REOPTIMIZE · REmineralisation, OPTIcs and Marine partIcle siZE
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2016-06-13 → 2018-06-12
- EU contribution
- €195,455
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF-EF-ST
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
REmineralisation, OPTIcs and Marine partIcle siZE
"Microscopic marine particles that sink from the surface to the deep ocean are a crucial component of the biological carbon pump, because they can be remineralised back to CO2 and ultimately influence the Earth’s climate. Little is known, however, about the distribution of these particles in the open ocean and the variability of mesopelagic (200-1000m) particle remineralisation as a consequence of observational difficulties. Only autonomous robotic platforms equipped with bio-optical sensors (e.g., Biogeochemical-Argo floats) can allow us to monitor and understand the dynamics of these particles at the global scale, with the required high spatial and temporal resolutions. The light scattered by marine particles can be used as a proxy to quantify particle size distributions (PSD), size-resolved carbon biomasses and ultimately, mesopelagic particle remineralisation rates. However, optically-derived particle size distributions suffer from large uncertainties. An in-depth knowledge of the relationships linking marine particles and optical scattering is, therefore, vital to improve our understanding of oceanic particle dynamics and, ultimately reduce uncertainties in current and future estimates of the ocean carbon budget. The REmineralisation, OPTIcs and Marine partIcle siZE (REOPTIMIZE) project primarily focused on analysing the relationships between optical scattering measurements, particle size distributions and concentrations in open-ocean environments. The project was developed within the Earth Observation Science and Application (EOSA) team at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), in Plymouth, United Kingdom. REOPTIMIZE analysed extensive and globally-relevant, unique, in-situ datasets of coincident particle size distributions and optical properties, from the surface to the mesopelagic zone, collected during two “Atlantic Meridional Transect” (AMT) cruises (#22, http://www.amt-uk.org/Cruises/AMT22 and #26, http://www.amt-uk.org/Cruises/AMT26) which encompassed a wide range of oceanic conditions including oligotrophic mid-ocean gyres. REOPTIMIZE opened the door to a new way to investigating marine particle dynamics and had an impact on the European strategy for global ocean observations. "
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Remineralisation of the particulate matter that sinks from the surface to the deep ocean is a crucial component of the biological carbon pump, because it ultimately influences the Earth’s climate. Due to the difficulties to observe this process, however, little is known about the variability of mesopelagic (~200-1000 m) remineralisation. REOPTIMIZE aims to improve knowledge of mesopelagic remineralisation by exploiting – for the first time – time-series of optical proxies of particle size and oxygen consumption collected by autonomous robotic platforms (i.e., Bio-Argo floats). These new estimates of remineralisation, acquired at unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution, will improve our knowledge of the biological carbon pump and ultimately reduce uncertainties in current and future estimates of the ocean carbon budget. REOPTIMIZE will combine models and field measurements. Field data from the Atlantic Meridional Transect cruises will be firstly exploited to extend current relationships between optical proxies and particle size from the ocean surface to the mesopelagic zone. Then, spectral light backscattering data acquired by a fleet of Bio-Argo floats in under-sampled oceanic areas will be converted to size-revolved carbon biomasses. These biomass estimates will then be combined with simultaneous oxygen consumption rates and analysed, by means of simple models of particle dynamics, to derive particle disaggregation rates in the mesopelagic. These inter-disciplinary and innovative activities will establish a two-way exchange of knowledge between the Researcher’s and the host institution and to enhance their European and international network of collaborators. Outcomes of REOPTIMIZE will have an impact on the European strategy for global ocean observations.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- PLYMOUTH MARINE LABORATORY LIMITED · PlymouthCoordinatorUnited Kingdom
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union