Acronym: MedFlux
Program: Ocean Carbon & Biogeochemistry [OCB]
URL: Project Web Site
Start date:
End date:
Geolocation: Mediterranean Sea
Description:

The MedFlux collaborative research project will test two hypotheses of the influence of "ballast" on the flux of particulate matter through the water column. It either 1) acts as a physical shielding of the organic matter protecting it as it falls through the water column, or 2) is the ratio of mineral ballast to organic carbon that controls the sinking velocity and consequently the organic carbon flux to the deep sea. The project has two major objectives:

1. [1] To assess the extent to which settling velocity separation techniques accurately and reliably measure in-situ settling velocities and to devise mechanical improvements and/or statistical correction procedures to overcome any deficiencies.
2. [2] To develop perspectives and protocols that take advantage of the different sampling characteristics of in-situ pumps, sediment traps, and optical instruments, combined with radiochemical analysis, to assess the dependence of settling velocity and remineralization on particle size and the organic and inorganic composition of particles.

---

More information about project MedFlux collaborative research project
Funding
Datasets associated with MedFlux collaborative research project
Platform deployments associated with MedFlux collaborative research project
People associated with MedFlux collaborative research project