Oceanography Seminar: Sara Ferron-Smith

April 23, 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Mānoa Campus, Marine Sciences Building, MSB 100

Sara Ferron-Smith
Postdoctoral Fellow
Department of Oceanography
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

“Metabolic Balance in the Upper Oligotrophic Ocean from in Situ O2/Ar Measurements”

The net community production (NCP) of organic matter in the photic zone of the large subtropical oligotrophic gyres is an important term in the oceanic carbon cycle, but its quantification is challenging due to the low biological rates that characterize these vast regions of the oceans. Previous estimates of NCP inferred from in vitro and in situ measurements have provided different conclusions regarding whether these large areas of the ocean are net heterotrophic or net autotrophic. In this seminar, I will present measurements of NCP at the Hawaii Ocean Time-series (HOT) Station ALOHA, in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, determined using the O2/Ar method. Also, I will demonstrate that diel changes in O2/Ar saturation ratios can be used to calculate gross primary production and microbial respiration in the mixed layer from in situ measurements.


Event Sponsor
Oceanography, Mānoa Campus

More Information
Sharrse, (808) 956-7633, ocean@soest.hawaii.edu, http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/oceanography/seminar.html, Oceanography Seminar (PDF)

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