Author Archive for mmaheigan

OCB will support participation in Cornell Summer Satellite Remote Sensing Workshop

Posted by mmaheigan 
· Wednesday, March 25th, 2026 

OCB will support participation in Cornell Summer Satellite Remote Sensing Workshop
June 1 – June 12, 2026, Cornell University, Ithaca New York

The Cornell Summer Satellite Remote Sensing Workshop is being offered once again this year. The workshop is highly methods-oriented and intended to give participants the practical skills needed to work independently to acquire, analyze and visualize large data sets derived from a wide range of ocean satellite sensors.

Strong emphasis is given to ocean color remote sensing and the use of NASA’s SeaDAS software to derive mapped imagery of geophysical parameters using satellite data derived from the most popular ocean color sensors.  Pre-written python scripts will be used in conjunction with SeaDAS to enable processing large quantities of ocean color data from Level-1 to Level-3.  In addition, the workshop will address the acquisition and use of Level-3 satellite data products for sea surface temperature, ocean wind speed and sea surface height.

A central goal of the course is to develop good python programming skills that are needed to make effective use of satellite data to routinely monitor ocean conditions, gain new insights into ocean dynamics, and to rigorously test new hypotheses.  Participants will work with both Jupyter Notebooks and executing python scripts from the Unix Terminal.

For more information about the training workshop content and enrollment process:
Visit: http://oceanography.eas.cornell.edu/satellite
Email: Bruce Monger

OCB will provide tuition, housing, and a travel stipend for up to 4 US-based participants in this training course. Please send the following materials in a single formatted PDF file to hbenway@whoi.edu by April 13:

1) Abbreviated (2 pages max) CV 
2) 1-page statement of interest about how this course would benefit your education, research, and/or professional goals. 

Applications will be reviewed the week of April 13, and applicants will be notified the week of April 20. 

SOLAS Mentorship Programme 2026–2027 – Call for Mentors

Posted by mmaheigan 
· Wednesday, March 25th, 2026 

The SOLAS Early Career Scientist Committee (ECSC) is pleased to announce the call for mentors for the first edition of the SOLAS Mentorship Programme, running from May 2026 to April 2027. This 12‑month pilot, aligned with the SOLAS 3.0 Science Plan, aims to foster real exchange across career stages and to support the professional growth of early-career scientists in our community.

Mentors will work with small, thematic groups of mentees through online group meetings over the year, email conversations, and participation in selected skill‑focused activities. More details of the programme structure, objectives, and commitments are available in the Terms of Reference.

We are particularly keen to hear from mentors who are engaged in SOLAS science, leadership, or community activities, and who reflect the diversity of regions, disciplines, and career paths across our network. We encourage early-career scientists who are interested in mentoring and community building to consider applying. The expected time commitment is around 4–6 hours per four‑month term, so that participation remains meaningful but manageable alongside other responsibilities.

If you are interested in taking part in this new community initiative, please submit an expression of interest via the online form: https://forms.gle/Dy1Pu8U7fF6K4pQf8. For those without access to Google Forms, please download the form and email your expression of interest to the SOLAS ECSC (solasecsc@xmu.edu.cn).

The deadline for submissions is 24 April 2026.

April 23 – first SedMIP webinar

Posted by mmaheigan 
· Tuesday, March 24th, 2026 

→Learn more about benthic modeling activities during the first SedMIP webinar on April 23 at 3pm – join us for a recap + summary of key points raised at the OSM26 town hall, intro to model inventory and model participation, and ways to get involved in this activity, we also are seeking speakers for this webinar series.

Register for April 23

Sign up for updates, or to give a webinar talk
Take our short survey to inform the SedMIP activity by March 31

 

Learn more about this activity: https://www.us-ocb.org/sedmip/

Improving our view of particle attenuation in the Southern Ocean with BGC-Argo floats

Posted by mmaheigan 
· Tuesday, March 24th, 2026 

How much organic carbon is actually transported to depth in the Southern Ocean and what are the mechanisms driving seasonal and regional variability? With large-scale remote sensing observations constrained to the surface and the depth-resolved ship-based measurements being scarce, the emergence of the BGC-Argo fleet has opened up a new avenue to explore how carbon is transported from the sunlit surface to the deep ocean.

