The Antarctic continental margins are hotspots for the biogeochemical cycling of carbon, nutrients, and biologically important trace metals such as Fe and Mn. However, little is known about the impact of benthic processes on Antarctic biogeochemistry and ecosystem functioning, and how these vary across the marginal sea ice zone. To address these gaps, we will investigate nutrient and element cycling in seafloor sediments and porewaters and combine these observations with co-located water column measurements (WP4; WP6; nutrients, biological parameters, trace metals, and their isotopes, particles, etc). Our observations will determine the importance of benthic fluxes and provide much-needed data linking water column observations to sedimentary proxies used for past climate reconstruction.   

Lead

Taryn Noble (IMAS & ACEAS)