Thematic Programs

Lecture Series on the Marine Environment and Ecosystem

Information

Date

November 27, 2023 – November 29, 2023

Venue

Room 412, Physics Building, Aobayama Campus, Tohoku University [Access]

Lecturer

Peter Strutton (University of Tasmania)

Time Schedule

Monday, November 27, 2023
14:40 – 16:10 (JST)
Lecture 1: The ocean carbon cycle: Blooms, remineralization and deep ocean oxygen
Tuesday, November 28, 2023
13:00 – 14:30 (JST)
Lecture 2: Iron in the ocean: A history of discovery and potential future applications
Wednesday, November 29, 2023
14:40 – 16:10 (JST)
Lecture 3: BGC–Argo investigations of Southern Ocean biogeochemistry

Lecture notes

Lecture 1: The ocean carbon cycle: Blooms, remineralization and deep ocean oxygen
Phytoplankton are the base of the marine food web and the first step in the biological carbon pump. This lecture will discuss the physical processes that control phytoplankton blooms and current theories around bloom timing. We will then explore what happens to biological particles as they sink, the process of remineralization and nutrient regeneration, and how this can be quantified apparent oxygen utilization. Differences between ocean basins and the relationship to ocean circulation will also be discussed.


Lecture 2: Iron in the ocean: A history of discovery and potential future applications
Iron is the limiting nutrient in three major areas of the ocean: The north Pacific, tropical Pacific and the Southern Ocean. This lecture will discuss the history of how we came to understand the importance of iron and the steps towards open ocean iron fertilization experiments. We will also discuss iron fertilization as a possible tool for marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR). This would include the role that BGC–Argo has to play in verification.


Lecture 3: BGC–Argo investigations of Southern Ocean biogeochemistry
This lecture will discuss the BGC–Argo work from our group at UTAS. We have focused much of our effort on the Southern Ocean, because of our history of working in that area, and the high density of BGC–Argo floats there – thanks to the SOCCOM program. Topics will include: (1) patterns in annual net community production; (2) processes that drive the timing of blooms; (3) large scale productivity in response to iron deposition from dust; (4) comparisons between float and sediment trap estimates of carbon export; and (5) future plans.


Co–hosted by

  • Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University
  • Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University
  • The International Joint Graduate Program in Earth and Environmental sciences

Contact

Email: yasunaka*tohoku.ac.jp (change * to @)