US-India Planning Visit: Data Gaps and Needs for Assessing Productivity, N2 Fixation, and Elemental Cycling in the Indian Ocean

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0244805Mulholland This award supports a planning visit for US PI Margaret Mulholland, and co-PIs Donat and Edwards from Old Dominion University (ODU) to meet with counterparts at the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa, India to finalize a collaboration on nitrogen (N2) fixation and nitrogen (N) cycling in the Indian Ocean. They will identify data gaps, evaluate existing data, and ascertain future research needs on this important topic. In spite of the substantial marine resources in coastal areas, this topic is not well understood due to the lack investigations at coastal tropical sites. The nearshore waters along the west coast of India are an ideal natural laboratory for studying marine nitrogen fixation and cycling. Both the abundance of Trichodesmium blooms and the proximity to the National Institute of Oceanography, India's premier oceanographic research institute, make feasible the proposed process-oriented studies that are required for fully understanding marine nitrogen fixation and cycling by Trichodesmium. The US team will establish collaborations with NIO investigators, leverage institutional support, access a superb laboratory facility, and establish guidelines for future research efforts and data exchange. Additionally, they will explore the logistics for a cooperative educational program at ODU and NIO with courses team taught by the binational investigator team. This will be a unique opportunity to train the next generation of scientists at both institutions to work in interdisciplinary/ intercultural environments. This award is jointly supported by the Office of International Science and Engineering and the Division of Ocean Sciences.