Figure caption: Conceptual illustration of applying a broken power law to POC concentration profiles measured with BGC-Argo floats in the Southern Ocean. The “steepness” or strength of the attenuation is an indicator for how quickly POC attenuates. With the emergence of the BGC-Argo floats, the authors investigate spatial and temporal patterns and possible drivers.

In a recent study published in Communication Earth & Environment, the authors present an improved model to study particle attenuation and discuss what mechanism could explain it: mineral ballasting, zooplankton processes, temperature and net primary production. The work is based on the optical backscatter and chlorophyll-fluorescence observations from the BGC-Argo fleet that are converted into particulate organic carbon (POC) profiles. The float coverage allows us to investigate seasonal patterns and spatial variability across frontal zones and oceanic basins in attenuation strength by applying a power law to the measurements. The traditional version of the simple power law (“Martin curve”) was not able to capture the large variability in the mesopelagic. Instead, we propose a broken power law to better explain higher, observed attenuation coefficients in the upper water column.

This new empirical model for particle attenuation can help guide the experimental studies and model developments needed to help constrain the biological carbon pump and how it may change future emission scenarios.

 

Authors
Annika Oetjens (University of Tasmania, IMAS, ACEAS)
Tyler Rohr (University of Tasmania, IMAS, AAPP, ACEAS)
Peter Strutton (University of Tasmania, IMAS, ACEAS)
Zanna Chase (University of Tasmania, IMAS, ACEAS)

 

New unified interface for existing ocean carbonate chemistry data products

Posted by mmaheigan 
· Tuesday, March 24th, 2026 

The paper provides a comprehensive synthesis of 68 existing ocean carbonate chemistry data products and data product sets, including cruise-based compilations, time-series datasets, gap-filled observational products, and model-based reconstructions. The authors highlight the diversity of available products, noting differences in spatial coverage, temporal resolution, methodologies, and intended scientific applications. By systematically cataloguing and comparing these datasets, the study helps researchers identify which products are most suitable for specific scientific questions related to ocean carbon cycling and ocean acidification.

ESSD Paper

Interface for the most updated list of products

Submission interface

 

Authors
Li-Qing Jiang (University of Maryland; NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information; Scripps Institution of Oceanography)
Amanda Fay (Columbia University / Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory)
Jens Daniel Müller (ETH Zürich; Carbon to Sea Initiative)
Luke Gregor (ETH Zürich; Swiss Data Science Center)
Alizée Roobaert (Flanders Marine Institute, VLIZ)
Lydia Keppler (Vycarb Inc.)
Dustin Carroll (Moss Landing Marine Laboratories; NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory)
Siv K. Lauvset (NORCE Research / Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research)
Tim DeVries (University of California, Santa Barbara)
Judith Hauck (Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research)
Christian Rödenbeck (Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry)
Nicolas Metzl (Sorbonne Université / LOCEAN)
Andrea J. Fassbender (NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory)
Jean-Pierre Gattuso (Sorbonne Université / CNRS; Laboratoire d’Océanographie de Villefranche)
Peter Landschützer (Max Planck Institute for Meteorology)
Rik Wanninkhof (NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory)
Christopher Sabine (University of Hawaii at Mānoa)
Simone R. Alin (NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory)
Mario Hoppema (Alfred Wegener Institute)
Are Olsen (University of Bergen / Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research)
Matthew P. Humphreys (University of East Anglia)
Kunal Chakraborty (National Institute of Oceanography, India)
Ana C. Franco (University of Miami)
Kumiko Azetsu-Scott (Bedford Institute of Oceanography / Fisheries and Oceans Canada)
Dorothee C. E. Bakker (University of East Anglia)
Leticia Barbero (NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory)
Nicholas R. Bates (Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences / Arizona State University)
Nicole Besemer (University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna)
Henry C. Bittig (GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel)
Albert E. Boyd (University of Tasmania)
Daniel Broullón (Spanish Institute of Oceanography, IEO-CSIC)
Wei-Jun Cai (University of Delaware)
Brendan R. Carter (University of Washington)
Thi-Tuyet-Trang Chau (LSCE, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ)
Chen-Tung Arthur Chen (National Sun Yat-sen University)
Frédéric Cyr (Fisheries and Oceans Canada)
John E. Dore (University of Hawaii)
Ian Enochs (NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory)
Richard A. Feely (NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory)
Hernan E. Garcia (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information)
Marion Gehlen (LSCE, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ)
Prasanna Kanti Ghoshal (CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, India)
Lucas Gloege (Princeton University)
Melchor González-Dávila (University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria)
Nicolas Gruber (ETH Zürich)
Debby Ianson (Fisheries and Oceans Canada / Institute of Ocean Sciences)
Yosuke Iida (Japan Meteorological Agency)
Masao Ishii (Meteorological Research Institute, Japan)
Apurva Padamnabh Joshi (CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, India)
Esther Kennedy (NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory)
Alex Kozyr (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information)
Nico Lange (GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel)
Claire Lo Monaco (Sorbonne Université / LOCEAN)
Derek P. Manzello (NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory)
Galen A. McKinley (Columbia University / Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory)
Natalie M. Monacci (NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory)
Xosé A. Padin (Spanish Institute of Oceanography, IEO-CSIC)
Ana M. Palacio-Castro (Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas, CSIC)
Fiz F. Pérez (Spanish Institute of Oceanography, IEO-CSIC)
J. Magdalena Santana-Casiano (University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria)
Jonathan Sharp (University of Delaware)
Adrienne Sutton (NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory)
Jim Swift (Scripps Institution of Oceanography)
Toste Tanhua (GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel)
Maciej Telszewski (International Ocean Carbon Coordination Project, IOCCP)
Jens Terhaar (University of Bern)
Ruben van Hooidonk (University of Miami / NOAA Coral Reef Watch)
Anton Velo (Spanish Institute of Oceanography, IEO-CSIC)
Andrew J. Watson (University of Exeter)
Angelicque E. White (Oregon State University)
Zelun Wu (University of Delaware)
Liang Xue (Xiamen University)
Hyelim Yoo (University of Maryland / NOAA NCEI)
Jiye Zeng (National Institute for Environmental Studies, Japan)
Guorong Zhong (Xiamen University)

