CoccolitHophore controls on ocean ALKalinitY
Principal Investigator(s):
Alex Poulton (Heriot-Watt University, Lyell Centre)
Project Partners:
Exeter University, Strathclyde University, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, University of East Anglia, NOC, Plymouth Marine Laboratory.
Project start and end date:
2024-2026
Funding:
UK NERC Bio-Carbon
(MaSens is an external, unfunded collaborator)
Project website:
The CHALKY (Coccolithophore controls on ocean alkalinity) project aims to quantify how diversity and ecology influence the oceans’ ability to absorb carbon dioxide. Specifically, CHALKY examines the influence of marine viruses and grazing by zooplankton, microscopic animals that form a vital part of the ocean’s food chain, on the dominant calcifiers during summer in the North Atlantic, coccolithophores. MarSens contributes to the bio-optical observations and modeling work.
The project is part of the Bio-Carbon program funded by UK NERC, that aims at better understanding and predicting biologically-mediated ocean carbon storage.
