created in 1999 to encourage and fund effective, equal partnerships among commercial fishermen, scientists, and other stakeholders to engage in cooperative research and monitoring projects in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank. The Northeast Consortium consists of four research institutions (University of New Hampshire, University of Maine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), which are working together to foster this initiative.</p> <p>The Northeast Consortium administers nearly $5M annually from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for cooperative research on a broad range of topics including gear selectivity, fish habitat, stock assessments, and socioeconomics. The funding is appropriated to the National Marine Fisheries Service and administered by the University of New Hampshire on behalf of the Northeast Consortium. Funds are distributed through an annual open competition, which is announced via a Request for Proposals (RFP). All projects must involve partnership between commercial fishermen and scientists. </p> <p>The Northeast Consortium seeks to fund projects that will be conducted in a responsible manner. Cooperative research projects should be designed to minimize any negative impacts to ecosystems or marine organisms, and be consistent with accepted ethical research practices, including the use of animals and human subjects in research, scrutiny of research protocols by an institutional board of review, etc.</p> NEC http://northeastconsortium.org/ 1999-01-01T00:00:01 11 Southern Ocean Iron Experiment Southern Ocean Iron Experiment <p>Before he passed away in 1993, John Martin suggested that an increase in the flow of iron-rich dust to the ocean causes phytoplankton (single celled algae) to grow. The increased photosynthesis removes carbon dioxide from surface waters as the algae create biomass. This carbon dioxide is replaced by carbon dioxide gas that flows into the sea from the atmosphere. Reduced carbon dioxide in the atmosphere cools the planet (CO2 is a greenhouse gas that warms the earth). The results of this work, funded by the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, and the US Coast Guard, will be a much better understanding of how biological processes may regulate climate. (see Related Info: Fe cycle) </p> <p> A direct test of the 'Martin Hypothesis' that trace concentrations of Fe are responsible for phytoplankton's ability to grow by direct experimental addition of Fe to the surface waters. Consequently the distribution of bioavailable Fe in the surface waters determines large geographical areas primary production and the following flux of fixed organic matter to the deep sea. The aim of the SOFeX project is to investigate the effects of iron fertilization on the productivity of the Southern Ocean. The results of this work will contribute significantly to our understanding of important biogeochemical processes which bear directly on the global carbon cycle, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration, and climate control.</p> The SOFeX-N and SOFeX-S designations are sometimes used to distinguish between two iron enriched patches - one in low silicate waters north of the polar front (SOFEX-N), and the other in high silicate waters south of the polar front (SOFEX-S). All three ships, Melville (MV), Revelle (RR) and Polar Star (PS), worked in SOFEX-S, but only the Revelle and Melville worked in the SOFeX N patch and shuttled between the two patches.<br><br> SOFeX http://www.mbari.org/expeditions/SOFeX2002/ 2002-01-01T00:00:01 2002-03-31T23:59:59 12 CArbon Retention In A Colored Ocean Project CArbon Retention In A Colored Ocean Project <p>Over the past ten years, the CARIACO (CArbon Retention In A Colored Ocean) Program has studied the relationship between surface primary production, physical forcing variables like the wind, and the settling flux of particulate carbon in the Cariaco Basin. This depression, located on the continental shelf of Venezuela (Map), shows marked seasonal and interannual variation in hydrographic properties and primary production (carbon fixation rates by photosynthesis of planktonic algae).</p> <p>This peculiar basin is anoxic below ~250 m, due its restricted circulation and high primary production <a href="http://www.imars.usf.edu/CAR/ar.html#Muller-Karger-2001">(Muller-Karger et al., 2001)</a>. CARIACO observations show annual primary production rates exceed 500 gC/m²y, of which over 15-20% can be accounted for by events lasting one month or less. Such events are observed in other locations where time series observations are collected, and suggest that prior estimates of regional production based on limited sampling may have been underestimated. The annual primary production rates in the Cariaco Basin are comparable to rates estimated using time series observations for Monterey Bay (460 gC/m²y; <a href="http://www.imars.usf.edu/CAR/ar.html#Chavez">Chavez, 1996</a>), and higher than previous rates estimated for Georges Bank, the New York Shelf, and the Oregon Shelf (380, 300, and 190 gC/m²y, respectively; <a href="http://www.imars.usf.edu/CAR/ar.html#Walsh-1988">Walsh, 1988</a>).</p> <p>The Cariaco Basin has long been the center of attention of scientists trying to explain paleoclimate. Due to its high rates of sedimentation (30 to >100 cm/ky; <a href="http://www.imars.usf.edu/CAR/ar.html#Peterson-2000">Peterson et al., 2000</a>) and excellent preservation, the varved sediments of the Cariaco Basin offer the opportunity to study high resolution paleoclimate and better understand the role of the tropics in global climate change ( <a href="http://www.imars.usf.edu/CAR/ar.html#Black">Black et al., 1999;</a> <a href="http://www.imars.usf.edu/CAR/ar.html#Peterson-2000">Peterson et al., 2000;</a> <a href="http://www.imars.usf.edu/CAR/ar.html#Haug-2001">Haug et al., 2001;</a> <a href="http://www.imars.usf.edu/CAR/ar.html#Black-2004">Black et al., 2004;</a> <a href="http://www.imars.usf.edu/CAR/ar.html#Hughen-2004">Hughen et al., 2004</a> ).</p> <p>Now, the CARIACO program provides a link between the sediment record and processes near the surface of the ocean. Sediment traps maintained by the CARIACO program show that over 5% of autochtonous material reaches 275 m depth, and that nearly 2% reaches 1,400 m. The significance of this flux is that it represents a sink for carbon and that it helps explain the record of ancient climate stored at the bottom of the Cariaco Basin.</p> <p>Acknowledgements: This work was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and Venezuela's Fondo Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (FONACIT). For more information please see this <a href="http://www.imars.usf.edu/CAR/ar.html#Acknowledgments">Acknowledgements</a> link.</p> CARIACO http://www.imars.usf.edu/CAR/index.html http://ocb.whoi.edu/images/cariaco/logo_cariaco_thmb.png 1995-11-01T00:00:01 13 Eddies Dynamics, Mixing, Export, and Species composition Eddies Dynamics, Mixing, Export, and Species composition <p>Prior results have documented eddy-driven transport of nutrients into the euphotic zone and the associated accumulation of chlorophyll. However, several key aspects of mesoscale upwelling events remain unresolved by the extant database, including: (1) phytoplankton physiological response, (2) changes in community structure, (3) impact on export out of the euphotic zone, (4) rates of mixing between the surface mixed layer and the base of the euphotic zone, and (5) implications for biogeochemistry and differential cycling of carbon and associated bioactive elements. This leads to the following hypotheses concerning the complex, non-linear biological regulation of elemental cycling in the ocean: </p> <p> H1: Eddy-induced upwelling, in combination with diapycnal mixing in the upper ocean, introduces new nutrients into the euphotic zone. <br> <br> H2: The increase in inorganic nutrients stimulates a physiological response within the phytoplankton community. <br> <br> H3: Differing physiological responses of the various species bring about a shift in community structure. <br> <br> H4: Changes in community structure lead to increases in export from, and changes in biogeochemical cycling within, the upper ocean. </p> <h4>Publications</h4> Andrews, J.E., Hartin, C., and Buesseler, K.O.. "7Be Analyses in Seawater by Low Background Gamma-Spectroscopy.," Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, v.277, 2008, p. 253. <br /><br /> Andrews, J.E., Hartin, C., Buesseler, K.O.. "7Be Analyses in Seawater by Low Background Gamma-Spectroscopy," Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, v.277, 2008, p. 253. <br /><br /> Benitez-Nelson, C.R. and McGillicuddy, D.J.. "Mesoscale Physical-Biological-Biogeochemical Linkages in the Open Ocean: An Introduction to the Results of the E-Flux and EDDIES Programs.," Deep Sea Research II, v.55, 2008, p. 1133. <br /><br /> Benitez-Nelson, C.R. and McGillicuddy, D.J.. "Mesoscale Physical-Biological-Biogeochemical Linkages in the Open Ocean: An Introduction to the Results of the E-Flux and EDDIES Programs," Deep-Sea Research II, v.55, 2008, p. 1133. <br /><br /> Bibby, T.S., Gorbunov, M.Y., Wyman, K.W., Falkowski, P.G.. "Photosynthetic community responses to upwelling in mesoscale eddies in the subtropical North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans," Deep-Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, v.55, 2008, p. 1310. <br /><br /> Buesseler, K.O., Lamborg, C., Cai, P., Escoube, R., Johnson, R., Pike, S., Masque, P., McGillicuddy, D.J., Verdeny, E.. "Particle Fluxes Associated with Mesoscale Eddies in the Sargasso Sea," Deep Sea Research II, v.55, 2008, p. 1426. <br /><br /> Carlson, C.A., del Giorgio, P., Herdl, G.. "Microbes and the dissipation of energy and respiration: From cells to ecosystems," Oceanography, v.20, 2007, p. 89. <br /><br /> Davis, C.S., and McGillicuddy, D.J.. "Transatlantic Abundance of the N2-Fixing Colonial Cyanobacterium Trichodesmium," Science, v.312, 2006, p. 1517. <br /><br /> Ewart, C.S., Meyers, M.K., Wallner, E., McGillicuddy, D.J., Carlson, C.A.. "Microbial Dynamics in Cyclonic and Anticyclonic Mode-Water Eddies in the Northwestern Sargasso Sea," Deep Sea Research II, v.55, 2008, p. 1334. <br /><br /> Ewart, C.S., Meyers, M.K., Wallner, E., McGillicuddy, D.J., Carlson, C.A.. "Microbial Dynamics in Cyclonic and Anticyclonic Mode-Water Eddies in the Northwestern Sargasso Sea," Deep-Sea Research II, v.55, 2008, p. 1334. <br /><br /> Goldthwait, S.A. and Steinberg, D.K.. "Elevated biomass of mesozooplankton and enhanced fecal pellet flux in cyclonic and mode-water eddies in the Sargasso Sea," Deep-Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, v.55, 2008, p. 1360. <br /><br /> Greenan, B.J.W.. "Shear and Richardson number in a mode-water eddy," Deep-Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, v.55, 2008, p. 1161. <br /><br /> Jenkins, W.J., McGillicuddy, D.J., and Lott III, D.E.. "The Distributions of, and Relationship Between 3 He and Nitrate in Eddies," Deep Sea Research II, v.55, 2008, p. 1389. <br /><br /> Jenkins, W.J., McGillicuddy, D.J., Lott III, D.E.. "The Distributions of, and Relationship Between 3 He and Nitrate in Eddies," Deep-Sea Research II, v.55, 2008, p. 1389. <br /><br /> Ledwell, J.R., McGillicuddy, D.J., and Anderson, L.A.. "Nutrient Flux into an Intense Deep Chlorophyll Layer in a Mode-water Eddy.," Deep Sea Research II, v.55, 2008, p. 1139. <br /><br /> Ledwell, J.R., McGillicuddy, D.J., Anderson, L.A.. "Nutrient Flux into an Intense Deep Chlorophyll Layer in a Mode-water Eddy," Deep-Sea Research II, v.55, 2008, p. 1139. <br /><br /> Li, Q.P. and Hansell, D.A.. "Intercomparison and coupling of MAGIC and LWCC techniques for trace analysis of phosphate in seawater," Analytical Chemica Acta, v.611, 2008, p. 68. <br /><br /> Li, Q.P., Hansell, D.A., McGillicuddy, D.J., Bates, N.R., Johnson, R.J.. "Tracer-based assessment of the origin and biogeochemical transformation of a cyclonic eddy in the Sargasso Sea," Journal of Geophysical Research, v.113, 2008, p. 10006. <br /><br /> Li, Q.P., Hansell, D.A., Zhang, J.-Z.. "Underway monitoring of nanomolar nitrate plus nitrite and phosphate in oligotrophic seawater," Limnology and Oceanography: Methods, v.6, 2008, p. 319. <br /><br /> Li, Q.P., Zhang, J.-Z., Millero, F.J., Hansell, D.A.. "Continuous colorimetric determination of trace ammonium in seawater with a long-path liquid waveguide capillary cell," Marine Chemistry, v.96, 2005, p. 73. <br /><br /> McGillicuddy, D.J., et. al.. "Eddy/Wind Interactions Stimulate Extraordinary Mid-Ocean Plankton Blooms," Science, v.316, 2007, p. 1021. <br /><br /> McGillicuddy, D.J., Ledwell, J.R., and Anderson, L.A.. "Response to Comment on "Eddy/Wind Interactions Stimulate Extraordinary Mid-Ocean Plankton Bloom".," Science, v.320, 2008. <br /><br /> McGillicuddy, D.J., Ledwell, J.R., Anderson, L.A.. "Response to Comment on "Eddy/Wind Interactions Stimulate Extraordinary Mid-Ocean Plankton Bloom"," Science, v.320, 2008. <br /><br /> McGillicuddy, et. al.. "Eddy/Wind Interactions Stimulate Extraordinary Mid-Ocean Plankton Blooms.," Science, v.316, 2007, p. 1021. <br /><br /> Mourino B., and McGillicuddy, D.J.. "Mesoscale Variability in the Metabolic Balance of the Sargasso Sea," Limnology & Oceanography, v.51, 2006, p. 2675. <br /><br /> EDDIES http://science.whoi.edu/users/olga/eddies/EDDIES_Project.html http://ocb.whoi.edu/images/eddies/EDDIES_logo_2.gif 2004-06-01T00:00:01 2005-09-31T23:59:59 14 MedFlux collaborative research project MedFlux collaborative research project <p class="text">The MedFlux collaborative research project will test two hypotheses of the influence of "ballast" on the flux of particulate matter through the water column. It either 1) acts as a physical shielding of the organic matter protecting it as it falls through the water column, or 2) is the ratio of mineral ballast to organic carbon that controls the sinking velocity and consequently the organic carbon flux to the deep sea. The project has two major objectives:</p> <ol> <li>[1] To assess the extent to which settling velocity separation techniques accurately and reliably measure in-situ settling velocities and to devise mechanical improvements and/or statistical correction procedures to overcome any deficiencies. </li> <li>[2] To develop perspectives and protocols that take advantage of the different sampling characteristics of in-situ pumps, sediment traps, and optical instruments, combined with radiochemical analysis, to assess the dependence of settling velocity and remineralization on particle size and the organic and inorganic composition of particles. MedFlux http://www.msrc.sunysb.edu/MedFlux/ 15 VERtical Transport In the Global Ocean VERtical Transport In the Global Ocean The main goal of VERTIGO is the investigation of the mechanisms that control the efficiency of particle transport through the mesopelagic portion of the water column. <br> <br> <span class="texthead">Question:</span> What controls the efficiency of particle transport between the surface and deep ocean? More specifically, what is the fate of sinking particles leaving the upper ocean and what factors influence remineralization length scales for different sinking particle classes? VERTIGO researchers have set out to test two basic hypotheses regarding remineralization control, namely: 1. particle source characteristics are the dominant control on the efficiency of particle transport; and/or that 2. mid-water processing, either by zooplankton or bacteria, controls transport efficiency. To test their hypotheses, they will conduct process studies in the field focused on particle flux and composition changes in the upper 500-1000m of the ocean. The basic approach is to examine changes in particle composition and flux with depth within a given source region using a combination of approaches, many of which are new to the field. These include neutrally buoyant sediment traps, particle pumps, settling columns and respiration chambers, along with the development of new biological and geochemical tools for an integrated biogeochemical assessment of the biological pump. Three week process study cruises have been planned at two sites - the Hawaii Ocean Time-series site (HOT) and a new moored time-series site in the subarctic NW Pacific (Japanese site K2; 47oN 160oE) - where there are strong contrasts in rates of production, export, particle composition and expected remineralization length scales. <br> <br> Evidence for variability in the flux vs. depth relationship of sinking particles is not in dispute but the controls on particle transport efficiency through the twilight zone remain poorly understood. A lack of reliable flux and particle characterization data within the twilight zone has hampered our ability to make progress in this area, and no single approach is likely to resolve these issues. The proposed study will apply quantitative modeling to determine the net effects of the individual particle processes on the effective transport of carbon and other elements, and to place the shipboard observations in the context of spatial and temporal variations in these processes. For rapid progress in this area, we have organized this effort as a group proposal taking advantage of expertise in the US and international community. <br> <br> The efficiency of particle transport is important for an accurate assessment of the ocean C sink. Globally, the magnitude and efficiency of the biological pump will in part modulate levels of atmospheric CO2. We maintain that to understand present day ocean C sequestration and to evaluate potential strategies for enhancing sequestration, we need to assess possible changes in the efficiency of particle transport due to climate variability or via purposeful manipulations of C uptake, such as via iron fertilization.<br><br><br> <b>VERTIGO Acknowledgments</b><br> from K.O. Buesseler, et al / Deep-Sea Research II 55 (2008) 1522-1539<br> We thank the ofÔ¬cers, crew and shore-based support teams for the R/V Kilo Moana (2004) and R/V Roger Revelle (2005). Funding for VERTIGO was provided primarily by research grants from the US National Science Foundation Programs in Chemical and Biological Oceanography (KOB, CHL, MWS, DKS, DAS). Additional US and non-US grants included: US Department of Energy, OfÔ¬ce of Science, Biological and Environmental Research Program (JKBB); the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (DMK); the Australian Cooperative Research Centre program and Australian Antarctic Division (TWT); Chinese NSFC and MOST programs (NZJ); Research Foundation Flanders and Vrije Universiteit Brussel (FD, ME); JAMSTEC (MCH); New Zealand Public Good Science Foundation (PWB); and internal WHOI sources and a contribution from the John Aure and Cathryn Ann Hansen Buesseler Founda- tion (KOB). A number of individuals at sea and on shore, helped make the VERTIGO project a success, including: J. Andrews, C. Bertrand, R. Bidigare III, S. Bray, K. Casciotti, M. Charette, R. Condon, J. Cope, E. Fields, M. Gall, M. Gonneea, P. Henderson, T. Kobari, D. Kunz, S. Saitoh, S. Manganini, C. Moy, S. Okamoto, S. Pike, L. Robertson, D. Ruddick and Y. Zhang. Suggestions by three anonymous reviewers and help by the editor, R. Lampitt, are also greatly appreciated. VERTIGO http://www.whoi.edu/science/MCG/cafethorium/website/projects/vertigo_project.html 2004-06-01T00:00:01 2005-09-31T23:59:59 16 Southern Ocean Iron Release Experiment Southern Ocean Iron Release Experiment Project in the Southern Ocean aimed at maintaining a coherent patch of iron-enriched<br> seawater for the duration of project and to interpret any iron-mediated effects on the<br> patch by conducting measurements and performing experiments during this period of<br>the project.<br><br> The Southern Ocean Iron RElease Experiment (SOIREE), was the first in situ<br> iron fertilization experiment performed in the polar waters of the Southern Ocean.<br> SOIREE was an interdisciplinary study involving participants from six countries,<br> and took place in February 1999 south of the Polar Front in the Australasian-Pacific<br> sector of the Southern Ocean.<br><br> Approximately 3800 kg of acidified FeSO4.7H2O and 165 g of the tracer sulphur<br> hexafluoride (SF6) were added to a 65-m deep surface mixed layer over an area of<br> ~50 km2. Initially, mean dissolved iron concentrations were ~2.7 nM, but decreased<br> to ambient levels within days, requiring subsequent additions of 1550-1750 kg of<br> acidified FeSO4.7H2O on days 3, 5 and 7 of the experiment.<br><br> During the 13-day site occupation, there were iron-mediated increases in phytoplankton<br> growth rates, with marked increases in chlorophyll a (up to 2 μgl-1) and production rates<br> (up to 1.3 gCm-2d-1). These resulted in subsequent changes in the pelagic ecosystem<br> structure, and in the cycling of carbon, silica and sulphur, such as a 10% drawdown of<br> surface CO2.<br><br> The SOIREE bloom persisted for >40 days following our departure from the site, as<br> observed via SeaWiFS remotely sensed observations of Ocean Colour.<br><br> <b>BCO-DMO Note:</b><br> All original data and metadata provided on a CD-Rom accompanying the Deep-Sea<br> Research II 48 (2001) volume. The CD-Rom contains the main SOIREE datasets and<br> ancillary information including the pre-experiment 'desktop' database study for site-selection,<br> and satellite images of the SOIREE bloom.<br> ¬© 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.<br><br> <h3>Related files</h3> <a href=http://data.bco-dmo.org/Fe_Synthesis/SOIREE/SOIREE_cruisereport.pdf>SOIREE Preliminary Voyage Report</a> <br /> <a href=http://data.bco-dmo.org/Fe_Synthesis/SOIREE/Boyd_Law_2001_Intro.pdf>SOIREE Introduction and Summary, Deep-Sea Research II 48 (2001) 2425-2438</a> <br /></p><br><br> SOIREE 1999-01-01T00:00:01 1999-03-31T23:59:59 17 Surface-Ocean Lower-Atmosphere Studies Air-Sea Gas Exchange (Experiment) Surface-Ocean Lower-Atmosphere Studies Air-Sea Gas Exchange (Experiment) <p>While not officially funded as a U.S. SOLAS project, SAGE included significant U.S. participation and it's science themes were consistent with those of the International SOLAS program. </p> <p>[from <a href="http://www.us-solas.org:8080/Plone/projects/the-us-solas-in-the-sage-study ">http://www.us-solas.org:8080/Plone/projects/the-us-solas-in-the-sage-study</a> (26 may 2008)] <br> <p>SAGE was a mesoscale Fe addition experiment run after the seasonal autumnal bloom of the sub-Antarctic showed a small biological response to Fe addition. The SF6/3He dual-tracer experiment extended the range of gas exchange measurement into stronger wind regimes typical of the Southern Ocean. </p><p> A goal of the SAGE project was to increase understanding of air-water Gas Exchange, Mixed Layer structure, skin/surface properties, biogenic gases and atmospheric fluxes. Core measurements included Carbon, N2/O2, noble gas, DMS(P), SO2, N2O, CO, CDOM CN and aerosol chemistry. </p><p> One cruise was conducted aboard the Research Vessel Tangaroa and instrumentation included CARIOCA pCO2 Buoys, Shipboard Gill R3A Anemometer mast, SAMI pCO2 sensors, SkinDeep vertical profiler, MAERI, SCAMP/TRAMP temperature microstructure profiler, sparbuoy, ADCP, S-band radar, FRRF, flow cytometer, primary production, nutrients, Fe, Meteorology and radiosondes. </p> <p><em>from ---DSR intro.doc---; by Mike Harvey described as in preparation for Deep Sea Research II</em><br /> The SOLAS air-sea gas exchange experiment (SAGE) was a combined gas-transfer process study and iron fertilisation experiment conducted in sub-Antarctic waters of the south-west Bounty Trough (46.5¬°S 172.5¬°E) to the south-east of New Zealand between mid-March and mid-April 2004. The experiment was designed as a lagrangian study of air-sea gas exchange processes of CO2, DMS and other biogenic gases associated with an iron-induced phytoplankton bloom. In conjunction with the iron fertilisation a dual tracer SF6/3He release served quantify both patch evolution and air-sea tracer exchange at the 10--'s of km--'s scale. Within this patch local/micrometeorological (100--'s m scale) gas exchange process studies quantified physical variables such as near-surface turbulence, temperature microstructure at the interface, wave properties and wind speed to enable development of improved gas exchange models for the frequently windy Southern Ocean. After 15 days and four iron additions totalling 1.1 tonne Fe2+ there was a doubling in both column chlorophyll-a and primary productivity; a very modest response compared with other mesoscale iron enrichment. An investigation of factors limiting bloom development considered co-limitation by light, other nutrients, phyto-plankton seed-stocks and grazing regulation. </p> SAGE http://www.niwascience.co.nz/rc/atmos/sage/ http://bcodata.whoi.edu/images/logos/logo_SAGE_2004-04-15-1.jpg 2004-03-01T00:00:01 2004-04-31T23:59:59 18 Iron Experiment I Iron Experiment I One of two (see IronExII May/June 1995) small scale iron fertilization<br>experiments conducted in the Equatorial Pacific Ocean.