Reactive iron supply to shelf sediments and surface waters of the California Current System

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This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).Coastal upwelling systems are oceanic regions of great importance with regard to productivity, air-sea carbon dioxide exchange, and carbon sequestration, as well as economically and ecologically valuable fisheries. In the California Current System (CCS), an upwelling region off the coast of California, a well-established poleward increase of phytoplankton biomass and productivity has been identified. However, the cause of this latitudinal gradient in productivity is unknown. A scientist from Oregon State University hypothesizes that this phenomena exists because of the amount of river-derived iron being delivered to the coastal shelf. As such, the researcher will be conducting experiments to determine the factors governing the supply of bioavailable iron to surface waters in the CCS. In addition, whether there is a northward increase in the supply of bioavailable iron within the CCS and whether it is linked to river runoff will also be evaluated. These goals will be attained by quantifying the temporal variability of iron in the Oregon shelf surface water, bottom water, and surface sediments, as well as the spatial variability in the pool of sedimentary reactive iron along the west coast gradient in river flow. Through the development of a better understanding of the magnitude, mechanism, and latitudinal variability of iron inputs to the CCS, the scientific community will be better able to predict the impacts of iron supply on coastal productivity. The educational impacts of this research include support for a post-doctoral scholar and an undergraduate student, as well as internship position for a local high school student via the Apprenticeship in Science and Engineering Program.