Project title
Abiotic and biotic controls on calcium carbonate dissolution in the ocean.
Project abstract
Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is primarily produced biogenically in the global ocean by pelagic organisms such as coccolithophores and foraminifera. Its dissolution in the upper ocean is crucial for regulating the global carbon cycle, yet significant uncertainties remain regarding the processes driving this dissolution under high saturation states and pH levels. Current knowledge largely focuses on abiotic processes, where dissolution is governed by saturation state and pH. However, these rates are too slow to explain observed CaCO3 turnover rates, which are an order of magnitude faster. Biologically driven dissolution is likely to be a major process in the upper ocean. Thus, my studies aim to investigate biotic processes, such as zooplankton digestion, respiration-driven microenvironments, and the effects of mineralogy and organic coatings that may enhance dissolution, thereby improving understanding of biologically mediated dissolution, enhancing the accuracy of global carbon models, and refining predictions of oceanic responses to climate change.