<br><br> IronExI 1993-10-01T00:00:01 1993-11-31T23:59:59 19 Iron Experiment II Iron Experiment II One of two (see IronEx I Oct/Nov 1993) small scale iron fertilization experiments conducted<br>in the Equatorial Pacific Ocean.<br><br> <b>Summary:</b><br> 5/14/95 Depart Papeete, Tahiti<br> 5/14/95 to 5/23/95 Transit & Test stations<br> 5/23/95 to 5/29/95 Survey for Fe release<br> 5/29/95 to 5/30/95 Fe release #1<br> 5/30/95 to 6/1/95 In & out sampling<br> 6/1/95 to 6/1/95 Fe release #2<br> 6/1/95 to 6/5/95 In & out sampling<br> 6/5/95 to 6/5/95 Fe release #3<br> 6/6/95 to 6/8/95 In & out sampling<br> 6/8/95 to 6/9/95 Control patch (SF6 only), 2nd Fe patch release (0.4 nM Fe)<br> 6/9/95 to 6/15/95 In & out sampling of all 3 patches<br> 6/15/95 to 6/21/95 Transit to Acapulco, Mexico<br><br> IronExII 1995-05-01T00:00:01 1995-06-31T23:59:59 20 Sub-Arctic Ecosystem Response to Iron Enrichment Study Sub-Arctic Ecosystem Response to Iron Enrichment Study Iron fertilization in the NE subarctic Pacific<br><br> SERIES 2002-06-01T00:00:01 2002-08-31T23:59:59 21 European Iron Enrichment Experiment European Iron Enrichment Experiment <p>EISENEX is also known as the G-JGOFS Southern Ocean, Atlantic Sector Cruise</p> <p>EISENEX project data have been published at PANGAEA, Publishing Network for Geoscientific & Environmental Data <br> <a href="http://www.pangaea.de/">PANGAEA</a> EISENEX 2000-10-01T00:00:01 2000-12-31T23:59:59 22 European Iron Fertilization Experiment European Iron Fertilization Experiment <p>Followup cruise to EisenEX to Southern Ocean, Atlantic Sector</p> <p>EIFEX project data have been published at PANGAEA, Publishing Network for Geoscientific & Environmental Data <br> <a href="http://www.pangaea.de/">PANGAEA</a> EIFEX 2004-01-01T00:00:01 2004-03-31T23:59:59 23 Subarctic-Pacific Iron Experiment for Ecosystem Dynamics Study I Subarctic-Pacific Iron Experiment for Ecosystem Dynamics Study I An in situ test of the iron limitation hypothesis in the subarctic North Pacific Ocean<br>was performed. First experiment of two (see SEEDS 2004)<br><br> A single enrichment of dissolved iron caused a large increase in phytoplankton<br>standing stock and decreases in macronutrients and dissolved carbon dioxide.<br>The dominant phytoplankton species shifted after the iron addition from pennate<br>diatoms to a centric diatom, <i>Chaetoceros debilis</i>, that showed a very high growth<br>rate, 2.6 doublings per day. Conclusion was that the bioavailability of iron regulates<br>the magnitude of the phytoplankton biomass and the key phytoplankton species<br> that determine the biogeochemical sensitivity to iron supply of high-nitrate,<br>low-chlorophyll waters.<br><br> Data was collected at a total of 13 stations and from 3 moored sediment traps.<br> ¬  - Stations were occupied IN patch for days 0, 2, 4, 7, 9, 11 and 13.<br> ¬  - Stations were occupied OUT patch for days 2, 4, 7, 9, 11, 13.<br><br> It is not explicitly stated but it appears that at all stations two CTD<br>sampling rosette casts were made: clean and rms. The clean rosette<br> appears to have typically sampled the mixed layer (<50 m) e.g. 5, 10,<br> 20, 30, 50 m. The rms rosette appears to have typically sampled the<br> euphotic zone (<200m) e.g. 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 80, 100, 150, 200 m.<br><br> Sediment traps were deployed at<br> ¬  - CENTRE: 20 m<br> ¬  - IN: 40, 60, 100, 200 m<br> ¬  - OUT: 20, 40, 60 and 100 m<br><br> Traps were recovered several times. Deployment times (days):<br> ¬  - CENTRE: 3.95, 2.83, 2.02, 1.98, 1.93, 2.05<br> ¬  - IN: 3.99, 2.84, 2.03, 2.00, 1.95, 2.01<br> ¬  - OUT: 5.17, 3.97, 3.42<br><br> <b>BCO-DMO/Doug Mackie Note:</b><br> Throughout these data, stations are identified as D2-I, D2-O, etc.<br> D2-I indicates ---Day 2, in patch station---.<br> while D2-O indicates ---Day 2, out patch station---.<br> This applies to all station identifiers.<br><br> <h3>Related file</h3> <a href=http://data.bco-dmo.org/Fe_Synthesis/SEEDS_2001/Project_SEEDS-ONE_Master.pdf>SEEDS 2001 Project Documentation</a> <br /> </p><br><br> SEEDS 2001 http://www.seeds-exp.jp/en/index.html 2001-06-01T00:00:01 2001-08-31T23:59:59 24 Subarctic Pacific Iron Experiment for Ecosystem Dynamics Study II Subarctic Pacific Iron Experiment for Ecosystem Dynamics Study II As at August 2008 the Tsuda 2007 paper is the only one to carry a general description.<br> <br> Tsuda, A., et al. (2007): Evidence for the grazing hypothesis: Grazing reduces <br> phytoplankton responses of the HNLC ecosystem to iron enrichment in the western<br> subarctic pacific (SEEDS II). J. Oceanogr. 63(6), 983-994.<br> <br> A mesoscale iron-enrichment study (SEEDS II) was carried out in the western <br> subarctic Pacific in the summer of 2004. The iron patch was traced for 26 <br> days, which included observations of the development and the decline of the <br> bloom by mapping with sulfur hexafluoride. The experiment was conducted at <br> almost the same location and the same season as SEEDS (previous iron-<br> enrichment experiment). However, the results were very different between <br> SEEDS and SEEDS II. A high accumulation of phytoplankton biomass (~18 <br> mg chl m---3) was characteristic of SEEDS. In contrast, in SEEDS II, the <br> surface chlorophyll-a accumulation was lower, 0.8 to 2.48 mg m---3, with no <br> prominent diatom bloom. Photosynthetic competence in terms of Fv/Fm for <br> the total phytoplankton community in the surface waters increased after the <br> iron enrichments and returned to the ambient level by day 20. These results <br> suggest that the photosynthetic physiology of the phytoplankton assemblage <br> was improved by the iron enrichments and returned to an iron-stressed <br> condition during the declining phase of the bloom. Pico-phytoplankton (<2 <br> μm) became dominant in the chlorophyll-a size distribution after the bloom. <br> <br>  We observed a nitrate drawdown of 3.8 μM in the patch (day 21), but there<br> was no difference in silicic acid concentration between inside and outside the <br> patch. Mesozooplankton (copepod) biomass was three to five times higher <br> during the bloom-development phase in SEEDS II than in SEEDS. The <br> copepod biomass increased exponentially. The grazing rate estimation <br> indicates that the copepod grazing prevented the formation of an extensive <br> diatom bloom, which was observed in SEEDS, and led to the change to a pico-<br> phytoplankton dominated community towards the end of the experiment. <br><br> SEEDS II was conduced in the same western subarctic Pacific region as the <br> initial SEEDS experiment, and was an international collaborative study utilizing two<br> research vessels (R.V. Hakuho Maru and R.V. Kilo Moana).<br> This experiment was designed to characterize the evolution of the fertilized patch <br> over a longer time scale (1 month) and with a greater range of parameters than<br> measured during SEEDS.<br> <br> The preliminary results from SEEDS II showed both the iron-induced increase <br> and subsequent decline in phytoplankton biomass. However, the iron-initiated <br> bloom was much less intense than observed in SEEDS. Chlorophyll-a concentrations<br> increased only 2 to 3 times over initial values, and the drawdown of nutrients and pCO2 <br> were small.<br><br> <h3>Related files</h3> <a href=http://data.bco-dmo.org/Fe_Synthesis/SEEDS_2004/Project_SEEDS-TWO-(04_August_2008).pdf>SEEDS 2004 Project Documentation</a> <br /> <a href=http://data.bco-dmo.org/Fe_Synthesis/SEEDS_2004/SEEDS_II.pdf>SEEDS 2004 Workshop Summary</a> <br /><br /> </p><br><br> SEEDS 2004 http://www.seeds-exp.jp/en/index.html 2004-07-01T00:00:01 2004-08-31T23:59:59 25 GEOTRACES InterCalibration GEOTRACES InterCalibration <p>An international intercalibration effort has been assigned a high priority during the initial phase of GEOTRACES to ensure that results from different cruises, and from different labs, can be compared in a meaningful way. </p> <p>The ultimate goal for the intercalibration component of the international GEOTRACES program is to achieve the best accuracy possible (lowest random and systematic errors) for the suite of GEOTRACES' Trace Elements and Isotopes (TEI) as a prelude to the sampling program, and continuing effort throughout the sampling and analysis program. To achieve this goal, there will be two primary efforts: </p> <p> (1) Evaluate and develop GEOTRACES sample acquisition, handling, and storage protocols during initial Intercalibration Cruises; </p> <p> (2) Identify existing GEOTRACES primary standards and certified reference materials (CRMs) for the TEI suite (and where needed, producing reference materials or primary standards), including the establishment of GEOTRACES Baseline Stations that can be used to evaluate accuracy from sampling to analysis (to facilitate intercalibration for TEIs that do not have CRMs). </p> <p>Tentative schedule of Intercalibration events: <br > --¢ June --- July 2008. 1st Intercalibration cruise (Sargasso Sea): evaluate sampling apparati and handling methods (diss and part), collect and distribute intercalibration samples, sample storage experiments, establish Baseline Station at BATS <br > --¢ Dec. 2008. Second Intercalibration workshop (AGU): evaluate and interpret intercalibration results, planning for 2nd cruise <br > --¢ Spring 2009. 2nd Intercalibration cruise (eastern North Pacific): final testing of complete sampling system and procedures, intercalibrate with other (non-US) sampling systems, speciation + total TEI intercalibration, determine the time to occupy one GEOTRACES station (for cruise planning purposes) <br > --¢ Jan.-Feb 2010. Third Intercalibration workshop: finalize complete intercalibration results, begin assembling GEOTRACES User Manuals </p> <p><strong>GEOTRACES intercalibration cruise 1</strong> <em>June 2008</em><br /> GEOTRACES completed the first Intercalibration cruise from June 8 to July 12, 2008 to collect intercalibration water and particle samples. This intercalibration exercise aimed to provide reference materials that could be distributed to the international community and reference profiles of Trace Elements and their Isotopes to ensure compatibility and consistency of GEOTRACES data. </p> <p><strong>GEOTRACES intercalibration cruise 2</strong> <em>May 2009</em><br /> The second intercalibration cruise is planned for May 2009 in the eastern North Pacific and will include sampling near the North Pacific SAFe Station at 30¬°N, 140¬°W.</p> <p>If you are interested in participating in this exercise, note that selected samples for intercalibration will also be available after the cruise. For general information about the intercalibration effort please contact Greg Cutter <gcutter@odu.edu>. To inquire about availability of archived 0.5-liter samples of filtered and acidified seawater for trace metal intercalibration, contact Ken Bruland <bruland@ucsc.edu>. For information about archived particulate samples, contact Rob Sherrell <sherrell@ahab.marine.rutgers.edu>. </p> GEOTRACES IC http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/res/pi/geotraces/Intercalibration.html 2008-06-01T00:00:01 2009-06-31T23:59:59 26 Biocomplexity of Aquatic Microbial Systems Biocomplexity of Aquatic Microbial Systems <p>NSF: Collaborative Research: Biocomplexity of Aquatic Microbial Systems: Relating Diversity of Microorganisms to Ecosystem Function<br /></p> <p>The ---Biocomplexity of Aquatic Microbial Systems: Relating Diversity of Microorganisms to Ecosystem Function--- Project was funded by the US NSF in 2000 as one of several collaborative research initiatives comprising the NSF Biocomplexity program. Microbial biogeochemical cycling of the elements regulates a dynamic environment in which the cycles of different elements are linked through the physiology of microorganisms. While a certain degree of understanding can be gained through physical/chemical approaches to measurement and modeling of the net transformations, these approaches necessarily rely on gross simplifications about the role and regulation of the various functional groups (guilds) involved. The nutrient elements, such as carbon , nitrogen, phosphorous and several important metals, occur in ecosystems in many different forms (e.g., organic carbon and carbon dioxide; nitrate, nitrite, nitrous oxide, organic nitrogen and nitrogen gas, etc.). The transformations between different forms, and the distributions of the various compounds, are largely controlled by microbes. Thus the physiology of bacteria and phytoplankton is largely responsible for the chemistry of natural systems, through what we call microbial biogeochemical cycling.<br /></p> <p>Our present understanding of elemental cycling is partly derived from measurements and modeling of the distribution of chemical compounds, and the measurement of the rates of transfer of compounds from one form to another. This approach has led to an appreciation of the overwhelming importance of microbes in regulating ecosystem biogeochemistry. But they still represent a great oversimplification of the complexities of microbial processes. Recent advances in molecular microbial ecology have shown the microbial world to contain immense diversity and complexity at every level: redundancy and duplication of functional genes within a single organism; molecular diversity among functional genes that encode the same process in different organisms; large genetic diversity among different organisms apparently engaged in the same biogeochemical function within single communities; great variability in the species composition of different communities that apparently perform equally well.<br /></p> <p>The goal of this project is to investigate the functional relationship between complexity in microbial communities and the physical/chemical environment at a range of biological and ecological scales. Previously, such analysis was technologically limited by the inability to assay large numbers of samples simultaneously for a large number of genes and phylotypes. Using gene array technology, the researchers will be able to detect the distribution and differential expression of functional genes in natural systems.<br /></p> <p>The results of this study constitute the first step towards application of DNA chip technology for gene expression of "exotic" (i.e., not of biomedical importance) processes and organisms in the environment. The gene arrays, along with a full suite of ecosystem process measurements, were applied and assessed along a transect that spans the eutrophic - oligotrophic gradient from the inland waters of the Chesapeake Bay out to the Sargasso Sea. The study area included sites in the Chesapeake Bay, one of its branches, the Choptank River, and the open ocean of the Sargasso Sea, which is the major ocean basin into which water from the Chesapeake Bay flows. Experiments and functional gene studies focused on key transformations in the carbon and nitrogen cycles (C fixation, N fixation, nitrification, denitrification, urea assimilation). The diversity of guilds are being interpreted in terms of ecosystem function, assessed using geochemical data and tracer experiments. In addition to field studies designed to investigate and dissect the natural system, the group of collaborating scientists also performed perturbation experiments using mesocosms. The goal of these experiments was to determine how microbial species diversity affects the major energy and nutrient flows within ecosystems, and to assess the degree of stability or instability associated with changes in redundancy within guilds of microorganisms responsible for major nitrogen and carbon pathways.<br /></p> <p>The complexity of microbial guilds and microbial processes and the attendant diversity of functional genes and organisms were represented in two parallel investigative themes:<br /></p> <p>1.Diversity of functional genes: Previously, such analysis was technologically limited by the inability to assay large numbers of samples simultaneously for a large number of genes and organisms. Using gene array technology , we were able to detect the distribution and differential expression of functional genes in natural systems. The results of this study constitutes the first step towards application of DNA chip technology for gene expression of processes and organisms in the natural environment.<br /></p> <p>2.Rates of biogeochemical processes: Studies focused on key transformations in the carbon and nitrogen cycles (C fixation, N fixation, nitrification, denitrification, urea assimilation). The diversity of microbial guilds were interpreted in terms of ecosystem function, assessed using the physical/chemical data mentioned above and tracer experiments to estimate actual transformation rates. <br /></p> <br /> <PRE>Station Identifications, locations, and sample depths Location ID Latitude Longitude Shallow (m) Deep (m) Upper Choptank CT100 N 38¬° 48.356' W 75¬° 54.625' 1 5 Lower Choptank CT200 N 38¬° 37.215' W 76¬° 08.189' 1 8 Upper Bay CB100 N 39¬° 20.9' W 76¬° 10.9' 1 10 Mid Bay CB200 N 38¬° 34.1' W 76¬° 26.6' 1 21 Lower Bay CB300 N 37¬° 16.1' W 76¬° 09.0' 1 12 Plume PL100 N 36¬° 52' W 75¬° 55' 1 14 Sargasso SS100 N 36¬° 24' W 72¬° 00' 1 2000+</PRE><br /><br /> <p>Bacterial Productivities: Leucine incorporation (Kirchman, et al. 1985. Appl. Environm. Microbiol. 49: 599-607)<br /></p> <p>Photosynthesis: Carbon-14 incorporation (1 hr incubation) in Photosynthetron light gradient. Alpha and Pmax determined from hyperbolic curve fit.<br /></p> <p>Data supplied by Todd Kana, Horn Point Laboratory, Cambridge, MD.<br /><br /></p> BAMS http://geoweb.princeton.edu/research/biocomplexity/index.html 2001-01-01T00:00:01 2004-12-31T23:59:59 29 NACP/OCB Coastal Synthesis NACP/OCB Coastal Synthesis <p>In late June, the OCB Project Office sent out a call for participation in the Coastal Synthesis Activity as part of the North American Carbon Program (NACP) Interim Synthesis Activities. The objective of this activity is to stimulate the synthesis and publication of recent observational and modeling results on carbon cycle fluxes and processes along the North American continental margin. The current state of knowledge of the magnitude, spatial distribution, and inter-annual variability of carbon sources and sinks in coastal waters is incomplete. Thus, the goal of this activity is to synthesize individual, small-scale studies across broader spatial and temporal scales to improve quantitative assessments of the North American coastal carbon cycle. Because the coastal oceans have important and complex linkages with terrestrial, atmospheric, and open ocean biogeochemical cycles, we encourage the participation of researchers focused on both organic and inorganic carbon, as well as nitrogen and phosphorous cycle topics related to carbon balance and related issues such as hypoxia impacts on continental margins.</p> <p>Planning for the coastal synthesis activity was initiated during a breakout session at the 2008 OCB Summer Science Workshop. The proposed coastal synthesis activity is initially broken into five U.S. geographical sub-regions (Atlantic Coast, Pacific Coast, Gulf Coast, Arctic Coast, and Laurentian Great Lakes), with leads identified for each region. Researchers were encouraged to consider ongoing projects and think about how those projects might relate to one or more of the regional syntheses. Additional information available at the NACP Web site (<a href="http://www.nacarbon.org/cgi-bin/working_groups/wg.pl">http://www.nacarbon.org/cgi-bin/working_groups/wg.pl</a>) includes a list of active NACP Interim Synthesis activities and working groups. </p> <p>As of October 2008, there are no data sets associated with this project. When data sets are posted for this project, it is anticipated that they will be synthesis data sets, representing an integration of previously compiled data from the various sub-regions.</p> <h4>Related Links:<br> </h4> <a href="http://www.whoi.edu/page.do?pid=24975">2008 OCB Summer Science Workshop</a> <br /> <a href="http://coastalcarbon.pbwiki.com/">NACP Coastal Synthesis Web Site</a> (includes regional links) <br /> <br /> NACP-OCB http://coastalcarbon.pbwiki.com/ 2008-06-01T00:00:01 30 B-307: Salpa thompsoni in the Southern Ocean B-307: Salpa thompsoni in the Southern Ocean The goal of this cruise was to continue and extend studies begun in 2004 (LMG0414) on the population biology, feeding and energetics of Salpa thompsoni in the waters near the Antarctic Peninsula SouthernSalps 31 Southern Ocean Gas Exchange Experiment Southern Ocean Gas Exchange Experiment <p>The Southern Ocean Gas Exchange Experiment (SO-GasEx; also known as GasEx III) took place in the Southwest Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean (nominally at 50¬°S, 40¬°W, near South Georgia Island) in austral fall of 2008 (February 29-April 12, 2008) on the <a href="http://www.moc.noaa.gov/rb/">NOAA ship <em>Ronald H. Brown</em></a>. SO-GasEX is funded by NOAA, NSF and NASA. </p> <p> The research objectives for Southern Ocean GasEx are to answer the following questions:</p> <ul> <li> What are the gas transfer velocities at high winds?</li> <li> What is the effect of fetch on the gas transfer?</li> <li> How do other non-direct wind effects influence gas transfer?</li> <li> How do changing pCO2 and DMS levels affect the air-sea CO2 and DMS flux, respectively in the same locale?</li> <li> Are there better predictors of gas exchange in the Southern Ocean other than wind?</li> <li> What is the near surface horizontal and vertical variability in turbulence, pCO2, and other relevant biochemical and physical parameters?</li> <li>How do biological processes influence pCO2 and gas exchange?</li> <li> Do the different disparate estimates of fluxes agree, and if not why?</li> <li> With the results from Southern Ocean GasEx, can we reconcile the current discrepancy between model based CO2 flux estimates and observation based estimates? </li> </ul> </p> <h3>Related files</h3> <a href="http://bcodata.whoi.edu/SO-GasEx/SO_GasEx_Cruise_Report.pdf">SO-GasEx cruise report</a> <br /> <a href="http://bcodata.whoi.edu/SO-GasEx/SO_GasEx_Science_Plan.pdf">SO-GasEx Science Plan</a> <br /> <a href="http://bcodata.whoi.edu/SO-GasEx/SO_GasEx_Implementation_Plan.pdf">SO-GasEx Implementation Plan</a> <br /> <br /> <p> The SO-GasEx cruise report and Science and Implementation plans, may also be available at <a href="http://so-gasex.org/science.html">the SO-GasEx science Web page</a>. </p> SO-GasEx http://so-gasex.org/ http://bcodata.whoi.edu/images/logos/so_gasex_logo_2.png http://bcodata.whoi.edu/images/logos/so_gasex_logo_2_sm.png 2008-02-01T00:00:01 2008-04-31T23:59:59 32 International Indian Ocean Expedition International Indian Ocean Expedition "During IIOE 1548 standard zooplankton samples were collected covering the entire Indian Ocean. The database is prepared based on published information on these zooplankton samples. Three sets of Tables are made (1) Basic data on zooplankton volume, total population and all the 54 taxa found in the collections. (2) Data emerged from subsorting of copepods, decapods and fish larvae (3) Species level data for chaetognaths for entire Indian Ocean and ostracods for northern Indian Ocean." (from summary of CMarZ Cooperative Project final report) IIOE 1960-01-01T00:00:01 1965-12-31T23:59:59 33 U.S. GEOTRACES Atlantic Section U.S. GEOTRACES Atlantic Section <p>This text appeared in an article published in OCB News, October 2008, by the OCB Project Office.</p> <p>The first U.S. GEOTRACES Atlantic Section will be specifically centered around a sampling cruise to be carried out in the North Atlantic in 2010. Ed Boyle (M.I.T.) and Bill Jenkins (W.H.O.I.) organized a three-day planning workshop that was held September 22-24, 2008 at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The main goal of the workshop, sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. GEOTRACES Scientific Steering Committee, was to design the implementation plan for the first U.S. GEOTRACES Atlantic Section. The primary cruise design motivation was to improve knowledge of the sources, sinks and internal cycling of Trace Elements and their Isotopes (TEIs) by studying their distributions along a section in the North Atlantic (Figure 1). The North Atlantic has the full suite of processes that affect TEIs, including strong meridional advection, boundary scavenging and source effects, aeolian deposition, and the salty Mediterranean Outflow. The North Atlantic is particularly important as it lies at the "origin" of the global Meridional Overturning Circulation.