Opportunities for cooperation in trace element research with Russia

In January 2016, a workshop was convened in Kiel, Germany to bring together various groups working on biogeochemical cycles in the Siberian shelf seas. During this workshop, supported by IASC and GEOTRACES, two possibilities emerged for cooperation with Russia in the field of tracer studies:

1- PARTICIPATION IN THE 2017 EXPEDITION TO THE BARENTS, KARA and LAPTEV SEAS

As already mentioned during the GEOTRACES workshop in Moscow (P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2012), the Shirshov Institute carries out regular expeditions to the Barents, Kara and Laptev seas. These expeditions represent an extensive research program in the fields of hydrography, nutrients, plankton, suspended material and bottom sediments, including work on particulate trace metals. However, studies of dissolved trace metals and of naturally occurring isotopes were not included in these expeditions. An expedition to the Barents, Kara and Laptev seas is scheduled for 2017.

In Kiel, representatives of the Shirshov Institute indicated that it will be possible for one or two foreign scientists to take part in this expedition. The Shirshov Institute welcomes this foreign participation and has some possibilities to cover costs for one or two berths on the ship. These possibilities need to be discussed as the expedition approaches. If an interested participant requires clean sampling and sample handling, he/she must organize the necessary equipment. Various options for clean sampling were discussed during the workshop and further information can be obtained from the workshop organisers (below).

Anyone interested in setting up a sampling program for dissolved trace metals and/or naturally occurring isotopes on the 2017 expedition to the Barents, Kara and Laptev seas is welcome to contact

Dr. Marina Kravchishina,
kravchishina@ocean.ru
Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of Russian Academy of Sciences
36 Nakhimovskyprosp, 117997, Moscow, Russia

2- HOSTING A RUSSIAN STUDENT/SCIENTIST:

It was considered essential to create an opportunity for Russian trace element scientists to be trained in clean sampling techniques. GEOTRACES scientists are encouraged to consider hosting a Russian student/scientist on their cruise and/or in their lab to make them acquainted with clean sampling and sample handling techniques. SCOR has offered to pay the travel for a Russian scientist to join such a cruise or lab in the future (subsistence costs during the stay are not covered).

Those who are willing to host a trainee from Russia are invited to contact the GEOTRACES IPO (ipo@geotraces.org). In your offer, please indicate whether you would be able to contribute to supporting the subsistence costs of the trainee during the stay in your lab.

Further information on the Kiel workshop on biogeochemical cycles in Siberian Shelf Seas can be obtained from the organisers of the workshop:

Heidemarie Kassens (hkassens@geomar.de)
Michiel Rutgers van der Loeff (mloeff@awi.de)

Download the announcement in pdf.