Determining seasonal and interannual controls on air-sea carbon dioxide flux in a highly productive marginal sea

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Coastal margins are home to the most productive and dynamic ocean ecosystems and play a key role in regional and global carbon cycling. However, establishing the air-sea carbon flux in these settings has been difficult because of gaps in observational coverage and the ability to assess and model the processes involved. Scientists from the University of New Hampshire have at their disposal a unique set of carbon dioxide data from 2004 to present from monthly shipboard measurements made on the inner, mid, and outer shelf, as well as hourly data from a moored platform. The field data would be combined with a 3D circulation/biochemical model to test the hypothesis that the seasonally stratified Gulf of Maine is a source of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere even though the area has significant net production of phytoplankton. This research would provide the first annual and interannual estimates of carbon dioxide flux that occurs in this region. Results would also lead toward an improved understanding of seasonal impacts on coastal air-sea exchange and would provide more information on global climate-sensitive controls including storm-induced vertical mixing and terrestrial runoff. As regards broader impacts, results from the study would be linked with data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration buoys located at other coastal sites of the United States. Outreach efforts include the design of a ocean carbon module for the National Science Foundation Globe Carbon Project aimed at a K-12 audience.