</p> <p>It is well understood that many trace metals play important roles in biogeochemical processes and the carbon cycle, yet very little is known about their large-scale distributions and the regional scale processes that affect them. Recent advances in sampling and analytical techniques, along with advances in our understanding of their roles in enzymatic and catalytic processes in the open ocean provide a natural opportunity to make substantial advances in our understanding of these important elements. Moreover, we are motivated by the prospect of global change and the need to understand the present and future workings of the ocean--'s biogeochemistry. The GEOTRACES strategy is to measure a broad suite of TEIs to constrain the critical biogeochemical processes that influence their distributions. In addition to these "exotic" substances, more traditional properties, including macronutrients (at micromolar and nanomolar levels), CTD, bio-optical parameters, and carbon system characteristics will be measured. The cruise starts at Line W, a repeat hydrographic section southeast of Cape Cod, extends to Bermuda and subsequently through the North Atlantic oligotrophic subtropical gyre, then transects into the African coast in the northern limb of the coastal upwelling region. From there, the cruise goes northward into the Mediterranean outflow. The station locations shown on the map are for the "fulldepth TEI" stations, and constitute approximately half of the stations to be ultimately occupied.</p> <p>Figure 1. The proposed 2010 Atlantic GEOTRACES cruise track plotted on dissolved oxygen at 400 m depth. Data from the World Ocean Atlas (Levitus et al., 2005) were plotted using Ocean Data View (courtesy Reiner Schlitzer). [click on the image to view a larger version] <!-- height="374" --> <br> <a href="http://bcodata.whoi.edu/US_GEOTRACES/AtlanticSection/GEOTRACES_Atl_stas.jpg"><img border="0" width="594" src="http://bcodata.whoi.edu/US_GEOTRACES/AtlanticSection/GEOTRACES_Atl_stas.jpg"></a> </p> 2010-05-01T00:00:01 2010-12-31T23:59:59 34 Cobalt, Iron and Micro-organisms from the Upwelling zone to the Gyre Cobalt, Iron and Micro-organisms from the Upwelling zone to the Gyre <p>The geochemistries of dissolved cobalt (Co) and iron (Fe) in the oceanic water column share several characteristics such as extremely low concentrations, redox chemistry, low solubility,and utilization as micronutrients by marine microbes. Iron has been the subject of considerable research focus in recent years due to its role in limiting phytoplankton productivity in oceanic and coastal upwelling environments. Cobalt has been much less studied, but recent data show it may be important in influencing primary productivity or phytoplankton community composition in certain geographical areas. </p> <p> State-of-the-art geochemical and molecular biological techniques were used to address biogeochemical questions in the South Atlantic, and focus especially on the two trace metals, cobalt and iron. The 27-day cruise in November and December 2007 to the South Atlantic was designed to study cobalt and iron biogeochemistry and focus on four major hypotheses. <ol> <li>Large fluxes of labile cobalt are associated with upwelling systems even in Aeolian dominated environments. </li> <li>Cobalt and phosphate show correlations in (and only in) surface waters due to micronutrient utilization and rapid remineralization. The slope of the correlation is dependent on the chemical speciation of cobalt. </li> <li>The absence of Trichodesmium populations in the subtropical and tropical South Atlantic is caused by iron limitation. </li> <li>Based on work from the California and Peru Upwelling regimes, primary productivity in the Benguela upwelling regime off of South West Africa may be iron limited or iron-cobalt colimited. </p> <p> A combination of geochemical and biological/molecular analyses were made across an oligotrophic-upwelling transition to examine how changing metal regimes affect the physiology and growth of the important primary producers Trichodesmium and Synechococcus. </p> CoFeMUG http://bcodata.whoi.edu/images/logos/logo_CoFeMUG.jpg http://bcodata.whoi.edu/images/logos/logo_CoFeMUG_sm.jpg 2005-03-01T00:00:01 2008-03-31T23:59:59 36 U.S. JGOFS Synthesis and Modeling U.S. JGOFS Synthesis and Modeling <p>There were no cruises associated directly with the US JGOFS SMP. The SMP deployment refers to the project being deployed.</p> <h3>INTRODUCTION</h3> <p>The Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS) was an international scientific program devoted to the study of the ocean biogeochemistry of carbon and related elements and the linkages of the ocean with the global carbon cycle. The U.S. JGOFS program involved a decade long, intensive field effort that included: two on-going time-series stations off Hawaii and Bermuda; a series of process studies in the North Atlantic, Equatorial Pacific, Arabian Sea, and Southern Ocean; and a Global Ocean CO₂ Survey in conjunction with the World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE).¬  The resulting ocean biogeochemical data sets, together with satellite ocean color data from the NASA Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS), formed a unique, long-term resource for the ocean community.¬  With the completion of the field phase in the late 1990s, the U.S. JGOFS initiated a final Synthesis and Modeling Project (SMP), to build on and integrate these data sets in order to address the key scientific themes of JGOFS:</p> <ul> <li> determine the processes controlling the oceanic carbon cycle and ocean-atmosphere carbon fluxes</li> <li> develop improved capabilities for predicting future changes.</li> </ul> <p><br> Specifically, the central objective of the SMP was to synthesize knowledge gained from U.S. JGOFS and related studies into a set of models to reflect the current understanding of the ocean carbon cycle and its associated uncertainties (U.S. JGOFS, 1997).¬  The SMP was tasked to address not only the processes that control carbon partitioning among oceanic reservoirs, but also the implications for ocean/atmosphere carbon exchange. Both data synthesis and modeling proposals were encouraged with an emphasis on coordinated interaction between the two.¬  The major elements of the program included:</p> <ul> <li> Individual PI level projects</li> <li> Topical Working Groups </li> <li> Project management team (two co-coordinators and a project scientist)</li> <li> Data management (both distributed and centralized)</li> <li> Community activities (PI meetings, mini-workshops, special issues etc.).</li> </ul> <p><br> The SMP became a full fledged program with the funding of the first SMP awards in early 1998.¬  Funding for SMP grants was provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and Department of Energy (DOE).</p> <h3>PROGRAM SCOPE</h3> <p>Specific projects within the SMP fell into two broad categories: data synthesis and extrapolation, and modeling. There was considerable (and necessary) overlap between the two, and the overview of the projects provided below is certainly a simplification of the collective efforts of the individual researchers (details on individual SMP grants can be found at <a href="http://usjgofs.whoi.edu/mzweb/syn-mod.htm">http://usjgofs.whoi.edu/mzweb/syn-mod.htm</a>).¬  The scope and balance of the SMP was based on geographic region of study and investigation of biogeochemical processes.</p> <h3>Synthesis and Modeling Projects</h3> <p>The U.S. JGOFS SMP continued through the 2003-2004 time frame.¬  As the program matured and specific initial projects were completed, the foci for the program was refined to emphasize both emerging new scientific directions and remaining unfinished elements of the original implementation plan.¬  The SMP together with the U.S. JGOFS Steering Committee periodically assessed the program with regard to future priorities.¬  During the active research phase, these are some of the topics identified as filling critical gaps for SMP science: </p> <ol> <li> synthesis of primary production, new production and export production (both particulate and dissolved)</li> <li> the mechanisms and rates of mid to deep water particle flux and remineralization as well as sediment diagenesis</li> <li> controls and distributions of calcium carbonate and silica production, transport and remineralization</li> <li> biogeochemical effects of trace metal cycling</li> <li> spatial and temporal extrapolation of biogeochemical flux estimates (e.g. export production) from local to basin and global scales</li> <li> development, evaluation and incorporation of mechanistically based, biological models for global carbon cycle simulations</li> <li> synthesis and modeling studies of the Arabian Sea, Southern Ocean, North Atlantic, ocean margins (with respect to the role of each in basin to global-scale carbon cycle), and the set of U.S. and international time-series stations data.</li> </ol> <p>At the local to regional scale, a series of data synthesis and food web modeling investigations explored aspects of euphotic zone production, recycling, export, transport and remineralization, and sediment cycling using the JGOFS process and time-series data base and related data sets. Individual projects concentrated, for example, on subsets of the overall JGOFS data (e.g. bacteria, mesozooplankton, HPLC pigments).¬  Related projects focused on the distribution and dynamics of planktonic functional groups (e.g. N₂ fixers, diatoms, calcifiers).¬  The eventual aim of many of these food web related studies was to extrapolate the findings to basin and global scale and/or to develop improved process-based parameterizations that could be incorporated into regional and global models.</p> <p>One or more regional ecosystem modeling studies were undertaken for each of the following U.S. process/time-series study locations: Equatorial Pacific and Atlantic, Arabian Sea, Ross Sea, Bermuda, and North Atlantic.¬  Additionally, there were four projects which concentrated on data synthesis and/or modeling for various continental margins: NW Atlantic margin, southern Caribbean, Cariaco Basin, and several coastal upwelling regions.¬  The regional synthesis and modeling studies as well as some of the food web projects relied heavily on satellite data. Many SMP projects utilized satellite data, in particular SeaWiFS ocean color, as an integral part of both model evaluation and time/space extrapolation.</p> <p>On the global perspective, over a dozen synthesis groups worked on the JGOFS/WOCE global CO₂ survey data with good coverage for all of the carbon related parameters (DIC, alkalinity, ¹³C, ¹⁴C, nutrients, oxygen, pCO₂, etc.).¬  A coordinated global biogeochemical modeling effort was initiated as part of the international Ocean Carbon Model Intercomparison Project (OCMIP, <a href="http://www.ipsl.jussieu.fr/OCMIP/">http://www.ipsl.jussieu.fr/OCMIP/</a>).¬  As the name implies, this was an observation-based evaluation of some thirteen global ocean biogeochemical models of the natural and anthropogenic inorganic carbon system, biogeochemical fields (nutrients, oxygen), and related passive chemical tracers (e.g. CFCs, ¹⁴C, ³He).</p> <h4>Links to Related Programs Subsequent to US JGOFS SMP:<br> </h4> <a href="http://us-ocb.org/">Ocean Carbon & Biogeochemistry (OCB)</a> <br /> <a href="http://coastalcarbon.pbwiki.com/">North American Carbon Program (NACP) Coastal Synthesis</a> <br /> <br /> SMP http://usjgofs.whoi.edu/mzweb/syn-mod.htm http://bcodata.whoi.edu/images/logo_jgofsg.gif http://bcodata.whoi.edu/images/logo_jgofs_sm.png 1998-01-01T00:00:01 2005-10-31T23:59:59 37 Charette - Antarctic2006 Charette - Antarctic2006 <h3 class="line_section_1"><b>Radium and Thorium isotope data summaries from AMLR and NBP cruises to the Antarctic in 2006</b><br></h3> Naturally occurring radium isotopes (224Ra, 226Ra, 228Ra) were used in determining<br>lateral mixing processes which are reported in dpm/m3.<br><br> Particulate organic Carbon (POC) flux was determined through measuring Thorium (234Th) reported in dpm/kg.<br><br><br> <h3 class="line_section_1"><b>Cruises</b><br></h3> <b>AMLR (Antarctic Marine Living Resources) R/V Yuzhmorgeologiya Jan/2006:</b><br>The research program was focused in the southern Drake Passage<br> along the Shackelton Shelf located near the Bransfield Strait.<br> Samples were obtained from the R/V Yuzhmorgeologiya and inflatables<br>that were taken to island locations.<br> <i>Lat/Lon Bounding Box</i><br> -62.2538Lat, -62.9966Lon<br> -63.2335Lat, -59.0332Lon<br> -59.9964Lat, -55.7612Lon<br> -61.4995Lat, -53.9996Lon<br><br> <b>NBP (Nathaniel B. Palmer) R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer July/2006:</b><br>The research was conducted in the same region of the Drake Passage as the AMLR cruise.<br> Samples were obtained aboard the R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer<br> <i>Lat/Lon bounding box</i><br> -60.4991Lat, -58.5613Lon<br> -62.3599Lat, -58.0392Lon<br> -60.2783Lat, -57.4509Lon<br> -61.2683Lat, -54.2852Lon<br><br> <br> <b>NASA GCMD Link:</b> <a href="http://gcmd.nasa.gov/getdif.htm?AMLR2006">NASA GCMD</a> <br><br> Ant2006 2006-01-01T00:00:01 2006-08-31T23:59:59 38 North Atlantic Spring Bloom 2005 North Atlantic Spring Bloom 2005 <p>Climate-related shifts in phytoplankton assemblages may have profound implications for oceanic feedbacks on the atmosphere, and for human use of marine resources. Particular algal groups are largely responsible for crucial processes like vertical carbon export, biogenic calcification and silicification, production of climatically active gases like dimethylsulfide (DMS), and for sustaining food webs that lead to economically valuable higher trophic levels. The North Atlantic Spring Bloom 2005 (NASB 2005) research program was designed to investigate potential climate change impacts on algal community structure and biogeochemistry during the North Atlantic Spring Bloom, a regime that is ideal for determining how changing ocean conditions may affect both calcareous and siliceous algae. </p> <p> The research was coordinated with CarboOcean, a major European Union funded activity led by investigators from the Alfred Wegener Institute. </p> NASB 2005 2004-11-01T00:00:01 2007-08-31T23:59:59 39 Eastern Tropical Pacific Eastern Tropical Pacific <p>This project aims to characterize the spatial and interannual variability of physical, chemical, and biological properties between low productivity and high productivity regions of the eastern tropical Pacific. In particular, we will investigate the physiology of bacteria, phytoplankton, and zooplankton and food web interactions in relation to the oxygen minimum zone. Our results also will provide information on how marine carbon and nitrogen cycles are modified in suboxic regions of the ocean. Measurements include: ADCP, temperature, salinity, O2, pH, total DIC, fCO2, nutrients, CDOM, POC/N, methane oxidation rates, denitrification rates, chlorophyll, phytoplankton C&N uptake rates, bacteria abundance/growth rates/molecular fingerprinting, lipid biomarkers, microzooplankton grazing rates, mesozooplankton abundance, distribution, and physiology, and particle flux rates. </p> ETP 40 Controls of Ross Sea Algal Community Structure Controls of Ross Sea Algal Community Structure <h3>Project summary</h3> <p>The Controls of Ross Sea Algal Community Structure (CORSACS) project was funded by the NSF Office of Polar Programs as "Collaborative Research: Interactive Effects of Iron, Light and Carbon Dioxide on Phytoplankton Community Dynamics in the Ross Sea". Two cruises were completed in 2006 to investigate the interactions between the primary productivity of the Ross Sea and pCO₂, iron and other trace elements. Data sets of carbon, nutrient, metal, and biological measurements will be reported. </p> <p>The main objective in the proposed research was to investigate the relative importance and potential interactive effects of iron, light and CO₂ levels in structuring algal assemblages and growth rates in the Ross Sea.¬  The investigators hypothesized that the interaction of these three variables largely determines the bottom-up control on these two dominant Southern Ocean phytoplankton taxa. While grazing and other loss processes are important variables in determining the relative dominance of these two taxa, the CORSACS research project was designed to focus on the bottom-up control mechanisms. It is important to understand such environmentally-driven taxonomic shifts in primary production, since they are expected to impact the fixation and export of carbon and nutrients, and the production of DMS, thus potentially providing both positive and negative feedbacks on climate. <br /> <br /> The CORSACS investigators considered a range of ambient iron, light and pCO₂ levels that span those typically observed in the Ross Sea during the growing season.¬  That is, dissolved iron ranging from ~0.1 nM (---low iron---) to >1 nM (---high iron---) (Fitzwater et al. 2000; Sedwick et al. 2000); mean irradiance (resulting from vertical mixing/self shading) ranging from <10% Io (---low light---) to >40% (---high light---) (Arrigo et al., 1998, 1999), possibly adjusted based on field observations during the CORSACS cruises; and pCO₂ ranging (Sweeney et al. 2001) from ~150 ppm (---low CO₂---) to the probable higher levels of pCO₂ --- 750 ppm as a conservative estimate --- that are likely to be attained later this century due to anthropogenic perturbation of the global carbon cycle (IPCC, 2001).<br /> <br /> From the information previously available from both field observations and experiments, the investigators formulated the following specific hypotheses regarding the interactive role of iron, light and CO₂ in regulating algal composition in the Ross Sea. <ol> <li> diatoms bloom in the southern Ross Sea only under optimum conditions of high iron, light and pCO₂</li> <li> colonial Phaeocystis dominate under conditions of high iron with either (or both) low light or low pCO₂</li> <li>solitary Phaeocystis are predominant under conditions of low iron with either (or both) low light or low pCO₂</li> </ol> </p> <h4>References: </h4> <br /> Fitzwater, S.E., K.S. Johnson, R.M. Gordon, K.H. Coale, and W.O. Smith, Jr. (2000). Trace metal concentrations in the Ross Sea and their relationship with nutrients and growth. Deep-Sea Research II, 47: 3159---3179. <br /> <br /> Martin JH, Gordon RM, Fitzwater SE. Iron in Antarctic waters. Nature 1990 ;345(6271):156-158. Martin JH. 1990. Glacial-interglacial CO2 change: The iron hypothesis. Paleoceanography 5(1):1-13 <br /> <br /> P. N. Sedwick, G. R. DiTullio, and D. J. Mackey, Iron and manganese in the Ross Sea, Antarctica: Seasonal iron limitation in Antarctic shelf waters, Journal of Geophysical Research, 105 (C5), 11,321-11,336, 2000. <br /> <br /> Sweeney, C. K. Arrigo, and G. van Gijken (2001). Prediction of seasonal changes in surface pCO2 in the Ross Sea, Antarctica using ocean color satellite data. 2001 Annual AGU meeting, San Fransisco, CA Dec. 10-15. <br /> <br /> (IPCC, 2001)<br /> <br /> CORSACS http://www.whoi.edu/sites/corsacs http://data.bco-dmo.org/images/logos/logo_corsacs_2.jpg http://data.bco-dmo.org/images/logos/logo_corsacs_2_sm.jpg 2005-12-01T00:00:01 2006-12-31T23:59:59 41 Bodega Ocean Acidification Research Bodega Ocean Acidification Research <p>The absorption of human-produced CO2 into the world--'s oceans is decreasing seawater pH and causing marked declines in the saturation state for calcium carbonate, a major building block for shells, skeletons, and tests of many marine species. Such changes (collectively termed ---ocean acidification---) have the potential to devastate a broad array of organisms, both at the level of individuals and at population and ecosystem scales. Although awareness of these issues is rapidly growing, most of what is known is based on studies of coral reef organisms and plankton. </p> <p> The proposed work will enhance understanding of impacts from ocean acidification by providing rigorous data on several new fronts applicable to temperate systems. The project will operate within one of the strongest upwelling centers of the eastern Pacific, where global trends in acidification are amplified by the presence of cold water characterized by already-high levels of aqueous CO2. Using an integrated, comparative approach that exploits the expertise of oceanographers, marine chemists, and biologists, the project will explicitly couple moored and shipboard measurements of seawater chemistry to controlled laboratory and field studies of biological responses. </p> <p> Two vital foundation species (the California mussel, Mytilus californianus, and the Olympia oyster, Ostrea conchaphila) will be targeted. These two species play disproportionately important roles in open-coast and estuarine systems, respectively. Larvae (which are often the most vulnerable stages) of mussels and oysters will be cultured under elevated-CO2 conditions through the full pelagic period and into juvenile life. Growth and survivorship will be quantified, and water temperature and salinity will be varied to test for interactive effects of multiple factors. Intraspecific variation in response of larvae from different parental lineages will be examined. ---Carry-over--- effects that originate from exposure during the larval stage, but influence subsequent juvenile growth and survival, will be determined both in the laboratory and using field outplants. Because larval and juvenile stages play important roles as demographic age-structure bottlenecks, overall population consequences will be estimated through comparison of observed impacts on early life stages to other recognized sources of recruitment variation. </p> <h3>Data Status</h3> <p> Data will be reported from the BML offshore oceanographic moorings and from moorings within nearby Tomales Bay. he moorings will be outfitted with autonomously recording pH and pCO2 sensors, and these measurements will be supplemented with discrete water samples collected monthly along two associated transects. </p> BOAR 2009-08-01T00:00:01 2012-07-31T23:59:59 42 Coccolithophores of the Patagonian Shelf 2008 Coccolithophores of the Patagonian Shelf 2008 <p>A main focus of the COPAS project is to study coccolithophores at the fringes of the Southern Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf (PS) east of Argentina. Some of the most extensive coccolithophore blooms in the world occur on the PS but the remoteness of the region has impeded their study. In this part of the southern ocean, the most basic knowledge is lacking about a) the relationships between coccolithophores and other species of phytoplankton, b) the impact of coccolithophores on the carbon cycle and c) how environmental changes affect bloom taxonomy and function. This will be the first multi-disciplinary ship-based investigation of these mesoscale blooms, building on an understanding of coccolithophore ecology derived almost exclusively from northern hemisphere bloom studies. This study will document the ecological factors regulating the spatial-temporal distribution of the coccolithophore blooms (the largest recurring coccolithophorid bloom in the sounthern hemisphere) using a combination of underway, satellite and discrete sampling. Satellite measurements will provide quantitative estimates of particulate inorganic carbon (PIC) and particulate organic carbon (POC) in coccolithophore blooms while underway hydrographic and optical sampling will allow real-time evaluation of coccolithophores in both bloom and surrounding non-bloom waters. Vertical casts across the shelf front will provide depth resolved coccolithophore abundance as well as estimates of phytoplankton species richness. Another goal is to examine the effects of ocean acidification on algal optical properties, coccolithophore concentrations and PIC concentrations (to be determined from deck experiments). Dilution experiments will provide key estimates on phytoplankton growth rates, coccolithophore growth rates and calcification rates, plus the intrinsic loss rates (i.e. phytoplankton grazing, coccolithophore grazing and dissolution associated with zooplankton grazing). PIC has not been examined in dilution experiments heretofore. The project will yield fundamental insights into a) our understanding of coccolithophore ecology (not just Emiliania huxleyi) and b) the utility of the "functional group" concept to describe coccolithophore variability over the PS. Such knowledge is critical to model complex biogeochemical processes that regulate phytoplankton production and the biological pump. It is also worthy of note that the PS coccolithophore populations are at the western edge of a southern hemisphere belt of enhanced coccolithophores thought to extend from the southern tip of South America to waters south of Australia, (~180 degrees of longitude). </p> <p> ¬  The burning of fossil fuels is predicted to increase atmospheric CO2 to 750 p.p.m.v. or more under various future scenarios. As a large fraction of the anthropogenic CO2 diffuses into seawater, the ocean is becoming more acidic; it is predicted that the pH of the surface ocean will drop by up to 0.7 units by year 2300, a 5-fold increase in the proton concentration. A major goal is to examine the effects of ocean acidification on coccolithophores, in a region of low calcite saturation. This study will provide the first detailed analysis of the coccolithophores in this enormous area of high suspended calcite water. The results will be highly relevant to our basic understanding of the marine carbon cycle.