Iron sources and cycling in the Tasman Sea

Microscopic plankton form the base of the marine food-chain and account for more than half of global primary production, and hence moderates our climate through the ocean's ability to drawdown carbon dioxide. In this project, the sources and bio-availability of the key micro-nutrient, iron, and its influence on plankton productivity in the surface ocean will be investigated by making state-of-the-art iron isotope measurements on plankton and waters samples collected from the Tasman Sea region. The knowledge generated in this project will help elucidate future impacts and feedbacks desertification of continental Australian and ocean stratification have on the supply and cycling of iron in the marine realm.