BIOCARBON Cruise: Biological Influence on Future Ocean Storage of Carbon
Dr Mark Stevenson
Newcastle and Durham University (now based at University of Oxford)
In September/October 2024 I had the unprecedented opportunity to attend an inspiring cruise aboard the R.V James Cook (JC269), which was investigating carbon cycling in the North Atlantic, in the broader Iceland Basin region to the south of Iceland. My attendance on the cruise was enabled through a competitive application due to spare berths being available. During the cruise I collected samples to enable the future analysis of lipid biomarkers in the water column to assess the strength of the biological carbon pump. I am greatly appreciative of the Challenger Society Stepping Stones bursary who kindly provided funds to make attending this cruise possible.
Relatively few oceanographic cruises sample for lipid biomarkers as they are a challenging technique, but can provide great insights into productivity, the presence of marine organisms and their health. Lipids are critical components of all biological organisms and are vital for key processes in the marine ecosystem such as cell growth, buoyancy, reproduction and effective membrane function. Many lipids are source specific and so considered as biological markers or ‘biomarkers’ as they are often well preserved, resisting decay to varying extents. Lipid compounds therefore can be used to track the abundance and presence of organisms (such as algae and zooplankton) but also elucidate how degraded the organic matter is, providing insight into the functioning of the carbon cycle.
Upon arrival at key stations in the North Atlantic it was my role to sample the CTD rosette for ~4 litres of seawater from different depths, which was then taken into the laboratory to begin filtering. It was great to be part of a wider filtering team, where members of the team were sampling everything from nutrients to DNA. I am very grateful to the teams from University of Southampton and Heriot-Watt who helped optimise the filtering setup, which through their experience and advice helped me improve my filtering productivity. Seawater from positions higher in the water column where productivity is greater tended to have higher visible green colour (pigmentation) on the filters. To preserve the filters, they were frozen first in liquid nitrogen and then in a −80°C freezer.
I found my time on the cruise was extremely enjoyable and would especially like to thank the entire crew of the James Cook who were especially welcoming. The shared sense of working together for a common purpose was really enriching. As to be expected when at sea in September/October there were some bad weather days which were spent discussing and preparing science, but remarkably we got a lot done as most days were calm. Although not part of my role directly I learnt a lot about marine technology including gliders, marine snow catchers and Argo floats. I took part in regular circuits onboard the James Cook helping to improve my fitness and also got the unprecedented opportunity to see my first blue whale!
Being part of the Bio-Carbon cruise gave me the opportunity to contribute to the most detailed pelagic multi-method exploration of the carbon cycle, within the pelagic zone of the North Atlantic to date. My contribution of sampling for lipid biomarkers will contribute to building up the ‘bigger picture’, addressing the causes and timing of phytoplankton blooms, respiration and productivity. Together, this will build up vital data to help reduce uncertainty in future predictions with anticipated climate change.
Profile: I am an environmental biogeochemist with a particular geographical interest in answering earth science questions intersecting the carbon cycle and palaeoclimate especially in northern and southern latitudes. I have completed postdoctoral research understanding the carbon cycle in the Barents Sea/Arctic Ocean (Newcastle University) and palaeoclimate using novel snow petrel stomach oil deposits in Antarctica (Durham University). I also have a keen interest in oceanography, especially assessing the extent and character of phytoplankton blooms. Since January 2025 I have been working at Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit, developing compound-specific methods for radiocarbon dating.
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Workshop on the contribution of UK Arctic Ocean science to the International Polar Year 32/33
12:00 11th June – 16:00 12th June 2025: NOC Southampton (In-person with online option): Registration deadline 16th May
REGISTER HERE
Pre-meeting questionnaire (open to all)
The purpose of this workshop is for the UK Ocean Science community to discuss and then draft a prospectus document outlining the priority Arctic research questions the community would like to address during the run up to, throughout and beyond the International Polar Year 32/33. Additionally, to identify what unique strengths and technologies the UK has to help fill these knowledge gaps.
The second day of the workshop will be dedicated to writing groups, one for each of the priority research questions identified - from both the pre-meeting questionnaire (HERE) and day one discussion. By the end of the meeting, each group will have produced draft text and sourced supporting figures for the prospectus.
Post meeting, the draft will be opened for comments and suggestions from everyone, regardless of whether they were able to attend the workshop or not. It will then be shared with UK funders (UKRI, FCDO, DSIT, ARIA) and potential international programmes with whom we would like to collaborate (e.g. Arctic 2050, Norway). It will form a basis from which wider integration with terrestrial, atmospheric and cryosphere communities can be built, e.g. at the UK Arctic Science Meeting in September in Northumbria.
To ensure balanced community and ECR representation, and to ensure that the size of the writing groups is efficient and effective, if the number of registrations from individual institutes becomes overwhelming, we may contact individuals or teams and ask that each institute selects a smaller number of individuals to attend in-person. Please wait for confirmation of in-person attendance before finalising travel arrangements.
The workshop will be open to hybrid attendance and contributions on both days.
Challenger Society Council Position Vacancy
The Challenger Society for Marine Science (CSMS) are pleased to announce an exciting opportunity to support the next generation of ocean scientists and innovators. CSMS are looking for a new Council member to fill the Student Travel Awards and Stepping Stones Portfolio. The successful applicant will administer the travel and research grants available for Early Career Researchers.
The role involves:
- Receiving applications for the two schemes and responding to applicant inquiries
- Soliciting and compiling input from the rest of the Council for assessing the applications
- Communicating with successful and unsuccessful applicants for the two schemes
- Working with the Honorary Treasurer on allocating funds to successful applicants
- Following up with award winners on their reporting requirements
- Attending Council meetings four times a year (in person or online) and contributing to discussions and decision making for CSMS
The usual term for Council members is three years.
For more information about the CSMS Council, please follow this link: https://www.challenger-society.org.uk/The_Council
For more information about our Early Career Researcher grants and awards, please follow this link:
https://www.challenger-society.org.uk/Stepping_Stones
and
https://www.challenger-society.org.uk/Travel_awards
If you are interested in applying or have any questions regarding the role, please contact kathen@bas.ac.uk
NOC Association (NOCA) AGM 2025
The 14th AGM of the NOC Association will be held on Thursday 15th and Friday 16th May 2025. This free, on-line event will take place on Zoom, across two consecutive mornings, each starting at 10:00 and ending at 12:30. The agenda will focus on national capability (NC) science, ships, and autonomous vehicles, and how the community can engage. There will be an update on AtlantiS and on the new marine science scoping group. All are warmly welcome to join.
To participate, please complete your registration here.
For enquiries: Jackie Pearson, Secretary to NOCA: jfpea@noc.ac.uk