OCB Science Highlights

OCB Science Highlights

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Role for iron in controlling microbial phosphorus acquisition in the ocean

October 12, 2017

In the subtropical North Atlantic, dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) concentrations are depleted and might co-limit N2 fixation and microbial productivity. There are relatively large pools of dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP), but microbes need an enzyme to access this P source. One such alkaline phosphatase (APase) enzyme requires zinc (Zn) as its activating cofactor. This has […]

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Arctic surface waters release methane but also absorb 2,000 times the CO2 for a net cooling effect

September 28, 2017

A recent study by Pohlman et al. published in PNAS showed that ocean waters near the surface of the Arctic Ocean absorbed 2,000 times more carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere than the amount of methane released into the atmosphere from the same waters. The study was conducted near Norway’s Svalbard Islands, which overly numerous […]

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Sinking particles as biogeochemical hubs for trace metal cycling and release

September 14, 2017

The extent to which the return of major and minor elements to the dissolved phase in the deep ocean (termed remineralization) is decoupled plays a major role in setting patterns of nutrient limitation in the global ocean. It is well established that major elements such as phosphorus, silicon, and carbon are released at different rates […]

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Tiny marine animals strongly influence the carbon cycle

August 31, 2017

What controls the amount of organic carbon entering the deep ocean? In the sunlit layer of the ocean, phytoplankton transform inorganic carbon to organic carbon via a process called photosynthesis. As these particulate forms of organic carbon stick together, they become dense enough to sink out of the sunlit layer, transferring large quantities of organic […]

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Phytoplankton can actively diversify their migration strategy in response to turbulent cues

August 17, 2017

Turbulence is known to be a primary determinant of plankton fitness and succession. However, open questions remain about whether phytoplankton can actively respond to turbulence and, if so, how rapidly they can adapt to it. Recent experiments have revealed that phytoplankton can behaviorally respond to turbulent cues with a rapid change in shape, and this […]

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Untangling the mystery of domoic acid events: A climate-scale perspective

August 3, 2017

The diatom Pseudo-nitzchia produces a neurotoxin called domoic acid, which in high concentrations affects wildlife ranging from mussels and crabs to seabirds and sea lions, as well as humans. In humans, the effects of domoic acid poisoning can range from gastrointestinal distress to memory loss, and even death. Despite being studied in laboratories since the […]

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An autonomous approach to monitoring coral reef health

July 20, 2017

Coral reefs are diverse, productive ecosystems that are highly vulnerable to changing ocean conditions such as acidification and warming. Coral reef metabolism—in particular the fundamental ecosystem properties of net community production (NCP; the balance of photosynthesis and respiration) and net community calcification (NCC; the balance of calcification and dissolution)—has been proposed as a proxy for […]

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The changing ocean carbon cycle

July 6, 2017

Since preindustrial times, the ocean has removed from the atmosphere 41% of the carbon emitted by human industrial activities (Figure 1). The globally integrated rate of ocean carbon uptake is increasing in response to rising atmospheric CO2 levels and is expected to continue this trend for the foreseeable future. However, the inherent uncertainties in ocean […]

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Quantifying coastal and marine ecosystem carbon storage potential for climate mitigation policy and management

June 21, 2017

Under the increasing threat of climate change, conservation practitioners and policy makers are seeking innovative and data–driven recommendations for mitigating emissions and increasing natural carbon sinks through nature-based solutions. While the ocean and terrestrial forests, and more recently, coastal wetlands, are well known carbon sinks, there is interest in exploring the carbon storage potential of […]

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Winter ventilation depth constrains the impact of the biological pump on CO2 uptake in the North Pacific Ocean

June 8, 2017

The North Pacific accounts for ~25% of the global ocean’s uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. However, the relative importance of the biological pump vs. physical circulation in driving ocean uptake of CO2 remains poorly understood. In a recent study, Palevsky and Quay (2017) used geochemical measurements collected on sixteen container ship transects […]

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