Southern Ocean productivity and carbon dioxide (CO2) exchange under current and future climate regimes. This project will contribute to Australian ocean science expertise in key areas of data synthesis, satellite oceanography and the understanding of marine ecosystems' response to climate change. Collaborations will be developed and strengthened among Australian research institutions, and between Australia and the United States. The focus of the research is the Southern Ocean, which impacts glob ....Southern Ocean productivity and carbon dioxide (CO2) exchange under current and future climate regimes. This project will contribute to Australian ocean science expertise in key areas of data synthesis, satellite oceanography and the understanding of marine ecosystems' response to climate change. Collaborations will be developed and strengthened among Australian research institutions, and between Australia and the United States. The focus of the research is the Southern Ocean, which impacts global climate, and on which Australia's southern coastal ecosystems depend. The expertise and techniques developed will have application to other Australian regional seas.Read moreRead less
Eddies: The key to understanding Southern Ocean carbon cycling. This project plans to observe an eddy in the Southern Ocean for three weeks, to understand how its circulation affects ocean productivity and the exchange of carbon dioxide between the ocean and atmosphere. Ocean eddies are like small high and low pressure weather systems which spin either clockwise or anticlockwise, are about 100–200 kilometres across and several hundred metres deep. Eddies are important because they generate verti ....Eddies: The key to understanding Southern Ocean carbon cycling. This project plans to observe an eddy in the Southern Ocean for three weeks, to understand how its circulation affects ocean productivity and the exchange of carbon dioxide between the ocean and atmosphere. Ocean eddies are like small high and low pressure weather systems which spin either clockwise or anticlockwise, are about 100–200 kilometres across and several hundred metres deep. Eddies are important because they generate vertical currents that move nutrients and carbon dioxide up and down. Expected project outcomes will include a better understanding of carbon cycling in an ocean region that is central to the climate of Australia and the rest of the planet.Read moreRead less
Dust to the ocean: Does it really increase productivity? This project aims to investigate the relationship between dust deposition and marine productivity. This project will quantify dust deposition to the ocean and its chemical and ecological impact by using new geochemical techniques and novel approaches with autonomous ocean sensors. Expected outcomes of this project include improved estimates of dust deposition to the ocean and the development of globally-applicable methods for quantifying t ....Dust to the ocean: Does it really increase productivity? This project aims to investigate the relationship between dust deposition and marine productivity. This project will quantify dust deposition to the ocean and its chemical and ecological impact by using new geochemical techniques and novel approaches with autonomous ocean sensors. Expected outcomes of this project include improved estimates of dust deposition to the ocean and the development of globally-applicable methods for quantifying the link between dust and biology using profiling floats. This should provide significant benefits such as improved dust models used to predict future changes in nutrient deposition, with implications for predicting future ocean fish production and carbon uptake.Read moreRead less
Iron in the Antarctic sea ice zone and its role in the past and future climate. The Antarctic sea ice environment has remained poorly investigated for decades as it is difficult to access. Recent scientific advances have revealed that melting sea ice may provide a significant amount of the plant micro-nutrient iron to the Southern Ocean. Given that polar waters are iron-deficient and seasonal sea ice affects ~14 million square kilometres of ocean, the importance of iron fertilisation from deca ....Iron in the Antarctic sea ice zone and its role in the past and future climate. The Antarctic sea ice environment has remained poorly investigated for decades as it is difficult to access. Recent scientific advances have revealed that melting sea ice may provide a significant amount of the plant micro-nutrient iron to the Southern Ocean. Given that polar waters are iron-deficient and seasonal sea ice affects ~14 million square kilometres of ocean, the importance of iron fertilisation from decaying sea ice and its effect on global climate urgently need to be evaluated. This proposal aims at improving our understanding of Earth's complex system, and will inform future climate change policy in Australia.