How much carbon do fish move towards the seafloor as they feed and migrate in the water column?

Posted by mmaheigan 
· Tuesday, March 24th, 2026 

Ocean organisms transfer carbon via many natural processes from surface to seafloor. These include the passive sinking of carbon-rich particles and the active transport of carbon as animals swim downward. A recent study in GBC modeled how carbon stored in fish biomass moves from the sea surface to the seafloor in shelf–slope–abyssal systems through feeding interactions alone. This transport occurs as large fish eat smaller fish while occupying different vertical habitats in the water column. On average, this process delivers an amount equivalent to 5% of all carbon that reaches the seafloor—through sinking organic particles from phytoplankton and zooplankton. Yet, this can be as high as 20% in some shelf areas. On continental slopes, midwater fishes play a key role as a stepping-stone for carbon transfer (up to 50%) to the seafloor. Overall, the study reveals that the vertical movement of fish is an important pathway for delivering carbon to groundfish species, particularly on shelf areas where most commercially valuable fisheries operate.

Caption: Schematic of a shelf-slope-abyssal system with hypothesized fluxes of carbon among major functional groups (top panel); and model-estimated fluxes of carbon from functional groups to demersal fishes (bottom panel). Solid and dotted lines are mean fluxes for Eastern and Western North Atlantic systems, respectively, and shaded areas are standard deviations. Values are proportional.

 

 

Authors

Daniel Ottmann (Technical University of Denmark (DTU-Aqua); Institute of Marine Sciences of Andalusia)
Ken H. Andersen (Technical University of Denmark (DTU-Aqua))
Yixin Zhao (Technical University of Denmark (DTU-Aqua))
Colleen M. Petrik (Scripps Institution of Oceanography)
Charles A. Stock (Scripps Institution of Oceanography)
Clive Trueman (University of Southampton)
P. Daniël van Denderen (Technical University of Denmark (DTU-Aqua))

 

Follow the authors:
bluesky: @danielottmann.bsky.social; @kenandersen.bsky.social
LinkedIn accounts: Ottman; Andersen; Truman
X: @daniel_ottmann; @69kno; @OceanLifeCenter; @van_denderen; @clivetrue;

 

Active Transport of Carbon to Demersal Fish Communities in Shelf-Slope-Abyssal Systems of the North Atlantic Ocean
Global Biogeochemical Cycles, Vol 40:2, e2025GB008861. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GB008861

Sign up for the OCB eNews

Posted by mmaheigan 
· Thursday, March 12th, 2026 

Read all about OCB’s activities, find jobs, postdocs, student opps, funding ops, and keep up with news from across the community and partner programs every month.