</p> COPAS08 http://www.bigelow.org/research/content.php?cID=228 2007-09-01T00:00:01 2010-08-31T23:59:59 43 Salp Swarm Dynamics Salp Swarm Dynamics SalpSwarmDyn 2002-06-01T00:00:01 2002-09-31T23:59:59 44 Twilight Zone EXplorer Twilight Zone EXplorer <h3>Carbon Flux Through the Twilight Zone - New Tools to Measure Change</h3> <p>Building upon the success of the VERTIGO project, we continue to work to improve our understanding of how materials travel from the surface to the deep ocean. This pathway is called the "Biological Pump" which refers to the combined activities that lead to a quick pathway for plant and animal debris (molts, fecal pellets, loose aggregated material) to sink as marine "snow" or a particle into the deep ocean. In the open ocean, this cycle is largely a biological one, though in some settings, transport of material delivered by dust may matter (e.g. TENATSO - Cape Verde time series project). </p> <p>The "twilight zone" is a region of low light below the ocean's sunlit surface "euphotic" zone, and above the deep ocean boundary (around 1000m or 3000 feet). It is in this mysterious layer where most of the sinking particles of the world's ocean are consumed by the animals that live at depth.<br /> <br /> In a new project starting in late 2006, we are designing an autonomous vehicle called the "Twilight Zone EXplorer" (TZEX) to sample the ocean particle flux and make remote measurements in the twilight zone. Beginning in 2007, we will be starting to sample on a monthly basis at Bermuda, as part of the <a href="http://www.bbsr.edu/cintoo/bats/bats.html">BATS (Bermuda Atlantic Time-Series)</a> program using our existing particle flux collectors, the Neutrally Buoyant Sediment trap. </p> <p>The biological pump and processes regulating the flux of particles in the ocean. Carbon dioxide fixed during photosynthesis by phytoplankton in the upper ocean can be transferred below the surface mixed layer via three major processes: i) passive sinking of particles, ii) physical mixing of particulate and dissolved organic matter (DOM), and iii) active transport by zooplankton vertical migration. The sinking flux includes senescent phytoplankton, zooplankton fecal pellets, molts and mucous feeding-webs (e.g., larvacean houses) and aggregates of these materials. The sinking particle flux decreases with depth as aggregates are fragmented into smaller, non-sinking particles, decomposed by bacteria, and consumed and respired by zooplankton. This remineralization returns carbon and nutrients to dissolved forms. The structure of the planktonic community affects the composition and the sinking rates of particles. Particle size, form, density, and the content of biogenic minerals affect sinking and remineralization rates. </p> <h4>Funding</h4> <p>The TZEX project is funded as part of the NSF Carbon and Water in the Earth System crosscutting solicitation aimed at closing significant gaps in our understanding of the complex relationships between and within the global water and carbon cycles.</p> <p>NSF link: <a href="http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=13651&org=OCE">http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=13651&org=OCE</a></p> <h4>References: </h4> <p>Dehairs, F., A. de Brauwere, M. Elskens, U. Bathmann, S. Becquevort, S. Blain, P. Boyd, K. Buesseler, E. Buitenhaus, M. Gehlen, G. Herndl, C. Klass, R. Lampitt, D. Lefevre, U. Passow, H. Plous, F. Primeau, L. Stemmann and T. Trull (2008). <a href="http://www.whoi.edu/science/MCG/cafethorium/website/publications/21.3_euroceans.pdf">Controls on Organic Carbon Export and Twilight Zone Remineralization: An Overview of the EUROCEANS Workshop </a>. Oceanography, 21(3): 92-95. </p> <p>Dehairs, F., A. de Brauwere and M. Elskens (2008). <a href="http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/2008/2008EO380004.shtml">Organic Carbon in the Ocean's Twilight Zone</a>. EOS, Transactions American Geophysical Union, 89 (38): doi:10.1029/2008EO380004.</p> TZEX http://cafethorium.whoi.edu/website/projects/tzex.html 2006-09-01T00:00:01 2010-08-31T23:59:59 45 Modeling ocean particle export flux by combining particle aggregation and biogeochemical models Modeling ocean particle export flux by combining particle aggregation and biogeochemical models <h4>from the NSF proposal abstract</h4> <p>An important component of net ecosystem production in the surface ocean sinks to depth where it can be remineralized to carbon dioxide or transit to the bottom. Some of these sinking particles are formed via a number of processes that create rapidly sinking particles that have the potential to transport carbon to the benthos without remineralization. However, currently, very few biogeochemical models explicitly represent the flux of sinking of particles, relying instead on empirical or semi-empirical relationships to distribute material vertically in the water column.</p> <p>In this integrated research and education CAREER proposal, a researcher from the University of Georgia will focus on the development of numerical models of particle export flux from the surface ocean that can be incorporated into regional and global biogeochemical models. The novel aspect of these models is that they will concentrate on the physical and biological processes (coagulation and fecal pellet production) that transform individual, slowly sinking particles into large, rapidly sinking ones. Naively incorporating coagulation models into these models is computationally prohibitive, so new algorithms and parameterizations will have to be developed that represent the salient features of particle coagulation (e.g., particle settling velocities) and the interaction between particle dynamics, ecosystem dynamics and the physical properties of the water column (such as density). This will be accomplished using physical and biogeochemical models of increasing complexity (such as simple mixed layer models and the JGOFS Regional Test Bed Models), with new parameterizations and algorithms being developed at each stage and influencing the next one.</p> OCB-002 http://www-modeling.marsci.uga.edu/Research/research.html 2007-03-01T00:00:01 2010-02-31T23:59:59 46 Satellite assessment of CO2 distribution, variability and flux and understanding of control mechanisms in a river dominated ocean margin Satellite assessment of CO2 distribution, variability and flux and understanding of control mechanisms in a river dominated ocean margin <h4>from the NSF proposal abstract</h4> Margins receiving inputs from large rivers represent the extremes of continental shelf systems in carbon cycling and fluxes. Recent findings in the vicinity of the Mississippi River plume show highly variable carbon fluxes and highlight the need for greater spatial and temporal coverage, as well as an assessment of the underlying community metabolism driving patterns in surface CO2. Scientists from the University of Southern Mississippi and the University of Georgia propose to test the hypothesis that large river margin water columns exhibit extreme seasonal and spatial variability in air-sea CO2 fluxes, characterized by localized uptake driven largely by high rates of autotrophic production and loss of CO2 driven by high terrestrial inputs and heterotrophic respiration. Because of the extreme variability in this system, constructing and characterizing spatially and temporally integrated air-sea fluxes cannot be done by extrapolation or interpolation solely from discrete field measurements. As such, the investigators plan to carry out a multidisciplinary study that includes continuous, shipboard and satellite derived assessments of CO2 fluxes, as well as process measurements of planktonic net community metabolism, carbon fixation rates and box modeling to simulate river plume mixing to provide new estimates of the emissions and uptake of CO2 and the factors regulating these processes in coastal margins. OCB-003 http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0752110 2008-05-01T00:00:01 2011-04-31T23:59:59 47 Near-surface controls of air-sea CO2 exchange Near-surface controls of air-sea CO2 exchange <h4>from the NSF proposal abstract</h4> <p>The problem of quantifying the rate of gas flux across the air-water interface is one of the central questions of oceanography and is critical in the context of greenhouse gases and ocean-atmosphere budgets. The large uncertainty surrounding the flux of carbon dioxide (CO2) between the atmosphere and ocean prevent us from determining the partitioning of the sink of anthropogenic CO2 between the ocean and the terrestrial biosphere. This uncertainty also limits the ability to realistically model future atmospheric CO2 levels. The International SOLAS (Surface Ocean - Lower Atmosphere Study) science plan and implementation strategy highlights the need for an improved understanding of gas exchange. One of the stated goal of the SOLAS program to develop quantitative understanding of processes responsible for air-sea exchange of mass, momentum and energy to permit accurate calculation of regional and global gas and aerosol fluxes. This requires establishing the dependence of these interfacial transfer mechanisms on physical, biological and chemical factors within the atmospheric and oceanic boundary layers.</p> <p>The investigator in this project will participate in the recently funded UK-SOLAS "Deep Ocean Gas Exchange Experiment", DOGEE. As part of this field experiment, two deliberate dual tracer patches will be released in close proximity to each other in the North Atlantic. One will be "labeled" with a surfactant in order to mimic the role of surface organic slicks in modifying gas transfer. The funded UK ship-based efforts will be enhanced with high resolution Lagrangian measurements of the air-sea interface. Specifically two Air-Sea Interaction Spar (ASIS) buoys, one in each patch, will be deployed to measure direct fluxes along with controlling surface physical processes (wind speed, wind stress, stability, surface waves, upper ocean turbulence and mixing, and key parameters governing mixed layer CO2 dynamics). In addition, a newly developed Air-Sea Interaction Profiler will be deployed to provide thermal and shear measurements in the very near surface. With these measurements, gas transfer process related specifically to surfactant effects, and to high wind processes will be better understood.</p> OCB-004 http://www.us-ocb.org/projects/OCB_DeGrandpre.doc 2007-10-01T00:00:01 2010-09-31T23:59:59 48 Autonomous pH and alkalinity sensors: In situ testing and carbon cycle research Autonomous pH and alkalinity sensors: In situ testing and carbon cycle research <h4>from the NSF proposal abstract</h4> The earth's carbon cycle has been dramatically altered by global human industrialization. The movement of carbon from ancient fossil deposits to the atmosphere and into marine and terrestrial biospheres has many consequences, few of which are currently fully understood or predictable. Much of the needed understanding of the carbon cycle may come from better observational methods that can characterize large spans of time or space. One group of observational methods, autonomous sensors, can provide high temporal resolution data within air, earth or water systems. In this research, PIs from the University of Montana, Oregon State University and University of Miami will develop and use autonomous sensors to advance our understanding of carbon cycling within the earth's biosphere. With prior support, they have developed sensors for the partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2), pH and total alkalinity that can be used to quantify the amount of dissolved inorganic carbon through thermodynamic relationships. The more recently developed, currently laboratory-based sensors (pH and alkalinity) will be further refined for subsequent deployment, along with the more mature pCO2 sensor, in two contrasting marine environments; the coastal ocean waters off the U.S. central west coast, and a shallow coral ecosystem in Puerto Rico. Field studies will begin with a short, in situ test off Oregon State University's pier in Newport, Oregon followed by deployment on the Oregon shelf to study the processes that control air-sea carbon dioxide fluxes during periods of coastal upwelling. Concurrently, the same sensors will be deployed in La Parguera Marine Reserve, Puerto Rico, a Coral Reef Early Warning System (CREWS) site operated by NOAA to focus on the relationship of calcium carbonate saturation states to calcification rates in a coral reef ecosystem. OCB-005 http://www.us-ocb.org/projects/OCB2_DeGrandpre.doc 2006-10-01T00:00:01 2010-09-31T23:59:59 49 Carbon-climate interactions with increasing water demand Carbon-climate interactions with increasing water demand <h4>from the NSF proposal abstract</h4> This project plans to investigate a series of hypotheses via numerical modeling experiments linking carbon and hydrologic cycles across the globe, linking land and ocean, low and high latitudes. The hypotheses are: 1) Summertime droughts on interannual time-scales arise from changes in circulation and the delivery of moisture. 2) The resilience of ecosystems to droughts varies with ecosystem type and structure, so that the magnitude of the decadal-mean carbon sink and carbon-climate feedback is related to the frequency and duration of droughts. 3) Regional, climate warming driven changes in terrestrial runoff and precipitation will increase upper ocean stratification in subpolar and Arctic environments resulting in decreased ocean carbon dioxide (CO2) uptake. 4) Land surface modifications and increasing water demands of the 21st century will amplify drought conditions, increase carbon-climate feedbacks and accelerate global warming. OCB-006 http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0628582 2006-10-01T00:00:01 2010-09-31T23:59:59 50 Diversity of biogeochemical processes: Modeling multiple biomes on multiple flow scales in the eastern Pacific Ocean Diversity of biogeochemical processes: Modeling multiple biomes on multiple flow scales in the eastern Pacific Ocean <h4>from the NSF proposal abstract</h4> This multidisciplinary research project will explore and expand the frontier of Information Technology capabilities by incorporating variability across a large range of spatial scales (through innovative embedded griding and advanced code architecture) and generalized adaptive ecological food webs (through multiple planktonic size classes, functional groups, and limiting nutrients) in realistic model configurations for the Pacific Ocean. This proposed combination of elements is unprecedented and thus pushes against the limits of simulating reality. The simulations of oceanic circulation and biogeochemistry will be based on the continued development of the Regional Oceanic Modeling System (ROMS), a relatively new computational code with innovative space-time discretization, sub-gridscale transport parameterizations, open-boundary conditions, and embedded griding capabilities. The computational research will focus on: 2-way embedding and flux-consistency across embedding levels, parallelization performance and portability, and software protocols for code architecture. The biological component will derive from a new global ecosystem model that explicitly treats iron limitation, nitrogen fixation, size structure, and diatom blooms. The strategy will be to simulate the entire Pacific Ocean circulation and biology at coarse spatial resolution (i.e., not resolving the eddies) and then investigate mesoscale influences at fine resolution in three productive, regional subdomains along the eastern boundary-tropical, subtropical and subpolar-with distinctive biomes. The coupled solutions will be analyzed to determine the rectification of mesoscale biological-physical variability to larger scales, the emergence of distinct biomes from a generalized set of ecological rules, and the level of biological complexity required to match observations based on information theoretic model-selection techniques. OCB-007 http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0312710 2003-09-01T00:00:01 2007-08-31T23:59:59 51 Carbon Dioxide Dynamics in Mode Water of the North Atlantic Ocean Carbon Dioxide Dynamics in Mode Water of the North Atlantic Ocean <h4>from the NSF proposal abstract</h4> <p>The formation of mode waters, like Eighteen Degree Water (EDW) in the North Atlantic Ocean, is important for driving ocean circulation, ventilating and transferring biogeochemical properties to the ocean interior. Recent studies suggest that EDW plays an important role in setting the nutrient reservoir of the subtropical gyre [Jenkins and Doney, 2003; Doney and Jenkins, 2004; Palter et al., 2005], with significant implications for nutrient and carbon dynamics, and productivity in the subtropical gyre of the North Atlantic. In addition, EDW has a potentially important role in the ocean uptake and decadal variability of atmospheric CO2 [Bates et al., 2002].</p> <p>In this study, researchers at the Bermuda Biological Station for Research (BBSR) and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) hope to achieve a better quantitative and mechanistic understanding of the CO2 dynamics in EDW. The work leverages the 2006-2007 field program and improved understanding about the physics of EDW that an NSF sponsored field project, CLImate MOde water Dynamics Experiment (CLIMODE) will gain. The main question posed in CarboMODE is "What is the oceanic uptake and fate of CO2 in EDW in the North Atlantic Ocean?" From this general question, more specific questions are raised, including: (1) What is the air-sea CO2 flux during wintertime EDW formation? (2) What are the relative contributions from vertical/lateral mixing, advection/stirring, air-sea CO2 gas exchange and biological depletion of CO2 due to net community production during EDW formation that influence the DIC properties of EDW? (3) What is the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) content of EDW upon subduction (injection) into the subtropical gyre and what is the overall flux? (4) How does the formation of EDW impact the subsurface inorganic carbon reservoir and air-sea CO2 fluxes in the subtropical gyre of the North Atlantic Ocean? (5) What is the fate of inorganic carbon in EDW as it advects away from the region of formation and how does subsurface remineralization contribute to the DIC content of EDW?</p> <p>In addressing these questions, the investigators propose will collect inorganic carbon data in 2007 as part of the CLIMODE project. Their contribution to the CLIMODE (and CarboMODE) project will be measurements of DIC, Total Alkalinity (TA) and underway pCO2 (i.e., seawater and air pCO2). Although focused on physics, the observational and modeling program framed by CLIMODE's questions and hypotheses fortuitously provide a timely and unique opportunity to address questions raised about CO2 dynamics (and related issues concerning nutrient and dissolved oxygen dynamics). Synthesis and modeling of several different datasets, including the 2007 CLIMODE field surveys of EDW, CO2 data collected from a 2006 CLIMODE cruise, a 4 day northward extension of the BATS Bermuda-Puerto Rico annual transect, and surface seawater pCO2 (and DIC and alkalinity) data collected twice a week in the region of EDW formation from the Volunteer Observing Ship (VOS) MV Oleander (funded by NOAA COSP), form the nucleus for addressing relevant CarboMODE questions.</p> CarboMODE http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0623034 2007-04-01T00:00:01 2010-03-31T23:59:59 52 Palmer Antarctica Long Term Ecological Research project Palmer Antarctica Long Term Ecological Research project <h4>from the NSF proposal abstract</h4> <p>The Palmer LTER studies a polar marine biome with research focused on the Antarctic pelagic marine ecosystem, including sea ice habitats, regional oceanography and terrestrial nesting sites of seabird predators. The Palmer LTER is one of more 26 LTER research sites located throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and Tahiti; each focused on a specific ecosystem, that together constitute the LTER Network.</p> Palmer LTER http://pal.lternet.edu/ 1990-10-01T00:00:01 1997-12-31T23:59:59 53 Coral Reef Primary Production and Calcification Coral Reef Primary Production and Calcification <h3>Coral reef primary production and calcification: Quantitative analysis of sensitivity to environmental forcing using a control volume approach</h3> <h4>from the NSF proposal abstract</h4> <p>The oceans are currently experiencing both warming and acidification due to the effects of increasing atmospheric CO2 levels, with surface ocean pH expected to drop by at least 0.3 pH units by the year 2100. Coral reefs are especially vulnerable to both factors. In this research, scientists from Stanford University will focus on the effects of acidification, combining novel methods and approaches from the fields of engineering, physical oceanography, and marine biogeochemistry to develop a quantitative understanding of the flow of carbon throughout the physical environment and varied communities of a healthy coral reef. During four field seasons at Heron Island Marine Station, located on the Great Barrier Reef, they will make the first simultaneous and in situ measurements of Net Community Production/Respiration and Net Community Calcification/Dissolution on a large intact coral reef tract by determining water column inorganic carbon system properties along the boundaries of a 3-dimensional control volume (CV).</p> <p>The overall goals of the proposed research are to: 1) Quantify how energy flows between a coral reef and the open ocean, and within different reef environments, by direct, in situ measurements of carbon system fluxes; 2) Describe diurnal, seasonal, and interannual variability in primary production and calcification and their dependency on flow regime and carbonate saturation state; and 3) Develop predictive assessments regarding the interactive response of coral reef systems to ongoing perturbations of global climate and the carbon cycle. To achieve these goals, the PIs will install an array of current meters, wave gauges, and thermistors to determine the hydrodynamic regime within the control volume at a spatial scale of 10 cm and time scale of seconds. Then, using the Reynolds Transport Theorem and water column carbon chemistry data, they will calculate net fluxes through each of the four CV faces and the surface boundary, and thereby determine net carbon fluxes between the benthic community and the overlying water.