Manganese oxidation in the Ross Sea hinders cobalt removal

Academic Writing

Published in Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 2021.

Oldham, V. E., Chmiel, R., Hansel, C.M., DiTullio, G. R., Rao, D., & Saito, M. (2021). Inhibited manganese oxide formation hinders cobalt scavenging in the Ross Sea. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 35, e2020GB006706. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GB006706

2021_Carignan(nee Oldham)_MnCoRossSea.pdf

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The oxidation of manganese to solid particles of manganese oxides is a key process in the cycling of many elements in the ocean. Because these particles are sticky, they are critical for absorbing many other elements from the water, and depositing them to the seafloor via particle settling. Many of these elements are important nutrients for the growth of phytoplankton, aka the primary producers of the ocean. The Ross Sea, part of the Southern Ocean, is a system where nutrient dynamics drive primary productivity, which ultimately drives carbon cycling in our global oceans. Thus, understanding elemental cycles in that system is crucial for understanding our planetary carbon budget. In this work, we find that manganese oxidation is extremely low, and impacts the amount of micronutrient cobalt available for phytoplankton growth.