Project: Impact of Convective Processes and Sea Ice Formation on the Distribution of Iron in the Ross Sea: Closing the Seasonal Cycle

NSF Award Abstract

The waters of the Ross Sea continental shelf are among the most productive in the Southern Ocean, and likely comprise a significant oceanic sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide. In this region, primary production can be limited by the supply of dissolved iron to surface waters during the growing season.
A range of biogeochemical measurements and activities are to be carried out in the late summer-autumnal- early winter time frame in the Ross Sea in order to better understand phytoplankton dynamics, along with carbon export. These biogeochemical parameters include elements such as Fe, C and S believed to be important to Antarctic ecosystems. As well as there being interest in the functioning of the Ross Sea ecosystem leading up to the impending polar night, there is also uncertainty as to what drives the biogeochemical redistribution undergone by micronutrient Fe species during the extensive sea-ice formation at this time of year.

The field setting and remote conditions that accompany the proposed study present several possibilities for STEM education and training at the K-12, undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as for public outreach. At the K-12 level, the project seeks to support the development of educational outreach materials targeting elementary and middle school students,
pre-service science teachers, and in-service science teachers.