</p> CRPPC http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0729236 2007-11-01T00:00:01 2010-10-31T23:59:59 54 Primary Production Model Intercomparison: Primary Production Algorithm Round Robin 4 Primary Production Model Intercomparison: Primary Production Algorithm Round Robin 4 The goal of our proposal is to evaluate algorithms which estimate primary production (PP models) from ocean color measured by space--�borne sensors. This project aims to continue a project that is nearing completion, originally funded under NASA's Carbon Cycle Science Program, the Primary Production Algorithm Round Robin 3 (PPARR3). We found that greater variability between modeled estimates of primary production occurred at low sea--�surface temperature (SST) and low or high chlorophyll concentrations. A comparison to in situ data from the tropical Pacific revealed that the participating models consistently underestimated the variance of depth--�integrated primary production (PP). Model performance was independent of traditional groupings of model structure: some of the simplest (depth--� and wavelength--�integrated) models performed as well as some of the most complex (depth--� and wavelength--�resolved.) The significant decrease in root--�meansquare error of participating models in the equatorial Pacific (by 62% on the equator and 35% off the equator) between PPARR2 and PPARR3 is testimony of the success of the PPARR exercises. We propose to expand the PPARR3 exercise by comparing participating PP models with in situ primary production data acquired during process studies and time series sites associated with the Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS), data from the Southern Ocean, including a database from the Antarctic Peninsula, and a compilation of coastal measurements. JGOFS process study and time series data provide high quality measurements of biogeochemically active regions and oligotrophic subtropical gyres respectively. The Southern Ocean presents a daunting challenge for space--�based primary production models, as common temperature dependent functions fail at low temperatures in addition to the challenges of determining the chlorophyll concentration at low sun angles. High biomass and the presence of other optically active substances which absorb and reflect light make primary production particularly difficult to model adequately in the coastal ocean. By addressing these focus regions, we will evaluate model performance for different environmental conditions. As in PPARR3 we anticipate that model developers will use these comparisons to refine and reformulate their models. PPARR4 http://www.vims.edu/%7emarjy/PPARR_abstract.pdf 55 Primary Productivity Analysis and Predictions from an Assimilative Biogeochemical Ocean General Circulation Model Primary Productivity Analysis and Predictions from an Assimilative Biogeochemical Ocean General Circulation Model The overall goal of this study is to determine how best to use NASA remote-sensing observations to quantify and enable prediction of primary productivity using a threedimensional biogeochemical ocean general circulation model (BOGCM). The variational adjoint method of data assimilation provides a particularly useful tool for biogeochemical modeling, as it not only yields optimized parameter values, but also provides uncertainties associated with these values. This method will be applied to an existing BOGCM in order to obtain estimates of the temporal and spatial variability of primary productivity and new production. The assimilation of MODIS data will ensure that these fluxes will be consistent with remote-sensing ocean color observations and leverage these observations to provide critical information about ocean biogeochemical processes. Preliminary one-dimensional assimilation experiments conducted across the globe will provide us with important information as to how optimized parameter values, required for the estimation of primary production, vary spatially across ocean basins. Identical twin experiments will be conducted with the 3-D data assimilative BOGCM in order to quantitatively evaluate the sensitivity of the biological pump to data availability, and thus determine what additional observations will be required in order to make realistic predictive marine ecosystem models feasible. Through the assimilation of actual remote-sensing data, the predictive ability of our modeled fluxes can be assessed quantitatively. In addition, we will quantitatively determine how uncertainties in precipitation, wind, solar radiation, and iron deposition propagate through to uncertainties in the optimized parameter values and ultimately to our estimates of primary productivity. OCB-012 http://www.vims.edu/%7emarjy/BOGCM.pdf 56 The influence of large scale environmental changes on carbon export in the North Pacific Ocean: A comprehensive study using shipboard and remote sensing data The influence of large scale environmental changes on carbon export in the North Pacific Ocean: A comprehensive study using shipboard and remote sensing data <h4>from www.sciencedirect.com</h4> The subarctic Pacific Ocean experiences strong climate-modulated seasonal, interannual to decadal variations in meteorological and physical oceanographic conditions, which can have a profound influence on biological processes and carbon cycling in the region. Inorganic nitrate, a major nutrient controlling phytoplankton growth, is key to understanding the export of organic matter out of the euphotic zone. Its supply to the region is driven largely by winter convective mixing. Using satellite data for a 5-year period beginning in 1997, we provide evidence of strong interannual variations in the supply of inorganic nitrate and new production in the subarctic Pacific in association with the El-Niño of 1997 and the transition to La-Niña conditions thereafter. These satellite based climatologies allowed us to view and describe large changes in nitrate distribution and new production along the entire breadth of the subarctic Pacific basin. In addition, our accessibility to a 25-year database of shipboard measurements focused primarily in the Oyashio waters, a region representative of the western subarctic Pacific, enabled us to demonstrate that El-Niño/La-Niña changes in this region differed from those observed in the eastern subarctic Pacific. Thus, in addition to the primary motive of verifying the changes that we observed in our satellite-derived maps, this exercise allowed us to obtain a clear picture of the mechanistic connections between the atmosphere and the oceans and the biological response to these changes. The results from this study make a compelling case that the primary driver for the observed interannual variations in biological production in the western subarctic Pacific is the strength of the wintertime monsoonal winds. This anomalous intensification of the southeastward wind stress appears to be particularly strong during El-Niño years when the Aleutian Low intensifies and moves southeastwards, causing disturbances in the pressure gradient between the Siberian high and the Aleutian Low. An abrupt shift in oceanographic conditions follows this change in pressure gradient, among them the most prominent being a reduction in sea surface temperature, a southward migration of the belt of zero wind-stress curl, and the anomalous southward penetration of the Oyashio Current. In tandem, these changes, contribute to an increase in nutrient inputs in winter and a southward displacement of the boundary of the subarctic gyre. The spring following an El-Niño event is characterized by reduced wind stress and a resulting increase in water column stability as well as the elevated solar radiation leads to blooms. Conversely, in the winter of 2000, the subarctic gyre experienced the weakest winds of all 5 years. These weak wind conditions were associated with increased wind speeds in spring of that year and the lowest annual rates of new production of all 5 years. OCB-013 http://www.bigelow.org/elnino/ 57 The role of mesoscale processes in controlling the upper ocean carbon cycle in the coastal environment: An integrated study in Santa Monica Bay, CA The role of mesoscale processes in controlling the upper ocean carbon cycle in the coastal environment: An integrated study in Santa Monica Bay, CA <h4>from www.atmos.ucla.edu</h4> <p>Our research interests are the study of ocean biogeochemical cycles on regional to global scales and on timescales from months to centuries. We are particularly interested in investigating the cycles of carbon, oxygen and nitrogen as well as those of their isotopes.</p> <p>The main goal is to gain a better understanding of the interactions between the physical, chemical and biological processes that control the distributions of these climatically important elements and how they change through time.</p> <p>To reach this goal we use a broad palette of chemically and physically based methods, which range from model simulations, the interpretation of numerous observational data to the application of very precise and accurate methods to measure constituent and isotope concentrations.</p> OCB-014 http://www.atmos.ucla.edu/~gruber/research_fs.htm 58 U.S. Global Repeat Hydrographic/CO2/Tracer Surveys: Deep ocean DOM distribution and dynamics U.S. Global Repeat Hydrographic/CO2/Tracer Surveys: Deep ocean DOM distribution and dynamics <h4>from the NSF proposal abstract</h4> With funding through this award, researchers at the University of Miami and at the University of California - Santa Barbara will continue their studies of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the world ocean as participants in the U.S. Repeat Hydrography Program. The primary scientific objective of the U.S. Repeat Hydrography program is to provide data for model calibration and validation, carbon system studies, heat and freshwater storage and flux studies, and deep and shallow water mass ventilation studies. This project seeks to further identify and understand processes controlling the deep ocean distribution of DOC. Three controls on DOC distributions of particular importance are: 1) Export of DOC from the surface layer with downward mixing of water masses, 2) non-conservative changes in DOC concentrations by biotic and abiotic processes, and 3) conservative changes in DOC concentrations due to mixing of water masses. To differentiate and assess these processes, the research team will make Level I (mandatory to the program) measurements of DOC on 4 major ocean sections (during 2006-2008) of the Hydrography Program. This project will have broader impacts in the study of the planetary carbon cycle in the context of global climatic change. The US Repeat Hydrography program results from the joint US CLIVAR and US Carbon Cycle Science Program call for a national program of observations along ocean sections to be integrated with international plans. The large-scale observation component of the US Carbon Cycle Science Plan defined a need for systematic observations of carbon in the ocean, capturing the spatial and long-term temporal variability in those variables. Students will be fully involved in implementation of the field component of the project. University of Miami undergraduate students have been on all of the Repeat Hydrography cruises to date. Participating on these cruises helps students meet curricular requirements and exposes them to interdisciplinary oceanography. This hands-on experience is invaluable to the learning process and has been rewarding to the students involved so far, providing excellent context for future work. OCB-015 http://www.sciencestorm.com/award/0551332.html 2006-03-01T00:00:01 2010-02-31T23:59:59 59 Eastern U.S. Continental Shelf Carbon Budget: Modeling, data assimilation, and analysis Eastern U.S. Continental Shelf Carbon Budget: Modeling, data assimilation, and analysis <h4>from www.ccpo.odu.edu</h4> The overall goal of this project is to develop carbon budgets for the Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB) and South Atlantic Bight (SAB) of the east coast of the United States. The specific research questions that would allow us to address this overall goal are: 1) What are the dominant food web pathways that control carbon cycling and flux in the MAB and SAB? 2) Are there fundamental differences in the manner in which carbon is cycled on the continental shelves of the MAB and SAB? 3) What is the fate of DOC input to the continental shelf? 4) Is the carbon cycle of the MAB and SAB sensitive to climate and change? To address these specific research questions, we proposed to undertake three tasks: 1) the development and implementation of circulation, biogeochemistry, and carbon cycling models for the MAB and SAB continental shelf regions; 2) an extensive satellite and in situ data analysis program; and 3) a limited field measurement effort. OCB-016 http://www.ccpo.odu.edu/Research/US-ECoS/ 60 FeCycle II- Natural variability in plankton iron quotas during an unamended Lagrangian experiment FeCycle II- Natural variability in plankton iron quotas during an unamended Lagrangian experiment <h4>from the NSF proposal abstract</h4> In this project, researchers at the University of Southern California, University of Tennessee Knoxville and the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences will study oceanic micronutrient dynamics as part of the September 2008 FeCycle II project sponsored by NIWA New Zealand. The international team will investigate the natural cycling of the micronutrient iron (Fe) and other trace elements in relation to carbon and nutrient biogeochemistry. FeCycle II is a unique concept, since it is a Langrangian study that will follow an SF6-labeled patch without added Fe. The U.S. team will join this effort in order to compare and contrast the quotas of Fe and other trace elements in plankton using parallel techniques that include high-speed sorting flow cytometry and ultrafiltration coupled to ICP-MS, Fe and C radiotracers, and synchrotron x-ray fluorescence. Together, these will provide multiple independent assessments of the geochemical plasticity of Fe quotas. Building on the highly successful FeCycle I study, this work should improve our understanding of the linkages between the biogeochemistry and large-scale distribution of Fe and the global carbon cycle, within the context of this interdisciplinary international effort. FeCycle II http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0825319 2008-08-01T00:00:01 2010-07-31T23:59:59 61 High-resolution modeling of the Southern Ocean carbon cycle based on ECCO state estimates High-resolution modeling of the Southern Ocean carbon cycle based on ECCO state estimates <h4>from www.us-ocb.org</h4> This project will develop a new, high-resolution ocean carbon cycle model of the Southern Ocean designed to improve the realism and quantification of the regional ocean carbon cycle. This project--'s objective is to better understand and quantify the role of ocean eddies in the carbon fluxes in the Southern Ocean. The Southern Ocean is the major region of the oceanic uptake of anthropogenic CO2, however it is the region where ocean carbon cycle models show the largest disagreement due to the poor representation of physical circulation at the scale of ocean fronts and eddies. We will improve the realism of the regional carbon fluxes by explicitly resolving the ocean eddy transport. The model employs circulation fields that are determined by the Southern Ocean State Estimation (SOSE) in the Estimate of Climate and Circulation of the Ocean, phase 2 (ECCO-2). Because the circulation field is assimilated with a suite of satellite and in-situ observations, the modeled transport is realistic and computationally efficient, allowing biogeochemical and ecological parameterizations to be implemented at eddy-permitting spatial resolution. This study will include model development and model-data comparison components. We use the model to simulate regional carbon sources and sinks, and critically evaluate the simulated ecosystem and biogeochemical properties using satellite and in situ observations. Simulated chlorophyll, primary production, radiocarbon and surface ocean pCO2 fields will be compared against observational data. We will also compare these properties between the high-resolution and the coarse-resolution models to evaluate the significance of resolving the small-scale circulations. Model-data and model-model comparisons of multiple biogeochemical parameters will elucidate the causes of uncertainties in the regional carbon fluxes and guide our understanding in the controlling mechanisms. The unique feature of this new modeling framework is the application of the high-resolution ocean data assimilation products to the ecosystem and carbon cycle simulation, providing the realistic, high-resolution carbon cycle simulations, supporting the objective of NASA Carbon Cycle Science to improve our understanding and reducing the uncertainties of the regional carbon cycle aided by the observations from space. OCB-018 http://www.us-ocb.org/projects/Ito_abstract.doc 62 In situ measurements of oxygen and nitrate with profiling floats deployed at ocean time-series stations In situ measurements of oxygen and nitrate with profiling floats deployed at ocean time-series stations Use ISUS Nitrate Sensor to measure the nitrate levels in the ocean. OCB-019 http://www.mbari.org/chemsensor/ApexISUS.htm 63 A new center for ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry in the geosciences A new center for ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry in the geosciences <h4>from www.whoi.edu</h4> <p>The FT-MS Facility of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution was established in October 2007 with funding from the National Science Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and the WHOI Director of Research. The facility houses two major instruments: 1) a linear quadrupole-ion trap (LTQ) Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometer and (2) a stand-alone LTQ mass spectrometer.</p> <p>The WHOI FT-MS facility is unique in its ability to support scientists in marine and terrestrial biogeochemistry. Research in aquatic biogeosciences is challenging due to the physical complexity of the aqueous environment and the heterogeneity of microbial assemblages on both spatial and temporal scales. Such studies require instrumentation that can probe the detailed composition and structure of complex environmental mixtures on a molecular scale. The FT-MS facility offers key capabilities that are essential to these research goals: 1) ultrahigh resolution and high mass accuracy over a wide range of molecular weights (FT-ICR MS); 2) versatile ionization modes for a broad chemical nature of samples; and 3) multiple fragmentation options that are crucial to structural elucidation of large molecules using tandem mass spectrometry. The instruments and capabilities of the FT-MS facility are open to internal users as well as to outside scientists for sample analysis.</p> OCB-011 http://www.whoi.edu/sites/ftms/ 64 DIMES, Diapycnal and Isopycnal Mixing in the Southern Ocean DIMES, Diapycnal and Isopycnal Mixing in the Southern Ocean <h4>from the NSF proposal abstract</h4> The overturning circulation of the ocean plays a governing role in the earth's climate because of the enormous capacity of the ocean to hold heat and carbon dioxide. The Southern Ocean, which surrounds Antarctica, plays a disproportionate role in this overturning circulation because this is one of the main areas where deep waters rise to the surface to exchange heat and carbon dioxide with the atmosphere. Although the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) system brings deep water to the surface, dynamical constraints inhibit meridional exchanges. Ocean eddies are believed to play a dominant role in transporting water south across the ACC above deep ridges, feeding water driven northward by the intense winds. The extent to which this Isopycnal circulation is "short-circuited" by mixing across density layers is important to climate models but is unknown. Intellectual Merit: Conceptual models of global meridional overturning and numerical predictions for future climate are strongly sensitive to the methods used to represent mixingalong and across the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), where isopycnals are steeply tilted. Neither diapycnal nor isopycnal mixing has been measured in the Southern Ocean in a systematic way. The goals of the Diapycnal and Isopycnal Mixing Experiment in the Southern Ocean (DIMES) are to measure eddy mixing along density surfaces in the subsurface ocean (isopycnal mixing), and across those density layers (diapycnal mixing), and to determine how those processes depend on the larger scale dynamics of the ocean, so that they can be properly represented in numerical models of ocean circulation and of climate. To reveal these processes at work in the ACC, a chemical tracer and 75 floats that follow the water along isopycnal surfaces will be released in the ACC near 1300 m depth, 60 S, and 110 W, early in 2008. Floats that measure fine-structure T, S, and velocity within and above the tracer cloud will be released at the same time. The floats and tracer will be carried by the ACC over the relatively smooth bottom of the SE Pacific, spreading both across and along the current as they travel. After a year, the leading edge of the tracer will just start to pass over the ridges of Drake Passage into the Scotia Sea. Another 75 isopycnal floats will be released near the center of the tracer patch at this time. Trajectories of the floats, measured acoustically with an array of sound sources, will be used to study and to measure isopycnal dispersion. Spreading of the tracer will give integrated measures of both isopycnal and diapycnal dispersion. The eddy field, and its vertical structure, will be studied with sea surface height measured by satellite altimeters, and with hydrographic profiles taken from research vessels and from autonomous instruments drifting with the tracer. Turbulent dissipation, from which diapycnal mixing can be estimated, will be measured with ship-based free-falling profilers to study the spatial and temporal scales of the mixing and to examine suspected hot spots of mixing. Shear driving this mixing will be measured with the free-falling profilers and with special floats drifting with the tracer and floats that profile between the surface and the tracer layer. DIMES http://dimes.ucsd.edu/ 2007-06-01T00:00:01 2010-05-31T23:59:59 65 Processes, feedbacks and air-sea carbon dioxide exchange in the land-coastal ocean system Processes, feedbacks and air-sea carbon dioxide exchange in the land-coastal ocean system <h4>from the NSF proposal abstract</h4> <p>The shallow coastal ocean, representing approximately 8% of the modern global surface ocean area and 19% of the land area, is a domain that exercises poorly understood controls of the global carbon cycle and the air-sea CO2 exchange that are of unquestionable importance to climate change since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and into the future. At present, 10 to 30% of total oceanic biological production occurs in the coastal ocean, near 80% of the terrigenous material mass reaching the ocean is deposited there, and as much as 50% of total calcium carbonate and 80% of total organic carbon accumulation in the ocean occur in this region. At the end of pre-industrial time, nearly 200 years ago, biological calcification and remineralization of organic carbon produced in situ and imported from land might have been responsible for 30% to 50% of the CO2 emission from the surface ocean to the atmosphere. At the millennial to centurial time scale since the LGM near 18,000 years before present and into the next two centuries of the Anthropocene, the coastal ocean, because of its relatively small size, is particularly susceptible to environmental changes in its bigger neighboring reservoirs of atmosphere, land, open ocean, and sediments. For the same reason, it transmits and modulates rapidly the external and internal forcings of the past and the near future.</p> <p>In this project, researchers at the University of Hawaii - Manoa and Northwestern University will address four important, but not well understood, issues of the role of the coastal ocean in the global carbon cycle and air-sea CO2 exchange in the time period since near the LGM to the end of pre-industrial time and into the future two centuries of the Industrial Age. The role of the coastal ocean is a global role and the research accordingly focuses on obtaining global or world-average answers. These will be handled by model analysis developed from the investogators? dynamic process models that have been successfully applied to the shorter time periods of the Industrial Age and the future two to three centuries. Success of the models? application is in their agreement with the results of others? estimates for the industrial past and future. The model analysis will produce estimates of the major processes that interact with the CO2 transfer: the removal of carbon and other nutrients from land, sedimentary storage of organic and inorganic carbon as affected by seawater chemistry and surface water acidification, biological production on land and in the coastal zone, the CO2 and temperature role in mineral weathering, and the CO2 air-sea exchange of the coastal ocean.