PHYTOPLANKTON ABUNDANCE AND TYPE HAVE DIRECT CONSEQUENCES ON THE HEALTH AND VITALITY OF MARINE ORGANISMS AC…

Assistance award details

Assistance award identifier

ASST_NON_80NSSC18K0953_080

FAIN

80NSSC18K0953

Recipient

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE COUNTY

Awarding agency

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Funding agency

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Assistance listing (CFDA)

43.001

Total obligated

$637,764

Period

May 21, 2018 – May 20, 2021

Fiscal year

2018

Place of performance state

MD

Source file

FY2018_All_Assistance_Full_20261006.zip

Description

PHYTOPLANKTON ABUNDANCE AND TYPE HAVE DIRECT CONSEQUENCES ON THE HEALTH AND VITALITY OF MARINE ORGANISMS ACROSS THE WEB OF THE OCEANIC ECOSYSTEM INCLUDING THOSE ORGANISMS OF SOCIETAL BENEFIT THAT ARE HARVESTED THROUGH FISHERIES. IN ADDITION PHYTOPLANKTON MAY PLAY A ROLE IN THE CARBON CYCLE DRAWING CARBON FROM THE ATMOSPHERE THROUGH ITS UPTAKE DURING PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND THROUGH A COMPLEX SET OF PROCESSES CAUSING THAT CARBON TO PASS THROUGH TO THE DEEP OCEAN WHICH SERVES AS A LONG-TERM RESERVOIR IN THE CARBON BUDGET. THUS TO INSURE A PRODUCTIVE OCEAN WITH ITS ESSENTIAL FOOD SOURCES AND TO REDUCE UNCERTAINTY IN PREDICTING CLIMATE CHANGE BY PLUGGING HOLES IN OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE CARBON CYCLE WE MUST UNDERSTAND PHYTOPLANKTON DYNAMICS. PHYTOPLANKTON GROWTH IS DEPENDENT ON SEVERAL FACTORS INCLUDING THE NECESSARY NUTRIENTS OF PHOSPHORUS NITROGEN AND IRON. NUTRIENTS MAY ENTER OCEANIC ECOSYSTEMS FROM A VARIETY OF MARINE SOURCES: UPWELLING RIVER AND ESTUARY OUTFLOW ETC. HOWEVER THERE IS ALSO A LONG-STANDING HYPOTHESIS THAT AIRBORNE TRANSPORT OF MINERAL DUST AND VOLCANIC ASH DEPOSITED INTO OCEANIC WATERS PROVIDES A SIGNIFICANT SOURCE OF THESE NUTRIENTS PARTICULARILY IN OPEN OCEANS. THE HYPOTHESIS IS SUPPORTED BY CASE STUDIES BUT PROOF OF GLOBAL IMPACT IS STILL MISSING. THE TIME IS RIGHT TO DECISIVELY PROVE OR REFUTE THE HYPOTHESIS. THERE IS NEW UNDERSTANDING OF THE PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES OF THE PHYTOPLANKTON AND NEW REMOTE SENSING AND ANALYSIS METHODS THAT CAN BE APPLIED TO THE LONG TIME SERIES OF TERRA/AQUA-MODIS SNPP-VIIRS CALIPSO-CALIOP PLUS REANALYSIS PRODUCTS TO BOTH CONSTRAIN DEPOSITION OF NUTRIENTS INTO THE OCEAN AND PHYTOPLANKTON RESPONSE TO THE POTENTIAL FERTILIZATION. THUS WE PROPOSE AN INTERDISCIPLINARY AND MULTI-SENSOR REMOTE SENSING STUDY THAT WILL TARGET DEPOSITION EVENTS IN THE OCEANIC REGIONS SUSCEPTIBLE TO AIRBORNE FERTILIZATION AND FAVORABLE FOR REMOTE SENSING OBSERVATIONS. BY CREATING SUFFICIENT STATISTICS FROM THESE EVENTS WE INTEND TO EVALUAT