REU: GOFS North Atlantic Bloom: Level 1 DOC/DON, POC/PON Studies

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In support of the GOFS Northeast Atlantic Spring Bloom Experiment measurements will be made of primary productivity rates, and POC/PON and DOC/DON concentrations on the April and July transect cruises. Also logistical support will be provided for free-floating particle trap arrays that will be deployed and recovered three times at Sta. 47 (continuous coverage will be provided for approximately 100 days, April 10-July 25). Much of this effort concentrates on dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Background information is presented indicating that the oceanic DOC pool (1,000 Gt) is about the same size as the atmospheric CO2 (-700 Gt), terrestrial living plant (560 Gt) and soil humus (1500 Gt) reservoirs. Considering the size of this pool, little is known. For example, this reservoir appears to be large enough to easily accommodate the -170 Gt of C withdrawn from the atmosphere during recent glacial maxima; perhaps it also represents a repository where anthropogenic CO2 is currently sequestered. Nevertheless, in spite of the potential importance of DOC in the global carbon cycle, only two foreign scientists appear to have the current capability for accurate measurement. Thus the overall objectives are to : (1) refine DOC analytical procedures; (2) measure seasonal DOC inventories along the 200 West transect; (3) relate these levels to C02, 02 changes; (4) measure rates of DOC formation in association with phytoplankton growth and senescence; and (5) relate these findings to complementary studies involving aspects of the oceanic POC cycle.