Staff and students regularly join multidisciplinary research cruises in the north Atlantic, including the Surface Ocean Lower Atmosphere (SOLAS)programme as well as along the Atlantic Meridional Transect (AMT) (UK to south Africa or the Falkland Islands). Ocean productivity accounts for 50% of the total
global productivity; however, the oceans are highly under-sampled compared to the more readily accessible coastal environments. Each cruise lasts for several weeks and samples microbial communities within the upper 200m euphotic (lit) region across a range of biogeochemical provinces, from the relatively nutrient rich equatorial regions to the nutrient depleted central ‘gyres’. Data collected is used to asses how climate change will impact the productivity and ecosystem functioning of these important aquatic ecosystems. Current projects and areas of interest are:
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Control of productivity, nitrogen fixation and atmospheric CO2 sequestration by atmospheric dust deposition.
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Production of climate relevant trace gases, including VOCs (volatile organic compounds), by microbial communities.
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Control of UV light upon photosynthesis and production of dimethyl sulphide (DMS).
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