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Changes in the ocean's biological pump: innovative models and diagnostics. This Project aims to quantify how the ocean’s biological pump, which exports newly formed organic matter into the ocean interior, responds to environmental change. The biological pump is a key control on the global carbon and oxygen cycles, and hence on the viability of marine life. New, efficient numerical models will be developed and analysed with highly innovative mathematical methods. Expected outcomes are optimised .... Changes in the ocean's biological pump: innovative models and diagnostics. This Project aims to quantify how the ocean’s biological pump, which exports newly formed organic matter into the ocean interior, responds to environmental change. The biological pump is a key control on the global carbon and oxygen cycles, and hence on the viability of marine life. New, efficient numerical models will be developed and analysed with highly innovative mathematical methods. Expected outcomes are optimised predictive models and a new understanding of the possible future evolutions of the ocean carbon cycle, acidification, and oxygenation. This should provide significant benefits such as predictions of future ocean health, identification of processes that are sensitive to change, and strategies for marine resource management.Read moreRead less
How iron is cycled in Southern Ocean waters. This project aims to probe the Southern Ocean phytoplankton’s ability to take up and retain iron, using iron isotope tracer techniques. The Southern Ocean regulates Earth's climate, but the supply of iron to Southern Ocean surface waters is low, restricting the ability of phytoplankton to flourish and draw down carbon dioxide. The results are expected to reveal survival strategies of phytoplankton in this iron-poor environment and their potential abil ....How iron is cycled in Southern Ocean waters. This project aims to probe the Southern Ocean phytoplankton’s ability to take up and retain iron, using iron isotope tracer techniques. The Southern Ocean regulates Earth's climate, but the supply of iron to Southern Ocean surface waters is low, restricting the ability of phytoplankton to flourish and draw down carbon dioxide. The results are expected to reveal survival strategies of phytoplankton in this iron-poor environment and their potential ability to adapt to environmental change. This knowledge could be used to develop models to manage this climate-sensitive region.Read moreRead less
Hot iron: Are submarine volcanoes important for Southern Ocean iron supply? The scarcity of iron limits biological productivity and carbon uptake in the nutrient rich waters of the Southern Ocean. This project will explore for the first time the role of undersea "hot spot" volcanoes in supplying iron to surface waters, thus linking the solid earth and the biosphere. The project will measure iron abundance, reactivity and nutritional value in buoyant plumes emanating from vents near Heard/McDonal ....Hot iron: Are submarine volcanoes important for Southern Ocean iron supply? The scarcity of iron limits biological productivity and carbon uptake in the nutrient rich waters of the Southern Ocean. This project will explore for the first time the role of undersea "hot spot" volcanoes in supplying iron to surface waters, thus linking the solid earth and the biosphere. The project will measure iron abundance, reactivity and nutritional value in buoyant plumes emanating from vents near Heard/McDonald Islands, Australia's only active volcanoes. The project aims to estimate the hydrothermal contribution to regional biological productivity and extrapolate to the whole Southern Ocean. Successful outcomes will benefit Australia by identifying iron sources that govern productivity and carbon uptake of an economically important ecosystem.Read moreRead less
Deciphering strategies polar phytoplankton employ to lessen iron limitation. The Southern Ocean is of global importance. It comprises one-third of the global ocean by area and disproportionately absorbs two-thirds of anthropogenic ocean heat and half of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions even though phytoplankton in this region are chronically iron-limited. This project aims to understand why copper uptake by phytoplankton lessens the effects of iron limitation and how copper substitut ....Deciphering strategies polar phytoplankton employ to lessen iron limitation. The Southern Ocean is of global importance. It comprises one-third of the global ocean by area and disproportionately absorbs two-thirds of anthropogenic ocean heat and half of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions even though phytoplankton in this region are chronically iron-limited. This project aims to understand why copper uptake by phytoplankton lessens the effects of iron limitation and how copper substitutes for iron. This knowledge is critical for evaluating the impacts and feedbacks between iron and copper in regulating Southern Ocean productivity and ultimately its ability to drawdown atmospheric CO2. The results from this project will facilitate the development of improved ecosystem models and conservation tools.Read moreRead less
Natural iron fertilisation of oceans around Australia: linking terrestrial dust, marine biogeochemistry and climate. Oceans play a vital role in Earth’s climate through the control of atmospheric carbon dioxide. An important component of this system is the iron cycle, in which iron-rich dust is transported from the land via atmosphere to ocean; iron is a key micronutrient for marine phytoplankton, the scarcity of which limits essential biogeochemical processes and ocean fertility. This project w ....Natural iron fertilisation of oceans around Australia: linking terrestrial dust, marine biogeochemistry and climate. Oceans play a vital role in Earth’s climate through the control of atmospheric carbon dioxide. An important component of this system is the iron cycle, in which iron-rich dust is transported from the land via atmosphere to ocean; iron is a key micronutrient for marine phytoplankton, the scarcity of which limits essential biogeochemical processes and ocean fertility. This project will conduct an integrated oceanographic and atmospheric observational program for trace elements in the oceans around Australia. This will provide the critical information on iron supplied from atmospheric dust for ocean productivity and marine ecosystem health, providing the science for predicting a key factor in the future impact of the oceans on climate.Read moreRead less