Natural iron fertilisation of oceans around Australia: linking terrestrial dust, marine biogeochemistry and climate

• Research Theme
  Oceans & Cryosphere
• Cross-disciplinary Theme(s)
  Climate Change; Ocean-Earth System; Ocean-Antarctic Governance
• Funded By

  Australian Research Council
  From 2013 to 2017

• Principal Investigator

  Associate Professor Andrew Bowie

• Contributor(s)

• Project Summary

  Oceans play a vital role in Earth's climate through the control of atmospheric carbon dioxide. An important component of this system is the iron cycle, in which iron-rich dust is transported from the land via atmosphere to ocean. Iron is a key micronutrient for marine phytoplankton, the scarcity of which limits essential biogeochemical processes and ocean fertility. I will conduct an integrated oceanographic and atmospheric observational program for trace elements in the oceans around Australia. This will provide the critical information on iron supplied from atmospheric dust for ocean productivity and marine ecosystem health, providing the science for predicting a key factor in the future impact of the oceans on climate.

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