Project: Solving Microbial Mysteries with Autonomous Technology

Phytoplankton form the base of the marine food web. These microscopic, single-celled organisms float in seawater, taking in carbon dioxide and using light energy to make carbohydrates. Like land plants, phytoplankton need other elements and compounds (fertilizer) to perform photosynthesis in order to survive and thrive: Nitrogen is one of these key ingredients for phytoplankton growth.

Nitrogen is fascinating and somewhat unique because it cycles through many oxygenation states. This means that there is plenty of energy for organisms to harness and the nitrogen cycle can be used as a lens to understand microbial communities. The quantity of “fixed nitrogen” in the ocean, usually nitrate (NO3–) and ammonium (NH4+), is critical for the existence and development of phytoplankton, and plays a role in the biological carbon pump sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Being able to recognize the role of fixed nitrogen in ocean processes is important for understanding low-oxygen areas in the world’s oceans. Insight into microbial interactions in oxygen deficient waters will allow researchers to better predict the marine response to increased nutrient runoff, eutrophication, and hypoxia – all of which currently threaten the livelihoods of many coastal communities as a warming climate leads to the expansion of low oxygen “dead” zones.

Data Management Plan: The resulting shipboard dataset is being archived at Rolling Deck to Repository and is now available. ADCP data is curated and processed by University of Hawaii.Iodine Speciation measurements are archived in BCO-DMO