Expedition with the MARIA S. MERIAN to Cap Blanc

Nov 15, 2021

The MARIA S. MERIAN pulls a dust buoy to the anchor point. Photo: MARUM

The eastern subtropical Atlantic upwelling area off Cap Blanc (NW Africa) is one of the most productive regions in the world. It plays a key role in the global carbon cycle and as such influences the global climate. Particles that have trapped atmospheric CO₂, sink from the upper water column toward the ocean floor drive the biological pump. These sinking particles are the focus of an expedition with the MARIA S. MERIAN that starts at 18 November. During this expedition entitled "SIPA" ("Sinking particles, their production, transfer and transformation") the production in the upper water column, the sinking behavior (transport) through the water column and preservation/degradation at the ocean floor will be studied. The cruise is led by Prof. Karin Zonneveld from MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen as part of the RECEIVER Unit of the Cluster of Excellence “The Ocean Floor – Earth’s Uncharted Interface”.

During the cruise, the particle flux from the upper water column is sampled with free drifting traps. These traps float with the upper water currents and collect the particle at different water depths. At the same time, temperature, salinity, chlorophyll-a content and turbidity of the water column will be recorded throughout the surveys.

Scientists from MARUM and the University of Bremen, the University of Oldenburg, the Alfred Wegener Institute in Bremerhaven and the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) will collaborate on the expedition. It is also planned to maintain sediment traps of MARUM and dust buoys of NIOZ.

The team of expedition MSM 104 will report on the cruise and everyday life on board in an expedition log.

More Informationen

Contact:
Prof. Dr. Karin Zonneveld
Micropaleontology – Paleoceanography
MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen
Phone: +49 421 218 65797
Email: [Bitte aktivieren Sie Javascript]