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Formation, transportation and transformation processes of organic matter from the surface ocean to the deep sea

The biological carbon pump plays a critical role in the global carbon cycle as a key regulator of atmospheric CO2, as carbon in organic matter is exported from the surface ocean to the seafloor where it can be stored long-term in sediments. However, little is known about the transport and transformation processes of organic matter within the water column and at the seafloor. This is to a large extent due to limited understanding of the origin, the vertical transport, and age of settling phytoplankton aggregates through the water column. Therefore, to understand and possibly predict the uptake and storage of CO2 by the oceans, it is important to understand the factors influencing the composition, sinking speed and degradation of aggregates within the biological pump.

The aim of this Ph.D. project is to investigate the formation, transportation, and transformation processes of organic matter from the surface ocean to the deep sea. The main focus of the project is to investigate the controlling mechanisms of the biological carbon pump and how those mechanisms may alter in a future ocean. The PhD project links the surface plankton community to the composition of aggregates at depth. Sampling is done du­ring re­se­arch crui­ses, where drifting sediment traps, Marine Snow Catcher and optical systems are combined with laboratory experiments and measurements to determine the transport and transformation mechanisms.