The Sources and Cycling of Organic Matter in a Changing Arctic Ocean: Patterns, Proxies and Processes

With a variety of inputs, intense physical processes and observable changes over decadal time scales, the Arctic Ocean serves an ideal system to examine the relationship between carbon cycling and climate and promises to be an important system to understand in the future. We have used a variety of molecular organic markers to define the sources of organic carbon to the system and follow the interaction between organic matter and the microbial catalysts that dictate its preservation in modern and older sediments. We have also observed specific tracers of organisms previously thought to be absent in the system (e.g. cyanobacteria) which may reflect the changing climate. This seminar will explore the use of molecular organic markers and what they can tell us about changing polar oceans.