ASLO 2019, Aquatic Sciences Meeting

ASLO 2019, Aquatic Sciences Meeting
Dates: 23 February – 2 March 2019
Location: San Juan, Puerto Rico

For further information: https://aslo.org/sanjuan2019/main

GEOTRACES sessions:

SS51. New views on the biological transformation of metals in the marine environment

Randelle Bundy, University of Washington
Shane Hogle, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Katherine Heal, University of Washington
Kristen Buck, University of South Florida
P. Dreux Chappell, Old Dominion University 

Recent results from the GEOTRACES program and other large-scale oceanographic surveys have provided compelling new insights into the distributions, chemical speciation, sources, and sinks of trace metals. The bio-active trace metals such as iron, copper, cobalt, zinc, nickel and manganese are particularly compelling because they influence surface ocean primary productivity, deep ocean carbon storage, and atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations in our modern earth system and over geologic timescales. There is still much to learn about the regeneration of bioactive metals from organic matter, the influences of biological ligand production, and the impacts of trace metal bioavailability in the ocean. Insights from recent biogeochemical studies have raised new questions related to the biogeochemical processes impacting the distributions of trace metals, and novel methodological approaches are now revealing the molecular mechanisms that connect major bio-active trace metal cycles to the physiology, ecology, and evolution of marine microorganisms. However, these techniques have only begun to be coupled with the wealth of existing geochemical knowledge afforded by existing large-scale programs. Here we welcome submissions relating to the cycling of bio-active trace metals, particularly those using innovative techniques and novel modeling approaches. We also welcome studies from across temporal and spatial scales, as well as experimental and modeling studies that bridge biological and geochemical cycling of trace elements. We hope this session will provide a forum for diverse scientific perspectives on the biogeochemical cycling of trace metals in the ocean.