Bottom-sea ice Respiration and nutrient Exchanges Assessed for THE Arctic
Informations
- Funding country
Norway- Acronym
- -
- URL
- -
- Start date
- 1/1/2021
- End date
- 12/31/2025
- Budget
- 984,000 EUR
Fundings
| Name | Role | Start | End | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marine Resources and the Environment (MARINFORSK) - call 2016 | Grant | - | - | 984,000 EUR |
Abstract
Global warming is transforming Arctic sea ice; impacting the communities of specialised microorganisms like algae that live within it. Sea ice algae are vital members of the marine ecosystem. They supply organic carbon to grazing organisms and they influence the biogeochemical cycling of elements. Through photosynthesis, this influence includes the fixation and potential removal of the climate relevant gas CO2 from the ocean and atmosphere. Present estimates of sea ice algal production are limited by an incomplete understanding of two key processes. Firstly, how are required nutrients for growth supplied to ice algae from the ocean? Secondly, what is the energetic cost of living in the harsh conditions of sea ice? Data on nutrient supply driven by turbulent motion and algal respiratory costs (i.e. uptake of O2 and release of CO2) are needed to better this understanding. Our goal is to improve the accuracy of ice algal production estimates in a time of rapid environmental change by providing data on such knowledge gaps. Towards this goal, BREATHE combines field, laboratory and model-based investigations. To characterize algal respiration, state-of-the-art O2-based research methods are developed. They are used alongside oceanographic sensors during fieldwork across the Arctic and in the Antarctic to assess turbulent nutrient supply and algal production of contrasting sea ice habitats. The field-based work informs experiments that provide empirical descriptions of ice algal respiration under variable growth conditions. Biogeochemical modeling in the project will implement knowledge gained from laboratory and fieldwork to test parameterizations of nutrient supply and respiration. From this, modelling will be used to better predict how ice algal communities may be impacted by global warming in the future. Project outcomes will shift our understanding of ecosystem services provided by sea ice algae, like the role of microorganisms in the regulation of greenhouse gases.