</p> OCB-021 http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0749404 2008-04-01T00:00:01 2011-03-31T23:59:59 66 Carbon cycling in the North Atlantic from regional to basin scales: Satellite data, in situ observations, and numerical models Carbon cycling in the North Atlantic from regional to basin scales: Satellite data, in situ observations, and numerical models <h4>from www.us-ocb.org</h4> Geochemical estimates of new production surpass the apparent rate of nutrient supply by vertical mixing by a factor of two or more in subtropical oceans, which constitute some of the largest biomes on earth. Two possible mechanisms to supply the "missing" nutrient locally include nitrogen fixation by cyanobacteria, and intermittent upwelling by mesoscale eddies and submesoscale processes. Growing evidence suggests that such episodic processes can have a large impact on mean biogeochemical cycles, so they must be included in our conceptual models and resolved in our numerical models. The overall goal of the proposed research is to investigate the role of mesoscale dynamics and upper ocean processes on biogeochemical fluxes in the open ocean. The general approach is to use a three-dimensional coupled physical and biogeochemical model together with in situ observations and a full complement of remotely sensed information (altimetry, ocean color, scatterometry and AVHRR) to study the biological and chemical ramifications of spatially and temporally intermittent physical processes. Herein we propose a combination of retrospective data analysis and numerical modeling. Our data analysis will focus on illuminating linkages between eddy-driven physical disturbances, changes in phytoplankton species composition, and carbon export from the euphotic zone. In particular, recent observations have shown that, although plankton blooms occur in both cyclones and mode-water eddies, the biological responses differ. Mode-water eddies can generate extraordinary diatom biomass and primary production at depth, relative to the time-series near Bermuda. These blooms are sustained by eddy-wind interactions, which amplify the eddyinduced upwelling. In contrast, eddy-wind interactions dampen eddy-induced upwelling in cyclones. Carbon export inferred from oxygen anomalies in eddy cores is 1-3 times annual new production for the region. In addition, new observations of the colonial diazotroph Trichodesmium have revealed distinct mesoscale variability in the distribution of this organism and unexpectedly high abundance at depth, which could have a significant impact on basin-scale nitrogen and carbon budgets. Up to now, basin-scale eddy resolving models have not included the eddy-wind interaction process described above. This effect can be implemented in a straightforward manner by including the surface ocean velocity in the computation of surface wind stress in our existing 0.1 degree resolution nutrient-transport model of the North Atlantic (based on the Los Alamos POP model). Capturing the detailed biogeochemical responses to cyclones and mode-water eddies will require us to adopt more sophisticated biological models that explicitly represent functional groups of phytoplankton such as picoplankton and diatoms. These simulations will be used to diagnose the effects of mesoscale processes on water column biogeochemistry. We propose to incorporate the 24-component biogeochemical/ecosystem model of Moore et al. (2004) into our eddy-resolving model of the North Atlantic. We will evaluate the mean state predicted by the model and compare it with both remotely sensed and in situ measurements. Diagnosis of mesoscale physical-biological-biogeochemical coupling will be undertaken, both through phenomenological assessment as well as detailed term-by-term analysis of simulated fluxes. Understanding gleaned from this study will help quantify a major uncertainty in the ocean carbon cycle, and provide the conceptual basis for parameterization of these effects in global climate models. OCB-022 http://www.us-ocb.org/projects/McGillic_NASA.pdf 67 Modeling the carbon cycle and climate: Ocean processes to global predictions Modeling the carbon cycle and climate: Ocean processes to global predictions <h4>from www.us-ocb.org</h4> <p>We lack a clear understanding of how the subpolar North Atlantic carbon sink responds to climate change, despite the fact that this is a region of significant mean carbon uptake (Sabine et al. 2004). The vast majority of carbon cycle observations are of surface ocean pCO2, with strong seasonal to interannual timescale variability. This variability makes it difficult to distinguish trends, though several authors have tried (Lefevre et al. 2004, Omar and Olsen, 2006, Corbiere et al. 2007, Thomas et al. 2007). Numerical models are now able to capture a significant amount of physical and biogeochemical variability (Lima and Doney, 2004), and need to be used, in conjunction with data, to assess carbon cycle trends. In this project, I will use a North Atlantic regional model with newly-available data to ask: (1) How well can a physical-biogeochemical model capture in-situ observations of surface ocean pCO2 in the North Atlantic? (2) Has there been a trend in the subpolar North Atlantic carbon sink in recent decades? (3) If trends are not yet notable, how much sampling will be required to distinguish trends from variability?</p> <p>In the educational component, I will enhance the climate curriculum at UW-Madison and train high school teachers in climate and climate modeling, with a focus on carbon-climate interactions. Central to these efforts will be the EdGCM, a user-friendly version of the NASA GISS climate model. Curriculum will be designed to enhance the EdGCM experience by including carbon cycle investigations. The ultimate goal of this effort is to enhance climate and carbon cycle science literacy in the general public through UW-Madison and high school graduates.</p> OCB-023 http://www.us-ocb.org/projects/McKinley_NASA.doc 68 The carbon balance of Lake Superior: Modeling lake processes and understanding impacts on the regional carbon budget The carbon balance of Lake Superior: Modeling lake processes and understanding impacts on the regional carbon budget <h4>from the NSF proposal abstract</h4> <p>The North American Carbon Program (NACP) intends (1) to develop quantitative scientific knowledge, robust observations, and models to determine emissions and uptake of CO2, CH4 and CO, changes in carbon stocks, and factors regulating these processes for North America and adjacent ocean basins; and (2) to develop the scientific basis for full carbon accounting on regional and continental scales. The Laurentian Great Lakes cover 25% of the land area of the 8 Great Lakes states, and CO2 emission and seasonal cycling from them may be comparable to local terrestrial ecosystems. Though their contributions to the regional carbon balance may be significant, these fluxes are currently poorly understood. CO2 fluxes from Lake Superior are of particular interest because they may directly impact observations at nearby AmeriFlux towers, yet due to the current lack of quantification, Lake Superior fluxes are presently neglected in analysis of these data.</p> <p>Motivated by the need for improved knowledge of Great Lake CO2 fluxes, this project will couple an ecosystem-carbon module with an existing hydrodynamic model of Lake Superior. This model will lead to estimates of the air-water CO2 fluxes and their spatial and temporal variability. New observations to improve knowledge of carbon cycling in winter and to constrain the model will also be obtained. With model output, the impact of Lake Superior CO2 fluxes on observations at AmeriFlux towers and on the regional carbon budget will be evaluated.</p> <p>The five key research questions are: 1. What is the magnitude of the air-water carbon flux in Lake Superior? 2. How are the fluxes influenced by variability in the physical climate? 3. How does Lake Superior's carbon cycle behave in winter? 4. What are the most important uncertainties in the Lake Superior carbon budget? 5. How do Lake Superior carbon fluxes impact the regional carbon budget?</p> <p>This project brings together an interdisciplinary team to improve understanding of the "complex relationships between and within the global water and carbon cycles". By jointly considering coastal carbon processing and terrestrial carbon budgets, this project addresses research priorities of both the Ocean and Earth Sciences divisions.</p> OCB-024 http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0628560 2006-10-01T00:00:01 2010-09-31T23:59:59 69 Simulating and assessing the carbon cycle off the west coast of North America Simulating and assessing the carbon cycle off the west coast of North America OCB-025 http://eospso.gsfc.nasa.gov/directory/get_team_members.php?prog_id=IDS/03-0000-0341&cat_id=11 2004-06-01T00:00:01 2007-06-31T23:59:59 70 Kinetics and Mechanisms of Calcite Reactions with Saline Waters Kinetics and Mechanisms of Calcite Reactions with Saline Waters OCB-026 http://www.osti.gov/rdprojects/details.jsp?query_id=P/CH--FG02-06ER15816 2006-08-01T00:00:01 2009-12-31T23:59:59 71 Ocean Acidification of the Greater Caribbean Region 1999-2009 Ocean Acidification of the Greater Caribbean Region 1999-2009 OCB-027 http://cce.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/cce/cce_awards.pl 1999-01-01T00:00:01 2009-12-31T23:59:59 73 Iron in the Equatorial Undercurrent Iron in the Equatorial Undercurrent <h4>from the NSF proposal abstract</h4> <p>One of the principle new findings from the US JGOFS EqPac Process study in the central equatorial Pacific was that iron in the equatorial undercurrent (EUC) is the most important source of iron for driving biological new production and thus carbon cycling in this region. It has been hypothesized that the source of the iron is from terriginous sources in the vicinity of New Guinea. If that is the case, what is happening downstream from New Guinea? How far eastward can a New Guinea iron source be traced? There is a critical lack of data from this region that is needed to test this source hypothesis. This is a major lingering question that needs to be answered.</p> <p>In this project an international team of US and French ocean scientists, under the leadership of a marine geochemist at the University of Washington, will determine the distributions of iron, manganese, aluminum and neodymium in a zonal section along the equatorial Pacific. They will be seeking answers to four major questions: 1. Is there really a maximum of iron in the equatorial undercurrent? 2. What is its zonal gradient? 3. What is its origin? 4. How do the distributions constrain model derived fluxes?</p> <p>The team will use a 4-year integrated field, analytical and modeling approach. They will conduct a zonal cruise along the equator from 143'E to 140'W to measure dissolved, colloidal and total acid soluble Fe, Mn and Al. Laboratory studies will be carried out to measure dissolved and particulate neodymium isotopes and particulate Fe, Mn and Al. A coupled dynamical-biogeochemical model will be run to predict iron distributions before the cruise. They will also the model approach to estimate the relative importance of physical versus biogeochemical fluxes in the central (cold tongue) and western (warm pool) equatorial Pacific.</p> OCB-028 http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0425721 2004-09-01T00:00:01 2009-02-31T23:59:59 74 LTER: Nonlinear transitions in the California Current coastal pelagic ecosystem LTER: Nonlinear transitions in the California Current coastal pelagic ecosystem <h4>from ccelter.sio.ucsd.edu</h4> The California Current System is a coastal upwelling biome, as found along the eastern margins of all major ocean basins. These are among the most productive ecosystems in the world ocean. The California Current Ecosystem LTER (32.9¬°, -120.3¬°) is investigating nonlinear transitions in the California Current coastal pelagic ecosystem, with particular attention to long-term forcing by a secular warming trend, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, and El Niño in altering the structure and dynamics of the pelagic ecosystem. The California Current sustains active fisheries for a variety of finfish and marine invertebrates, modulates weather patterns and the hydrologic cycle of much of the western United States, and plays a vital role in the economy of myriad coastal communities. OCB-029 http://ccelter.sio.ucsd.edu/ 75 Estuarine air-sea CO2 fluxes: Evaluating the impact of climatological drivers spanning multiple temporal scales using ships-of-opportunity and remote sensing Estuarine air-sea CO2 fluxes: Evaluating the impact of climatological drivers spanning multiple temporal scales using ships-of-opportunity and remote sensing <h4>from the NSF proposal abstract</h4> <p>Estuaries are among the most productive and dynamic aquatic ecosystems on Earth. Because they cover extensive areas of coastlines worldwide, estuaries play key roles in regional and global C cycling. However, estuarine air-sea CO2 fluxes, which represent the sum of the major metabolic processes in the estuary, are strongly influenced by intra- and interannual variability in climatological/hydrological forcings such as hurricane events. Because of limited spatial-temporal sampling resolution, previous studies have not been able to determine the impact of these different scales of variability on estuarine air-sea CO2 fluxes. In this research, an interdisciplinary team from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Oregon State University has been assembled to quantify air-sea CO2 fluxes in the nation's 2nd largest estuary, and to evaluate and quantify environmental controls upon those fluxes. North Carolina's Neuse River-Pamlico Sound estuarine system (NRE-PS) is downstream of rapidly expanding urban and agricultural activities and has had five category 2 or higher hurricanes make landfall in its watershed in the past decade. Additionally, the system's microtidal nature and long water residence time (>2 mo) make it ideal for a study on estuarine air-sea CO2 fluxes. The NRE-PS has the added advantage of ongoing, spatially and temporally intense, long-term observational programs that will serve as sources of complementary environmental data; the Neuse River Modeling and Monitoring Program (ModMon), and a ferry-based continuous monitoring program (FerryMon).</p> <p>Robust evaluation of NRE-PS air-sea CO2 fluxes will be accomplished by outfitting a small research boat and three N.C. Dept. of Transportation ferries with CO2 partial pressure (pCO2) sensors, thereby allowing for year-round, high spatial-temporal resolution characterization of surface p CO2. Remotely-sensed (every 3 d) surface biogeochemical data, generated by an ongoing collaborative project with researchers at the U.S. EPA, will also be available. In addition to addressing air-sea fluxes, the data from this project will enhance an existing mechanistic biogeochemical estuarine model that is used to investigate linkages between nutrient and hydrologic forcings, and system wide C and O2 dynamics. This effort, in conjunction with synthesis of data collected during the other parallel monitoring programs, will be invaluable for assessing the ecosystem response to extreme climatological events such as droughts and a predicted rise in Atlantic hurricane activity.</p> OCB-030 http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0726989 2008-04-01T00:00:01 2011-03-31T23:59:59 76 Organic Matter Composition, Recycling Susceptibility, and the Effectiveness of the Biological Pump Organic Matter Composition, Recycling Susceptibility, and the Effectiveness of the Biological Pump <h3>Organic Matter Composition, Recycling Susceptibility, and the Effectiveness of the Biological Pump --- An Evaluation Using NMR Spectra of Marine Plankton</h3> <h4>from www.us-ocb.org</h4> <p>Carbon (C) sequestration through fertilization of phytoplankton with micronutrients and enhancement of the absorption and retention of atmospheric C by ocean biota heavily depends on the efficiency of the ---biological pump---. The long-term effectiveness of this strategy depends on a net transfer of C from the upper ocean-atmosphere system to the deep ocean where the C is removed from contact with the atmosphere for an extended period of time. This C removal can be equated to the amount of C fixation by phytoplankton minus the C cycling and regeneration in the euphotic zone. If the regeneration efficiency is increased, then despite increased C fixation, no net loss (sequestration) of C will result. A reduction in cycling efficiency in the euphotic zone, on the other hand, will increase the effectiveness of the ---biological pump--- and thus C sequestration.</p> <p>The degree of organic matter biodegradation and recycling depends on the ---reactivity--- of compounds synthesized by the biota, which in turn, is controlled by the structural characteristic of these compounds. There is considerable evidence that different phytoplankton taxa differ substantially in their biogeochemical characteristics and it is likely that the relative abundance of different compounds synthesized by these distinct taxa, and even within each group at different growth conditions, will differ too. This variability in biosynthesis and thus abundance of a wide range of organic compounds in the water column would lend itself to different susceptibility for biodegradation and regeneration. Knowledge of the distribution of various organic matter structural groups synthesized by distinct taxa, the dependence of the organic matter compound classes on different growth conditions (temperature, light, nutrients) and the selective susceptibility of these compound to regeneration is crucial for estimating the potential for rapid regeneration in the euphotic zone, and thus the effectiveness of the ---biological pump---.</p> <p>This project uses both 13C and 31P NMR spectroscopy on various phytoplankton cultures grown under a wide range of controlled conditions and on field samples dominated by different taxa. We describe variability in the molecular composition of organic matter synthesized by different phytoplankton groups; assess the dependence of the organic matter composition synthesized on growth conditions (temperature, light, nutrient and Fe availability, and growth rate); and gain a better understanding of the susceptibility of a wide range of organic molecules (with specific functional groups) to biodegradation. Data produced in this study will help constrain and improve the parameterization of POM regeneration in C sequestration models and assess the potential success of any fertilization scenario.</p> OCB-031 http://www.us-ocb.org/projects/OM_Composition_Paytan.doc 77 Aerosol Deposition Impacts on Phytoplankton Productivity and Ecosystem Structure Aerosol Deposition Impacts on Phytoplankton Productivity and Ecosystem Structure <h4>from www.us-ocb.org</h4> Chemical components delivered to the surface ocean through atmospheric deposition influence ocean productivity and ecosystem structure thus are tightly related to the global carbon cycle and climate. Accordingly, the major aim of this project is to quantitatively estimate the variable impact of aerosol deposition on marine phytoplankton; to determine the specific effects on various taxa and to use this data to better understand the global impact of aerosols on the oceanic ecosystem. To accomplish this we incorporate field, laboratory, modeling, and remote sensing data analysis. Specifically we estimate aerosol deposition fluxes from different sources (using direct and remote sensing techniques in combination with an atmospheric transport model), measure the chemical composition and solubility of aerosols and evaluate the contribution of aerosols to nutrient and trace metals to seawater at different sites. The effects of the different aerosol ---types--- (defined by source and chemical characteristics) on specific phytoplankton taxa and on ecosystem structure and function is evaluated using pure culture and natural samples bioassays. These data will be synthesized by developing and validating a model of the interactions between aerosol deposition and ecosystem response. In the future, this model could also be used for prediction purposes and coupled to ocean ecosystem and biogeochemistry models. This project is particularly important in light of the role atmospheric deposition can assume in oligotrophic settings and the predicted future global changes in dust and other aerosol fluxes. OCB-010 http://www.us-ocb.org/projects/Aerosol_Deposition_Paytan.doc 78 Nitrogen fixation and its coupling with denitrification in the eastern tropical North Pacific Nitrogen fixation and its coupling with denitrification in the eastern tropical North Pacific <h4>from the NSF proposal abstract</h4> <p>Nitrogen fixation plays a now well-recognized role in enhancing primary production and export in oligotrophic regions of the subtropical ? tropical ocean. However, recent evidence suggests that nitrogen fixation may be even more globally significant, perhaps occurring commonly in regions of the surface ocean proximate to zones of intense subsurface denitrification. In this project, a team of researchers from Oregon State University, University of Hawaii, and University of South Carolina will examine how the interactions between denitrification and nitrogen fixation enhance primary and export production in one such area, the Gulf of California and adjacent waters of the eastern tropical North Pacific (ETNP). This oceanographic region provides an excellent field laboratory in which to study these processes due to its rich biological productivity and the predominance of denitrified intermediate waters. Summertime surface waters in this region of the Pacific, characterized by effectively zero nitrate-to-phosphate (N:P) values with replete P concentrations (0.3-0.8ìM) and pronounced thermal stratification, provide potentially prime habitat for the occurrence of significant nitrogen fixation and contribution of such primary production to export production. Given this prospect and its relevance to advancing knowledge of the overall marine carbon and nitrogen cycles, this multidisciplinary biogeochemical study will address an overarching hypothesis:</p> <p>Upwelling of denitrified waters in the Gulf of California and adjacent ETNP, if followed by stratification and Redfield-type nutrient drawdown, primes surface waters for nitrogen fixation and thus leads to potential feedbacks (positive and negative) for export production, the maintenance of the suboxic conditions that favor denitrification, and the magnitude of dissolved N:P ratios that are generated in the denitrification zone.</p> <p>The project has three key objectives: (1) to demonstrate that nitrogen fixation is a common, quantitatively important primary production process in summer stratified surface waters of this region; (2) to identify the specific organisms responsible for the N2 fixation and determine the carbon production rate for each identified N-fixing organism; and (3) to quantify the export of the newly fixed nitrogen and assess the possible contribution that different members of the N-fixing community directly contribute to export. To achieve these objectives the team will use a combination of microscopy, genetic identification, lipid biomarkers and both stable isotopic and radioisotopic measurements on samples collected during a 2008 summer research cruise in the Gulf of California region. Observations will be made to: (1) determine the spatial pattern and rates of gross and net N2 fixation in a diagnostic region of the Gulf of California and ETNP; (2) identify what specific organisms are responsible for the nitrogen fixation fixation and, use a novel, newly established isotopic tracer technique to directly determine the carbon production rate for each identified organism; (3) assess the rates of organism-specific carbon and nitrogen export production; and (4) evaluate the extent to which ?rain? of this newly fixed nitrogen is decomposed within the upper zone of the denitrification layer and subsequently nitrified.