Bates, Nicholas: Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (Project Lead)
Project Funding:
2010 - 2014
NRA: 2009 NASA: Ocean Biology and Biogeochemistry
Funded by NASA
Abstract:
Our proposed contribution to the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas (CBS) field and modeling program will comprise high-quality sampling of discrete water column dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and surface underway pCO2 and DIC observations. Our project is guided by two research hypotheses that address the impact of natural and anthropogenic factors such as sea-ice loss, shelf-basin physical dynamics, net phytoplankton primary production (PP) on the marine inorganic carbon cycle and air-sea CO2 fluxes. Combined with total alkalinity core measurements, this suite of biogeochemical variables offers a powerful means of addressing overarching central and project specific research questions and objectives posed by the program. Synthesis of inorganic carbon data, core hydrographic and rate measurement data and remotely sensed data products (i.e., surface temperature, ocean color, scatterometer, sea-ice distribution/thickness data, and sea-level anomaly) will be used as primary research tools for hypothesis testing that will yield new insights about the physical and biological controls and feedbacks for air-sea CO2 exchange and net phytoplankton PP/net community production (NCP) on the CBS shelves, adjacent Canada Basin and the broader pan-Arctic Ocean. 'Added value' research efforts address the impact of PP/NCP on subsurface carbon cycling, assessment of the impact of ocean acidification on the shelves, estimating the inventory of anthropogenic CO2, and assessing the time-varying nature of physical/biological controls on the carbon cycle and air-sea CO2 fluxes. We anticipate multiple collaborations with other groups (if funded) including Matrai et al. (eddy correlation of CO2 flux), phytoplankton biomass/rates [K. Arrigo; Balch et al.; V. Hill), and remote sensing/model development groups.
Publications:
Bates, N. R., Garley, R., Frey, K. E., Shake, K. L., Mathis, J. T. 2014. Sea-ice melt CO<sub>2</sub>-carbonate chemistry in the western Arctic Ocean: meltwater contributions to air-sea CO<sub>2</sub> gas exchange, mixed-layer properties and rates of net community production under sea ice. Biogeosciences. 11(23), 6769-6789. DOI: 10.5194/bg-11-6769-2014
Bates, N. R., Orchowska, M. I., Garley, R., Mathis, J. T. 2013. Summertime calcium carbonate undersaturation in shelf waters of the western Arctic Ocean - how biological processes exacerbate the impact of ocean acidification. Biogeosciences. 10(8), 5281-5309. DOI: 10.5194/bg-10-5281-2013
More details may be found in the following project profile(s):
