A new measurement technique has revealed that turf algae communities colonizing dead reefs have a dual role, adding new mineral material to the reefs during the day and taking it away at night.
Physical and biogeochemical interactions
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Eddies Influence Productivity in the Subtropical Open Ocean
Ocean eddies may help recycle nutrients within giant current systems that encircle “desert” surface waters.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Unraveling Hemispheric Ocean Nitrate Supply Pathways
Subsurface measurements of nitrogen and oxygen isotope ratios in nitrate reveal a predominantly southern hemisphere supply of nitrate to the equatorial Pacific.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
What Proportion of River Nutrients Reaches the Open Sea?
Results of the first geographically based estimates of river nutrient supply indicate that 75% of dissolved nitrogen and 80% of phosphorus reach the open ocean.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Permafrost Area Is Sensitive to Key Soil and Snow Physics
Accounting for key soil and snow variables shows a much higher impact on simulated permafrost area than uncertainties in land cover and climate data.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Satellites Reveal Dynamics of Suspended Mineral Particles
A case study of the Irish Sea evaluates the use of ocean color data to measure the optical properties of sedimentary particles in offshore waters.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Underwater Gliders Find Swirling Vortices of Warm, Salty Water
Vortices formed off the west coast of Sardinia could play a large role in Mediterranean water circulation and mixing and are significant for marine ecosystems and regional climate.
Posted inScience Updates
Physical-Biogeochemical Coupling in the Southern Ocean
Southern Ocean Dynamics and Biogeochemistry Workshop; Pasadena, California, 2–5 February 2015
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Satellite Salinity Data Improves Gulf Stream Eddy Detection
A pronounced contrast in salinity between the Gulf Stream and current rings makes satellite salinity measurements valuable.
Posted inFeatures
New Indian Ocean Program Builds on a Scientific Legacy
From 1957 to 1965, 46 ships under 14 flags collected data for the International Indian Ocean Expedition. Now, 50 years later, scientists are planning a fresh effort to study the Indian Ocean.