</p> OCB-032 http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0726422 2007-10-01T00:00:01 2010-09-31T23:59:59 79 Atmospheric aerosol deposition rates and chemistry in western Atlantic trade winds Atmospheric aerosol deposition rates and chemistry in western Atlantic trade winds <h3>Atmospheric aerosol deposition rates and chemistry in western Atlantic trade winds: The link to transport and deposition processes</h3> <h4>from the NSF proposal abstract</h4> The atmospheric transport of various substances from the continents to the oceans plays an important role in marine biogeochemical processes and can impact the global carbon cycle. However, the factors affecting the atmospheric transport and deposition of continentally-derived species such as iron, nitrogen, and phosphorus are poorly known. For this reason, three scientists at Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences propose a study aimed at improving our understanding of the processes controlling the deposition of African dust over the tropical Atlantic, thereby improving estimates of the impact of dust deposition on the marine biogeochemistry in this region. To attain their goal, the PIs will measure aerosol deposition by wet and dry processes in the trade winds at Barbados and focus on the following three components: (1) characterizing the rates of deposition, the relative importance of wet and dry deposition, and the processes that control deposition rates of these aerosols; (2) the chemistry of iron and other dust-related trace elements in aerosols and precipitation; and (3) the chemistry of nitrogen and phosphorus species in aerosols and precipitation. OCB-033 http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0623189 2007-01-01T00:00:01 2009-12-31T23:59:59 80 Atlantic Meridional Transect programme Atlantic Meridional Transect programme <h4>from www.amt-uk.org</h4> The AMT programme undertakes biological, chemical and physical oceanographic research during the annual return passage of the RRS James Clark Ross between the UK and the Falkland Islands or the RRS Discovery between the UK and Cape Town, a distance of up to 13,500 km. This transect crosses a range of ecosystems from sub-polar to tropical and from euphotic shelf seas and upwelling systems to oligotrophic mid-ocean gyres. AMT http://www.amt-uk.org/ 81 Do coupled climate models correctly simulate the upward branch of the deep ocean global conveyor? Do coupled climate models correctly simulate the upward branch of the deep ocean global conveyor? <h4>from www.us-ocb.org</h4> <p>In the current generation of global coupled climate models, the upwelling branch of the global meridional overturning circulation (MOC) largely occurs within the Southern Ocean to the south of 30S. This means that the Southern Ocean is disproportionately important as a location where the deep ocean is brought into contact with the surface. Furthermore, it implies that Southern Ocean winds and eddies are critical processes that must be simulated correctly to understand the response to climate change. However, a number of recent observational syntheses suggest that there is substantial upwelling, at least to intermediate depths, in the tropics. This would imply that tidally-driven internal wave mixing could play a critical role in determining the large-scale circulation. Since this mixing is often spatially and temporally constant in these models but is certainly not spatially constant in the real world, this would imply that the current generation of coupled climate models fail to simulate a key process determining the location where old waters, poor in anthropogenic carbon but rich in nutrients, come into the surface layers.</p> <p>Previous work done in our group suggests that the upwelling branch cannot be broadly distributed over the tropical oceans, as this would produce unrealistic distributions of radiocarbon. However, a number of new ideas about how localized mixing may be generated have recently been published. Additionally, the WOCE hydrographic program has made available new measurements of mantle 3He. Emanating from the mid-ocean ridges, mantle 3He is an almost ideal tracer for determining whether deep water has recently come into contact with the atmosphere (in contrast to radiocarbon, which because of its long equilibration time may come to the surface and be reinjected to depth without being reset).</p> <p>We propose to develop a suite of simulations that use localized mixing to close the global overturning, and then to use mantle 3He, radiocarbon and nutrient tracers to examine whether these simulations produce tracer distributions that are more realistic or less realistic than those associated with the Southern Ocean-dominated circulations produced by the IPCC AR4 simulation. This will involve a combination of initial scoping studies done at low resolution to evaluate how large enhanced localized mixing needs to be in order to alter the circulation and higher resolution studies in the oceanic components of global coupled climate models as well as within the global coupled models themselves. These runs will focus on locations where high levels of mixing have been postulated, including the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the northwest Pacific, and the Indian Ocean, and regions where parametric subharmonic instability is thought to occur. Additionally a new 3He dataset will be synthesized by combining WOCE data with observations obtained from non-WOCE programs and hydrographic campaigns. This dataset will be made available to the community and used to estimate pathways of upwelling and the extent to which deep waters serve as source waters for water lying at the base of the pycnocline. The protocol for running mantle 3He, developed during the Ocean Carbon Model Intercomparison Project (OCMIP2) will be updated to reflect the new dataset.</p> OCB-034 http://www.us-ocb.org/projects/Sarmiento_DOE.doc 82 Southern Ocean Climate Process and Modeling Team Southern Ocean Climate Process and Modeling Team <h4>from www.us-ocb.org</h4> Climate models are not systematically evaluated against the circulation of the Southern Ocean. This has resulted in IPCC models exhibiting huge ranges in quantities such as the transport of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC ~0 to 350 Sv; 1 Sverdrup = 106 m3 s-1) and the rate at which dense waters are transformed to light waters within the Southern Ocean (0 to16 Sv). Unfortunately, published observations of such quantities differ widely as well, making it difficult for modeling groups to know what to aim for in terms of reasonable circulation. This is worrisome because the Southern Ocean is the primary sink for anthropogenic carbon dioxide and plays a central role in the long-term control of the ---natural--- carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere, with Southern Ocean water mass transformation, which brings old deep water into the upper ocean, playing a disproportionate role in both of these as well as on the magnitude of global biological production. The goal of this Climate Process Team is to evaluate the impact of biases of Southern Ocean circulation on the carbon cycle and to understand the causes for the biases. This will involve: 1. developing and analyzing a wide suite of diagnostics of Southern Ocean circulation to come up with the best possible climatology for the circulation; and 2. evaluating the relative impacts of winds, buoyancy forcing, mixing, and physical and biogeochemical model formulation on those aspects of Southern Ocean ventilation and biogeochemistry most important for the carbon cycle. This will require a combination of theoretical studies and model sensitivity studies. SO-CPT http://www.us-ocb.org/projects/Sarmiento_NOAA.doc 83 Application of novel satellite carbon biomass to develop ecosystem models capable of predicting climate change Application of novel satellite carbon biomass to develop ecosystem models capable of predicting climate change <h4>from the NASA abstract</h4> <p>Ocean ecosystem models are actively being developed to predict the biological response to and impact on climate change through their influence on the atmosphere-ocean distribution of CO2. Up to now, NASA--'s satellite-derived observations of chlorophyll have been the most relevant global data set available for the development, evaluation, and retooling of such models. However, the variable of greatest importance to the global carbon cycle and its impact on climate is the carbon biomass of phytoplankton, not chlorophyll concentration. Consequently, interpreting the discrepancies between simulations and observations is confounded by the fact that the relationship between chlorophyll and carbon biomass is not well understood. A solution to this problem has been found. Through recent advances in ocean color data analysis it is now possible to simultaneously retrieve global distributions of phytoplankton carbon biomass and chlorophyll concentration (Behrenfeld et al., 2004, in press, attached). Based on this new data set, we propose to do the following: (1) Convert the new datasets into a form that would be useful to us and others in the field by constructing global 8-day and monthly datasets of carbon biomass and chlorophyll-to-carbon ratio (Chl:C), as well as additional variables that can be derived from these datasets including phytoplankton growth rate, mixed layer net primary production, and mixed layer loss. (2) Use the resulting global carbon biomass dataset to (a) directly compare observations with model predictions of phytoplankton biomass and growth rate, and to (b) improve our existing ecosystem models and (c) develop a new generation of ''inductive'' models that will be based on the biomass and chlorophyll observations. (3) In collaboration with our colleagues at NOAA--'s Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Lab (GFDL), deploy our ecosystem models in coupled atmosphere-ocean global circulation climate models (AOGCMs). Run concurrently in AOGCMs, independent carbon biomass-based ecosystem models will make it possible to predict future climate change better than has been possible so far. Based on our previous experience with ecosystem models and our analyses of preliminary carbon biomass estimates, we expect that the response of our new models to global warming will be significantly different from our existing models.</p> OCB-001 http://map.nasa.gov/abstracts/sarmiento.html 84 Stoichiometry of Oceanic Remineralization by Non-Linear Global Optimization on an Improved Data Set Stoichiometry of Oceanic Remineralization by Non-Linear Global Optimization on an Improved Data Set <h4>from the NSF proposal abstract</h4> Remineralization ratios represent the average stoichiometric relationships of elements released by decomposition of sinking particles as they fall thought the water column to the ocean floor. In theory, these ratios are similar, on appropriate temporal and spatial scales, to the ratios in which elements are taken up by phytoplankton. These ratios are often used in biogeochemical modeling and they permit linking the different cycles through simple proportionality. Although variations in the ratio in space or time can have large-scale oceanic impact, current consensus suggests that remineralization ratios are relatively constant in the deep ocean, but that significant variations exist in the more dynamic upper layers. If one is to correctly predict the impacts of iron fertilization, to measure the efficiency of the organic carbon pump, or to investigate the effects of climate change on oceanic biogeochemical cycles, and so make claims about the significance of these processes on anthropogenically relevant scales (decades), an accurate global depiction of organic matter remineralization is required. Researchers from Princeton University propose to carry out a global investigation of the pattern of water column remineralization of carbon, alkalinity, oxygen and the major nutrients (nitrate, phosphate, silicate) using a newly developed mathematical estimation scheme and the Global Ocean Data Analysis Project (GLODAP) data set. Using a newly developed method to solve a coupled system of equation describing mixing of multiple water masses and remineralization of particulate matter into dissolved nutrients, they can simultaneously solve for the water mass fractions and each remineralization ratio, without assuming ratio constancy, and propagate uncertainties in water mass characterization using a geographic Monte-Carlo approach. OCB-036 http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0727170 2007-09-01T00:00:01 2010-08-31T23:59:59 85 Ocean circulation, oxygen and nutrient cycles during the last glacial Ocean circulation, oxygen and nutrient cycles during the last glacial <h4>from mgg.coas.oregonstate.edu</h4> The correlation between glacial Indian and Pacific Ocean sediments that document oxygen minimum zones and abrupt changes in the glacial North Atlantic climate on millennial time scales is among the most spectacular manifestations of global climate teleconnections. Nitrogen isotope ratios in organic matter provide a window into changes in the ocean's oxygen minimum zones, because they respond to denitrification. We will address the dynamics of oxygen minimum zones in global climate change by embedding a model of nitrogen isotope δ15N cycling in an existing coupled ocean-atmosphere-sea ice model of intermediate complexity that includes biogeochemistry, and is capable of multi-millennial runs. Simulations with this model and comparison with the marine geological record will provide new and important insights on mechanisms controlling past changes in ocean circulation, productivity, oxygen and nutrient cycling. OCB-037 http://mgg.coas.oregonstate.edu/~andreas/Nitrogen/index.html 86 Remote sensing of Southern Ocean air-sea CO2 fluxes Remote sensing of Southern Ocean air-sea CO2 fluxes <h4>from www.us-ocb.org</h4> <p>The Southern Ocean represents a vast gap in our understanding of global air-sea CO2 fluxes. We propose a data synthesis effort, incorporating model-generated transport fields, to provide satellite-based maps of pCO2 with superior spatial and temporal coverage compared to the current climatologies produced by interpolation of sparse in situ observations. These maps, combined with satellite measurements of wind speed and an improved understanding of the gas transfer velocity, will serve two important purposes: (1) they will significantly improve our estimates of regional and total CO2 fluxes, and (2) they will serve as a validation products for current and future models of Southern Ocean biogeochemistry.</p> <p>Our approach consists of four steps: 1. Objective identification of provinces. Given the vast area and diverse sub-regions, predictions of pCO2 will be more accurate if we develop a suite of regional (and perhaps seasonal) algorithms rather than one algorithm for the entire Southern Ocean. Satellite measurements of SST, chlorophyll, wind stress and sea surface height can be used to determine regions of the ocean that are similar with respect to their physics and biology via a self-organizing map (SOM) analysis [Grant et al., 2006; Saraceno et al., 2006]. 2. Develop regional algorithms for pCO2. Using a large and growing database made available to us by Taro Takahashi, we will use techniques such as multiple linear regressions applied in biogeochemical regimes defined by the SOM analyses to relate pCO2 to remotely observable parameters such as SST, chlorophyll and sea surface height. Currently funded work has already achieved significant success towards this goal for coastal Oregon and the entire US west coast. 3. Develop improved, model-based interpolation schemes for sparse data. While the MLR/SOM approach has shown promise, it is purely empirical and lacks clear mechanistic underpinnings. Simple relationships between instantaneous observations of pCO2 and remotely observable parameters are often elusive because pCO2 is strongly controlled by the history of heating/cooling, mixing, gas exchange, and biological activity experienced by a water mass, as opposed to these parameters--' current values. By incorporating the sparse observations with model-generated surface flow fields and remote sensing data, we can parameterize the historical forcing experienced by any water mass with observed pCO2. These history-parameterizations and pCO2 observations can be used for further algorithm development, which can then be applied to any location with remote sensing data and modeled flow-fields to predict pCO2 distributions at greatly improved spatial and temporal resolution. 4. Calculation of air-sea CO2 fluxes. Maps of Southern Ocean pCO2 produced by application of these algorithms can be combined with satellite winds to calculate the air-sea CO2 flux. Southern Ocean GasEx is specifically aimed at improved parameterizations of the gas transfer velocity as a function of wind speed for the Southern Ocean. This enhanced understanding, combined with significantly improved maps of pCO2 will provide calculations of Southern Ocean CO2 fluxes with unprecedented accuracy and coverage.</p> OCB-038 http://www.us-ocb.org/projects/strutton_southern_ocean_carbon_abstract.doc 87 Improved observations and understanding of northeast Pacific coastal CO2 fluxes Improved observations and understanding of northeast Pacific coastal CO2 fluxes <h4>from the NSF proposal abstract</h4> <p>Arguments have been made for the global coastal ocean being either a source or a sink of CO2 with the atmosphere to the tune of ~1 petagram C per year. The uncertainty is the result of strong coastal ocean variability at a range of temporal and spatial scales, and a lack of adequate data coverage in both time and space to constrain this variability. For instance, in the northeast Pacific, recent data compilations show that high latitude regions possibly constitute a strong sink for atmospheric CO2, while mid-latitude regions are close to neutral and low latitude regions may produce a large source. To improve the accuracy of the CO2 exchange estimates requires the collection of new data in targeted regions of poor data coverage where fluxes are potentially important, coupled with observations of physical and bio-optical parameters to facilitate data interpretation and the development of data proxies for surface ocean CO2 concentration.</p> <p>In this research, PIs from Oregon State University will focus on the North American Pacific coast from Oregon to Alaska potentially a strong sink region, but one with extremely poor data density. Hosted on vessels and moorings of opportunity, they will conduct cruises in this targeted region of few observations with a view to capturing the seasonal cycle of air-sea CO2 flux. The spatial and temporal patterns in the CO2 data will be interpreted in the context of in situ and satellite physical and bio-optical data. The new data will be used to recalculate the total North American, west coast, air-sea CO2 flux, and be incorporated into an existing database for satellite algorithm development. Accurate estimates and a better understanding of northeast Pacific coastal fluxes are also important because these waters pre-condition the CO2 chemistry of air masses flowing onto the continent, thus impacting estimates of terrestrial carbon cycling.</p> OCB-039 http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0752576 2008-04-01T00:00:01 2011-03-31T23:59:59 88 Quantifying and understanding the impacts of large-scale climate variability on the global carbon cycle Quantifying and understanding the impacts of large-scale climate variability on the global carbon cycle OCB-040 http://eospso.gsfc.nasa.gov/directory/get_team_members.php?prog_id=IDS/03-0000-0193&cat_id=11 89 A study of the sensitivity of Sub-Antarctic Zone waters to global change A study of the sensitivity of Sub-Antarctic Zone waters to global change <h4>from www.cmar.csiro.au</h4> <p>SAZ-SENSE is a study of the sensitivity of Sub-Antarctic Zone waters to global change. A 32-day oceanographic voyage onboard Australia--'s ice-breaker Aurora Australis was undertaken in mid-summer (Jan 17 - Feb. 20) 2007 to examine microbial ecosystem structure and biogeochemical processes in SAZ waters west and east of Tasmania, and also in the Polar Frontal Zone south of the SAZ.</p> <p>The voyage brought together research teams from Australasia, Europe, and North America, and was led by the ACE CRC, CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, and the Australian Antarctic Division.</p> <p>The overall goal is to understand the controls on Sub-Antarctic Zone productivity and carbon cycling, and to assess their sensitivity to climate change. The strategy is to compare low productivity waters west of Tasmania (areas with little phytoplankton) with higher productivity waters to the east, with a focus on the role of iron as a limiting micro-nutrient. The study also seeks to examine the effect of rising CO2 levels on phytoplankton - both via regional intercomparisons and incubation experiments.</p> SAZ-SENSE http://www.cmar.csiro.au/datacentre/saz-sense/ 90 Australian Integrated Marine Observing System Facility-Southern Ocean Time Series Australian Integrated Marine Observing System Facility-Southern Ocean Time Series <h4>from www.imos.org.au/sots.html</h4> <p>Moored instruments will be deployed for time-series observations of physical, biological, and chemical properties, in the Sub-Antarctic Zone southwest of Tasmania , with twice-yearly servicing. These time-series observations are crucial to resolving ecosystem processes that affect carbon cycling, ocean productivity and marine responses to climate variability and change, ocean acidification and other stresses. It will be one of only 29 high temporal resolution sites identified globally and 1 of 3 proposed for the Southern Ocean.</p> IMOS-SOTS http://imos.org.au/sots.html 91 The control of photosynthetic quantum yield of phytoplankton by light intensity an diapycnal nutrient flux The control of photosynthetic quantum yield of phytoplankton by light intensity an diapycnal nutrient flux <h4>from the NSF proposal abstract</h4> Primary production in the ocean is probably the least known part of the ocean's carbon cycle. One reason that primary production is little known is the lack of understanding of the geographical and temporal variability in phytoplankton physiology. For example it is only recently that the importance has been revealed, of the so-called photoprotectant pigments, pigments that, in effect, shield the photosynthetic apparatus from too much sunlight. This project will investigate the geographic and temporal variability of a fundamental property of oceanic photosynthesis: the quantum yield, or the ratio of the available light to the amount of carbon fixed in photosynthesis. The PIs propose an hypothesis based on earlier measurements, that in the lower parts of the euphotic zone in the stratified ocean, the upward flux of nutrients regulates the value of the quantum yield, while in the upper parts, irradiance governs its value, through the pigment composition of the phytoplankton. This hypothesis will be tested by making estimates of the quantum yield's maximum value through very careful and comprehensive measurements of the bio-optical properties and species composition of the phytoplankton, as well as the submarine light environment, hydrography, and nutrients. These measurements will be along both temporal and spatial gradients in the ocean to create the basis for environmental regulation of quantum yield. These measurements will be used to establish precisely how the maximum value of the quantum yield is regulated by solar flux and plant nutrients. This research provides a mechanism to understand how the processes of nutrient supply and light affect the physiology of natural populations of phytoplankton, a long-standing problem in biological oceanography. It also provides a means for improving the modeling primary productivity, including estimating productivity in the global ocean from space. OCB-043 http://nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0550725 2006-08-01T00:00:01 2010-07-31T23:59:59 92 Seasonal to decadal variations of the oceanic pCO2 and air-sea flux of CO2 in the equatorial Pacific Seasonal to decadal variations of the oceanic pCO2 and air-sea flux of CO2 in the equatorial Pacific <h4>from www.us-ocb.org</h4> <p>The equatorial Pacific plays an important role in the global carbon cycle and climate change because it is the largest natural source of carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere, contributing ~70% of interannual variability of atmospheric pCO2. The oceanic pCO2 data from the past two decades indicate significant seasonal-to-decadal variations, and the size of the equatorial Pacific source is significantly influenced by El Niño and La Niña events. There is nearly-continuous record of high-quality ocean color data from SeaWiFS going back to 1997. In the more recent years, combined use of SeaWiFS and MODIS data yields improved coverage and data quality. These satellite observations provide better understanding of the oceanic ---biological pump---. These remote sensing observations together with the in situ data are ready to be incorporated into carbon cycle modeling study.</p> <p>The research proposed here will focus on the magnitude, spatial patterns, seasonal-to-decadal variability in the air-sea exchange of CO2 in the equatorial Pacific. The idea behind the proposed work is to take advantage of the wide range of in situ and remote sensing products to delivery best estimates of the magnitudes and distribution of carbon source of the Equatorial Pacific on seasonal to decadal time scales. The objectives of this project are: (1) to investigate the sensitivity of carbon fluxes to gas transfer algorithms and atmospheric pCO2; (2) to study how the wind forcing regulates the spatial and temporal variability of biogeochemical processes and carbon cycle; and (3) to determine the size of the carbon source of the equatorial Pacific, its seasonal to decadal variability. </p> OCB-044 http://www.us-ocb.org/projects/Wang_seasonal.doc 93 Reducing the global carbon cycle uncertainties: Understanding the tropical ocean-atmosphere CO2 fluxes Reducing the global carbon cycle uncertainties: Understanding the tropical ocean-atmosphere CO2 fluxes <h4>from www.us-ocb.org</h4> <p>The tropical oceans play a very important role in the global carbon cycle and climate because they are the dominant natural oceanic source of CO2 to the atmosphere. Global carbon cycle modeling studies indicate that the tropical oceans contribute the largest fraction of the interannual variability of the global ocean-atmosphere CO2 flux. However, there are considerable discrepancies among different approaches (e.g., observations, ocean carbon models and inverse models), and large uncertainties in the estimates of the CO2 fluxes at basin scales. Here, we propose a combined study employing satellite data and validated regional biogeochemical models to address a number of key issues leading to a better understanding of the large-scale temporal and spatial variability of carbon fluxes in the tropical oceans, aiming to reduce major uncertainties in the global carbon cycle. In particular, we seek to answer: what are the impacts of climate induced biogeochemical changes on the carbon fluxes between the upper ocean and deep ocean, and between the tropical oceans and the atmosphere?