Biogeochemical cycling in the critical coastal zone: Developing novel methods to make reliable measurements of geochemical fluxes in permeable sedimen

尽管海洋的这一部分很重要，但对沿海沉积物（通常是桑迪（渗透性）沉积物）中营养物和其他溶质的消耗、生产和转化的环境控制仍然知之甚少。造成这种不确定性的原因是，对海岸沉积物表层厘米-分米的直接测量很少，而表层沉积物的地球化学梯度往往非常陡峭。由于缺乏对许多地球化学物种的原位传感器，直接测量以前是不可能的。然而，新的芯片实验室传感器提供了最终解决地球化学过程的分析能力，并为沿海沉积物的理解提供了急需的步骤变化。该项目将开发和测试新的方法，首次使用芯片实验室传感器来量化渗透性沉积物中的营养梯度和通量，并将改变我们对沿海地区关键生物地球化学过程的理解。

Despite the importance of this part of the ocean, the environmental controls on the consumption, production and conversion of nutrients and other solutes in coastal, often sandy (permeable), sediments remain poorly understood. This uncertainty arises from a paucity of direct measurements in the upper centimetre-decimetre of coastal sediments, which often feature very steep geochemical gradients. Direct measurements have not been possible previously due to a lack of in-situ sensors for many biogeochemical species. However, new Lab-on-Chip sensors provide analytical capabilities to finally resolve geochemical processes and provide a much-needed step change in coastal sediment understanding. This project will develop and test novel methods using for the first time Lab-on-Chip sensors to quantify nutrient gradients and fluxes in permeable sediments and will transform our understanding of critical biogeochemical processes across coastal zones.