Novel technologies to resolve the role of organic matter on iron chemistry and bioavailability in the South Pacific Ocean

Funding: 2010: $100,000
2011: $90,000
2012: $100,000

Funding or Partner Organisation: Australian Research Council (ARC Discovery Projects)

Start year: 2010

Summary: Iron limits primary productivity in up to 40% of the ocean, thus affecting Earth s climate. Determining what controls iron bioavailability (i.e the fraction of iron available to phytoplankton) is the main challenge to understand how iron limits oceanic primary productivity and biodiversity. In the ocean, iron is mainly present as organic iron. A unique array of novel and powerful technologies will be used for the first time to determine how organic matter influences the cycling, reactivity and bioavailability of iron. A significant advance in our understanding of the parameters controlling iron bioavailability is expected; critical for the regulation of marine systems and their climate mitigating effect.

Publications:

Hoppe, CJM, Hassler, CS, Payne, CD, Tortell, PD, Rost, B & Trimborn, S 2013, 'Iron Limitation Modulates Ocean Acidification Effects on Southern Ocean Phytoplankton Communities', PLoS ONE, vol. 8, no. 11, pp. e79890-e79890.
View/Download from: Publisher's site

Keywords: iron; bioavailability; primary productivity; organic matter; climate change; ocean;

FOR Codes: Oceanography, Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Marine Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity, Marine Oceanic Processes (excl. climate related), Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity, Marine biodiversity, Biodiversity in Antarctic and Southern Ocean environments, Oceanic processes (excl. in the Antarctic and Southern Ocean)