Sign up

EXTENDED Nominations for new OCB Subcommittee Ocean Carbonate System Intercomparison Forum (OCSIF)

Posted by mmaheigan 
· Thursday, March 12th, 2026 

We are currently seeking nominations for members of a newly established OCSIF topical subcommittee of the OCB SSC – the Ocean Carbonate System Intercomparison Forum (OCSIF). This subcommittee has its origins in the OCB OCSIF working group focused on identifying and addressing uncertainties in the seawater carbonate system and increasing measurement inter-comparability, with goals of advocating for and sparking collaborations to address these issues and providing guidance for data reporting and documentation while fostering engagement across career stages and global participation. We aim to include a range of expertise and career stages, including very early career scientists (0-4 years since PhD). Non-US applicants are encouraged to apply, as we will aim to include at least 1-2 non-US members on the subcommittee at all times. The subcommittee will include up to 15 members. We are seeking a range of expertise pertaining to the ocean carbonate system, including:

  • Ocean carbonate system measurements (pH, total alkalinity, dissolved inorganic carbon, and pCO2)
  • Carbonate system reference material/metrology
  • Ocean carbonate system calculations, software, and modeling
  • Ocean carbonate system autonomous sensors
  • Data product development
  • Organic acids and organic alkalinity
  • Ocean acidification
  • Inorganic carbon cycling
  • Marine carbon dioxide removal
  • Marine physical chemistry
  • Coastal and estuarine carbonate cycling

Please submit your nominations to the OCB Project Office using this nomination form by March 27, 2026 (extended). Self-nominations are welcome and encouraged!

OCB subcommittee membership terms are typically ~2-4 years, but a detailed charge and terms of reference for this new subcommittee will be established by its inaugural members. The inaugural co-chairs of this subcommittee will be Ryan Woosley (MIT) and Katelyn Schockman (U Miami/NOAA). The OCB Project Office will oversee the nomination and election process. Discussion of nominees and scoring via electronic ballot will be carried out by a small committee of subject matter experts, including Ryan and Katelyn.

New pub from the Operational Phytoplankton Observations Working Group!

Posted by mmaheigan 
· Wednesday, March 11th, 2026 

New publication from the Operational Phytoplankton Observations (OPO) Working Group!

Citation: Clayton, S., Neeley, A., Poulton, N., et al., (2026) Operational Phytoplankton Observations Best Practices: a guide for using imaging technologies for routine monitoring of phytoplankton communities. Version 1.0.0. Woods Hole, MA, Ocean Carbon and Biogeochemistry Program, Operational Phytoplankton Observations Working Group, 96pp. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25607/OBP-2059

Learn more about this OCB working group

Metabarcoding Intercal webinar April 9

Posted by mmaheigan 
· Wednesday, March 11th, 2026 

Join us for the first Metabarcoding Intercal webinar on April 9 at 12PM ET / 9AM PT to hear from

Dr. Felix Milke, University of Oldenburg, Biogeography of Microbial Cohorts in the Global Oceans

Dr. Mahwash Jamy, Uppsala University, Opportunities and Challenges in Long‑Read Metabarcoding for Ecology and Evolution

--

This new activity has just launched and there are multiple opportunities to get involved.

→Sign up and nominate speakers for the bi-monthly webinar series. Self-nominations are encouraged.

→Apply to join the working group. Participants will be expected to prepare and analyze samples for 16S or 18S sequences and attend a synthesis meeting either in-person or virtually. Detailed protocols and workflows are expected to be made publicly available.

→Learn more about this activity

Register for April 9 webinar
Sign up or nominate speakers for the bi-monthly webinar series
Apply to join the working group
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Funding for the Ocean Carbon & Biogeochemistry Project Office is provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The OCB Project Office is housed at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.