</p> <p>There have been extensive and growing databases of remotely sensed and in situ biogeochemical measurements, including chlorophyll and particulate organic carbon (POC). We will use these data for model validations and improvements. The major objectives of the proposed studies are to determine the size and variability of the CO2 source of the tropical oceans at decadal and longer time scales. We will undertake a series of studies to investigate: (1) impacts of iron-silica interaction and co-limitation on the spatial and temporal variability of the sea surface pCO2, and sea-air CO2 fluxes, (2) the impacts of C:N and C:Chl ratio variability on the tropical oceanic carbon cycle, including primary productivity and export production, (3) how past and present climate variability and change regulate the spatial and temporal variability of the sea surface pCO2, and sea-air CO2 fluxes in each ocean basin, (4) impact of physical-biological feedback on the ocean carbon cycle, and (5) the uncertainties in estimates of the tropical oceanic CO2 source, resulting from different wind products and gas exchange formulations.</p> OCB-045 http://www.us-ocb.org/projects/Wang_uncertainty.doc 94 Decadal Changes in the Equatorial Pacific Planktonic Ecosystem Structure and Functioning Decadal Changes in the Equatorial Pacific Planktonic Ecosystem Structure and Functioning <h3>Decadal Changes in the Equatorial Pacific Planktonic Ecosystem Structure and Functioning: Impact of Climate Conditions</h3> <h4>from www.us-ocb.org</h4> <p>The equatorial Pacific Ocean plays a very important role in the global carbon cycle and climate in two aspects. Firstly, it is the largest natural oceanic source of CO2 to the atmosphere, and responsible for the interannual variability of the global ocean-atmosphere CO2 fluxes. Secondly, the equatorial Pacific Ocean has the direct linkage to climate variability such as the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). The efforts to understand the causes and consequences of ENSO have greatly expended in the past few years due to numerous studies of the interannual variability in the equatorial Pacific Ocean circulation, ecosystem and biogeochemical processes. Observational studies have identified two possible regime shifts in physical processes around 1976/77 and 1998/99, due to substantial changes of the shallow meridional overturning circulation, the Pacific Subtropical Cells (STC) that link the subtropical subduction and tropical upwelling in the Pacific. However, little is known about their impacts on the equatorial Pacific biogeochemistry, and decadal and interdecadal changes in the equatorial Pacific ecosystem structure and functioning. Here, we propose a combined study employing in situ and satellite data, and an advanced dynamic ecosystem model to answer two important scientific questions: (1) do the recharge-discharge processes associated with STC constructs offer a unifying mechanism for physical-biogeochemical interactions at decadal and longer time-scales in the equatorial Pacific? (2) are there significant decadal to inter-decadal changes, e.g., regime shifts, in ecosystem structure and productivity associated with the 1976/77 and 1998/99 phase shifts?</p> <p>There have been extensive and growing databases of remotely sensed and in situ biogeochemical measurements, including chlorophyll and optical properties, which can be integrated with modeling studies. Our approach includes two major parts: (1) the use of in situ and satellite-based ocean color and associated data products for model calibration and validation, and (2) the analyses of modeled biological parameters during the period of 1950-2008. The objectives of the proposed study are to (1) to study how decadal to interdecadal variability of the physical processes regulate the biogeochemical processes, particularly nutrient transportation; (2) to study how past and present climate variability and change regulate the spatial distribution and temporal variability in the marine ecosystem structure (e.g., phytoplankton vs. zooplankton, and large cells vs. small cells); (3) to determine the magnitude of the regional primary and secondary productivity for the past 50 years, and the impacts of the marine ecosystem dynamics; and (4) to compare key biological parameters among three periods: 1950-1976, 1980-1996, and 1998-2008, and to determine if there are systematic shifts.</p> OCB-046 http://www.us-ocb.org/projects/Decadal_Wang.doc 95 Early detection of ocean acidification effects on marine calcification and deep-sea carbonate dissolution Early detection of ocean acidification effects on marine calcification and deep-sea carbonate dissolution <h4>from the NSF proposal abstract</h4> <p>Over the past 200 years, the ocean has taken up roughly 50% of the carbon dioxide (CO2) released into the atmosphere by mankind. As CO2 invades the ocean, the seawater becomes less alkaline and the pH drops, a process termed ?ocean acidification?. Concurrently, the saturation state of seawater with respect to carbonate minerals such as calcite and aragonite falls, which is likely to impact calcification rates in many calcareous organisms on a short time scale. On longer time scales, anthropogenic CO2 will also impact the benthic environment, as a significant fraction of the CO2 will react with CaCO3 in deep-sea sediments and be neutralized to bicarbonate ions (fossil fuel neutralization). These consequences of ocean acidification are critical for the future of marine ecosystems as well as for the fate of natural carbon sinks, the latter being vital to predicting future atmospheric CO2 levels. While effects on calcifying organisms have been observed in laboratory and mesocosm experiments, the ecosystem response on a global scale is hitherto unknown. Similar uncertainties exist regarding large-scale rates of deep-sea carbonate dissolution. Fortunately, both of these processes can be detected and quantified via their effect on ocean chemistry: production and dissolution of CaCO3 change the total alkalinity of seawater.</p> <p>In this project, researchers at the University of Hawaii will employ a synthesis of modeling and ocean chemistry data in order to address the following questions: (1) Does ocean acidification lead to a decline in marine calcification on a global scale, and if so, what is the magnitude and time scale of the decline? (2) What is the rate of fossil fuel neutralization by large-scale carbonate dissolution in deep-sea sediments? They will use the 3-D global biogeochemical ocean model HAMOCC (which includes a detailed sediment module) to forecast changes in alkalinity due different scenarios of changes in surface calcification and rates of deep-sea carbonate dissolution. The outcome will be compared to changes in ocean chemistry derived from data of repeat hydrographic surveys. For a given scenario, they will calculate the location and time at which transient changes in total alkalinity will exceed the natural variability and identify target regions for future ocean chemistry programs that are critical for computing the exact magnitude of acidification effects from field data. They will then be able to design a tool for early detection of large-scale effects of ocean acidification observable in the field and to project the future role of deep-sea carbonate dissolution during the coming millennia.</p> OCB-047 http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0751959 2008-03-01T00:00:01 2011-02-31T23:59:59 96 New Production During Winter Convective Mixing Events New Production During Winter Convective Mixing Events New Production During Winter Convective Mixing Events: A Missing Component of Current Estimates<br><br> Daily biogeochemical data collected during winter convection in the Sargasso Sea.<br><br> Photosynthetic uptake of CO2 by oceanic phytoplankton and the export of the resulting<br> organic carbon to the deep sea comprise a --'biological pump--' (Volk and Hoffert, 1985),<br> capable of extracting globally significant amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere.<br> As a consequence, it is important from the perspective of the global carbon cycle<br> to understand both the present efficiency and the main controlling mechanisms of<br> this important carbon pathway. In the open ocean the biological pump is driven by<br> new production of organic matter (production supported by externally supplied<br> nutrients) and export of that organic matter to depth. Many methods have been<br> employed to estimate new production, with varying degrees of agreement.<br> In the Sargasso Sea, for example, geochemical estimates of new production largely<br> exclude the winter mixing period (because their fundamental assumption are valid<br> only during stratified periods). Biological methods suggest that the pre-stratification<br> period can be as important, in terms of new production, as the remainder of the year.<br> Those biological estimates are poorly constrained and based on sparse data. Because<br> of the enormous spatial extent of subtropical gyres similar to the Sargasso Sea,<br> uncertainty in the rate of new production and organic matter export in those systems<br> leads to large uncertainty in biologically-driven carbon fluxes at the global-scale.<br> <br> Short-term stochastic events are increasingly recognized as beingdisproportionately<br> important for biogeochemical cycling and carbon storage in the ocean. Recent data<br> suggest that in the Sargasso Sea, the passage of weather fronts leads to increased<br> new production during the winter mixing period. We hypothesize that these events<br> lead to enhanced NO3--- input, followed by a rapid biological response and accumulation<br> of biomass, and an equally rapid export of that biomass. This rapid export may be<br> systematically missed by the 3-4 day particle trap deployments of the Bermuda Atlantic<br> Time-series Study (BATS) because they are hypothesized to happen during or immediately<br> after the passage of frontal systems, when the vessel used for the BATS sampling program<br> does not leave port. Such events have, however, been captured as increases in the<br> fluorometer traces at the Bermuda Testbed Mooring (BTM) and increases in organic carbon<br> flux in the continuous Ocean Flux Program (OFP) sediment traps, both of which are deployed<br> in the Sargasso Sea near Bermuda.<br> <br> We propose a process-oriented study of new production and its control during the period<br> before formation of the seasonal thermocline in the BATS/BTM/OFP region near Bermuda.<br> This study will be conducted during two 30-day cruises (one in 2004 and one in 2005)<br> during the winter mixing period when the passage of these fronts is most common and<br> when few data are available to constrain new production estimates. It will be crucial<br> for this study to sample from a fully weather-capable research vessel, which can stay<br> out and continue operations through most winter storms. We will use direct measurements<br> of NO3--- entrainment, NO3--- uptake, phytoplankton community structure change, and dissolved<br> and particulate organic matter export to elucidate the linkages between new production<br> and export production as well as determine the main biological responses to short-term<br> physical forcing. Particular emphasis will be placed on biogeochemically critical<br> phytoplankton groups such as diatoms and coccolithophorids, which can exploit transiently<br> favorable conditions of the kind we hypothesize to occur in late winter/early spring<br> and which play a disproportionately large role in organic-matter export in many systems.<br> <br> An understanding of ocean function is no longer important just to practicing ocean<br> scientists. This project will provide information critical for biogeochemical modelers<br> seeking to constrain future predictions of changes in the oceanic biological pump, and<br> will also provide information of interest to students, teachers and the general public.<br> If in fact a significant, and previously unmeasured, amount of new production occurs in<br> subtropical gyres during the winter mixing period, then biological processes in the central<br> oceans play a greater role in the global carbon cycle ¬¬--- including regulation of atmospheric<br> CO2 --- than we recognize at present. Regardless of whether or not our study shows that<br> this is the case, we will explain the results and their implications to graduate and<br> undergraduate courses through the teaching programs at BBSR and OSU, to high-school and<br> elementary-school teachers through a targeted teacher-training program at BBSR and to<br> the broader public in seminars and other public presentations.<br> <br><br> <h3>Related files</h3> <a href=http://data.bco-dmo.org/NewProduction/NP_Cruise_report_Oceanus399-03.pdf>OC399-3 Cruise Report</a> <br /> <a href=http://data.bco-dmo.org/NewProduction/NP_Cruise_report_Oceanus408-1and2.pdf>OC408-1,2 Cruise Report</a> <br /></p><br><br> <b>References:</b><br> <i>Detailed information on phytoplankton analysis.</i><br> Lomas, M.W., Roberts, N., Lipschultz, F., Krause, J.W., Nelson, D.M., and Bates, N.R. 2009.<br> Biogeochemical responses to late-winter storms in the Sargasso Sea. IV. Rapid succession of<br> major phytoplankton groups.<br> Deep Sea Research I, 56: 892-909.<br> doi:10.1016/j.dsr.2009.03.004<br> <br> <i>Detailed information on all silica cycle measurements.</i><br> Krause, J.W., Nelson, D.M., and Lomas, M.W. 2009. Biogeochemical responses to late-winter<br> storms in the Sargasso Sea. 2009. II. Increased rates of biogenic silica production and export.<br> Deep Sea Research I, 56: 861-875.<br> doi:10.1016/j.dsr.2009.01.002<br> <br> Maiti, K., Benitez-Nelson, C.R., Lomas, M.W., and Krause, J. W. 2009. Biogeochemical responses<br> to late-winter storms in the Sargasso Sea. IV. Comparison of Export Production by 234Th and<br> Sediment Traps.<br> Deep Sea Research I, 56: 875-892.<br> doi:10.1016/j.dsr.2009.01.008<br> <br> <i>Detailed information on general biogeochemical measurements.</i><br> Lomas, M.W., Lipschultz, F., Nelson, D.M., and Bates, N.R. 2009. Biogeochemical responses<br> to late-winter storms in the Sargasso Sea. I. Pulses of new and primary production.<br> Deep Sea Research I, 56: 843-861.<br> doi:10.1016/j.dsr.2008.09.002<br> <br> NP http://www.bios.edu/Labs/pel/Research%20Pages/Research_NP.html http://bcodata.whoi.edu/images/logos/logo_Lomas_NP.jpg http://bcodata.whoi.edu/images/logos/logo_Lomas_NP_sm.jpg 2003-09-01T00:00:01 2007-09-31T23:59:59 97 Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education <h3>Project summary</h3> <p> &nbsp; The <strong>Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education</strong> (C-MORE) is a recently established (August 2006; NSF award: EF-0424599) NSF-sponsored Science and Technology Center designed to facilitate a more comprehensive understanding of the diverse assemblages of microorganisms in the sea, ranging from the genetic basis of marine microbial biogeochemistry including the metabolic regulation and environmental controls of gene expression, to the processes that underpin the fluxes of carbon, related bioelements and energy in the marine environment. Stated holistically, C-MORE--'s primary mission is: <em>Linking Genomes to Biomes</em>.</p> <p> ¬  We believe that the time is right to address several major, long-standing questions in microbial oceanography. Recent advances in the application of molecular techniques have provided an unprecedented view of the structure, diversity and possible function of sea microbes. By combining these and other novel approaches with more well-established techniques in microbiology, oceanography and ecology, it may be possible to develop a meaningful predictive understanding of the ocean with respect to energy transduction, carbon sequestration, bioelement cycling and the probable response of marine ecosystems to global environmental variability and climate change. The strength of C-MORE resides in the synergy created by bringing together experts who traditionally have not worked together and this, in turn, will facilitate the creation and dissemination of new knowledge on the role of marine microbes in global habitability.</p> <p> ¬  The new Center will design and conduct novel research, broker partnerships, increase diversity of human resources, implement education and outreach programs, and utilize comprehensive information about microbial life in the sea. The Center will bring together teams of scientists, educators and community members who otherwise do not have an opportunity to communicate, collaborate or design creative solutions to long-term ecosystem scale problems. The Center--'s research will be organized around four interconnected themes: </p> <ul> <li>(Theme I) microbial biodiversity, </li> <li>(Theme II) metabolism and C-N-P-energy flow, </li> <li>(Theme III) remote and continuous sensing and links to climate variability, and </li> <li>(Theme IV) ecosystem modeling, simulation and prediction. </li> </ul> <p> &nbsp; Each theme will have a leader to help coordinate the research programs and to facilitate interactions among the other related themes. The education programs will focus on pre-college curriculum enhancements, in service teacher training and formal undergraduate/graduate and post-doctoral programs to prepare the next generation of microbial oceanographers. The Center will establish and maintain creative outreach programs to help diffuse the new knowledge gained into society at large including policymakers. The Center--'s activities will be dispersed among five partner institutions:</p> <ul> <li>Massachusetts Institute of Technology,</li> <li>Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, </li> <li>Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, </li> <li>University of California at Santa Cruz and</li> <li>Oregon State University </li> </ul> <p>and will be coordinated at the University of Hawai--'i at Manoa.</p> <p> <h4>Related Files: </h4> <a href="http://bcodata.whoi.edu/C-MORE/C-MORE_SIP_ver_09-01-2008.pdf">Strategic plan (PDF file)</a> </p> C-MORE http://cmore.soest.hawaii.edu/ http://bcodata.whoi.edu/C-MORE/C-MORE_logo_500px.jpg http://bcodata.whoi.edu/C-MORE/C-MORE_logo_150px.jpg 2006-08-01T00:00:01 2016-07-31T23:59:59 98 ECOHAB Pacific Northwest ECOHAB Pacific Northwest ECOHAB-PNW is a 5-year multi-disciplinary project that will study the physiology, toxicology, ecology<br> and oceanography of toxic Pseudo-nitzschia species off the Pacific Northwest coast.<br> <br> This program studies the physiology, toxicology, ecology and oceanography of toxic Pseudo-nitzschia<br> species off the Pacific Northwest coast, a region in which both macro-nutrient supply and current<br> patterns are primarily controlled by seasonal coastal upwelling processes. Recent studies suggest<br> that the seasonal Juan de Fuca eddy, a nutrient rich retentive feature off the Washington coast<br> serves as a "bioreactor" for the growth of phytoplankton, including diatoms of the genus Pseudo-nitzschia.<br> Existing ship of opportunity data are consistent with the working hypothesis that the seasonal<br> Juan de Fuca eddy is an initiation site for toxic Pseudo-nitzschia that impact the Washington coast<br> and that upwelling sites adjacent to the coast are less likely to develop toxicity.<br> <br> The long-term program goal is to develop a mechanistic basis for forecasting toxic Pseudo-nitzschia<br> bloom development here and in other similar coastal regions in Eastern Boundary upwelling systems.<br> <br> Specific study objectives are:<br> - 1.To determine the physical/biological/chemical factors that make the Juan de Fuca eddy region more<br> viable for growth and sustenance of toxic Pseudo-nitzschia than the nearshore upwelling zone;<br> - 2. To determine the combination of environmental factors that regulate the production, accumulation,<br> and/or release of domoic acid (DA) from Pseudo-nitzschia cells in the field;<br> - 3. To determine possible transport pathways between DA initiation sites and shellfish beds on the nearby coast.<br> <br> The scientific operations of this study included obtaining multi-disciplinary data from a large scale grid,<br> sampling water properties while following a drifter, deployment of surface drifters, satellite imagery,<br> laboratory studies using water collected at selected sites, and numerical modeling of both the circulation<br> and chlorophyll concentration. Water samples included macronutrients, iron, particulate and dissolved domoic<br> acid, Pseudo-nitzschia species and numbers. Experiments were done to estimate growth and grazing rates.<br> Moored arrays were deployed to provide time series of currents and water properties from May to October,<br> each year from 2003-2006. Numerical modeling studies on a fine scale grid focused on the seasonal development<br> of the Juan de Fuca eddy and its change in structure during selected wind conditions. Conditions favorable<br> to release of phytoplankton from the eddy region were assessed.<br> <br> After four years of field work the research team is able to describe a possible sequence of events necessary<br> to ingestion of domoic acid by coastal shellfish:<br> (1) Plankton must become concentrated in the bloom source region. ECOHAB PNW studies suggest this requires<br> a period of downwelling-favorable or lightly fluctuating winds. <br> (2) Next the plankton must undergo stress sufficient to cause an increase in cellular toxin: in the Juan de Fuca<br> eddy region toxin can be found on any survey of the region in both early and late summer within a 21 day time scale.<br> (3) Patches of toxic plankton must then escape from the offshore source region. For the Juan de Fuca eddy region<br> escape is favored during upwelling-favorable wind conditions that allow the geostrophic constraint of the eddy<br> circulation pattern to be broken.<br> (4) The patch must move alongshore to sites with shellfish populations, and<br> (5) must retain its toxicity during the time period of transport. For a toxic source in the Juan de Fuca eddy<br> this requires southward advection across the shelf, as occurs during periods of upwelling-favorable winds in<br> summer and early fall. ECOHAB PNW studies show that toxin can be maintained in the 7-14 days required for<br> transport. For an Oregon source such as Heceta bank to impact the Washington shelf, this requires northward<br> advection across the shelf, as occurs during periods of downwelling-favorable winds in spring.<br> (6) Last, the toxic patch must move onshore to coastal beaches and/or estuaries, <br> (7) where it must remain there for a period sufficient for significant ingestion by shellfish.<br> <br> More information and a list of published papers to date (December 2008) are listed on the ECOHAB PNW web site (www.ecohabpnw.org).<br><br> <b>Cruises/Platforms:</b><br> Cruise = ECOHAB-PNW cruises, numbered sequentially from<br> Cruise_1 - Cruise_6 as ECOHAB_1 - ECOHAB_6.<br><br> Cruise_1=ECOHAB_1, R/V Wecoma, W0306A, June 2-23, 2003 <a href="http://bcodata.whoi.edu/ECOHAB_PNW/ECOHAB_Cruise1_Report.pdf">Cruise Report</a><br> Cruise_2=ECOHAB_2, R/V Wecoma, W0308C, August 30 - September 19, 2003 <a href="http://bcodata.whoi.edu/ECOHAB_PNW/ECOHAB_Cruise2_Report.pdf">Cruise Report</a><br> Cruise_3=ECOHAB_3, R/V Atlantis, AT11-17, September 8-28, 2004 <a href="http://bcodata.whoi.edu/ECOHAB_PNW/ECOHAB_Cruise3_Report.pdf">Cruise Report</a><br> Cruise_4=ECOHAB_4, R/V Atlantis, AT11-30, July 7-27,2005 <a href="http://bcodata.whoi.edu/ECOHAB_PNW/ECOHAB_Cruise4_Report.pdf">Cruise Report</a><br> Cruise_5=ECOHAB_5, R/V Melville, TUIM14MV, September 2-22, 2005 <a href="http://bcodata.whoi.edu/ECOHAB_PNW/ECOHAB_Cruise5_Report.pdf">Cruise Report</a><br> Cruise_6=ECOHAB_6, R/V Thomas G. Thompson, TN200, Sept. 11- Oct. 4, 2006 <a href="http://bcodata.whoi.edu/ECOHAB_PNW/ECOHAB_Cruise6_Report.pdf">Cruise Report</a><br> <br> ECOHAB/PNW http://www.ecohabpnw.org/ http://bcodata.whoi.edu/images/logos/logo_ECOHAB_PNW.jpg http://bcodata.whoi.edu/images/logos/logo_ECOHAB_PNW.jpg 2002-09-01T00:00:01 2009-11-31T23:59:59