Benthic biogeochemical models are essential for predicting seafloor processes that influence ocean chemistry, carbon storage, habitat conditions, and climate feedbacks. Despite numerous models developed over the past two decades, they vary widely in complexity, structure, and assumptions, leading to unquantified structural uncertainty that may hinder accurate predictions. This uncertainty affects both long-term climate projections and nearterm ecosystem responses. To address this, OCB's BECS working group convened webinars and workshops to improve benthic carbon cycle modeling. Modelers proposed the Sediment Biogeochemistry Model Intercomparison Project (SedBGC-MIP) to better understand carbon sequestration and reduce modeling uncertainty. The initiative aims to assess model sensitivity to complexity, identify essential mechanisms, and guide parameterization. A paper introducing SedBGC-MIP is in revision, and US-OCB support will facilitate the developing its protocol and implementation plan.
Town Hall at OSM26: TH23A: Advancing Benthic Modeling: Introducing SedBGC_MIP, a Community-Driven Model Intercomparison Initiative
TUESDAY, February 24, 12:45-1:45p GMT in Hall3. The Abyss - SEC
Samantha Siedlecki, University of Connecticut; Stanley Nmor, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ); Jessica Luo, NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory
A 1-hour town hall to discuss the Sediment Biogeochemistry Model Intercomparison Project (Sed_MIP), a new collaborative effort to systematically evaluate and improve benthic biogeochemical models. Benthic processes play a critical role in global carbon cycling, nutrient dynamics, and redox transformationsâyet sediment models vary widely in complexity, assumptions, and predictive power. Sed_MIP aims to benchmark existing models against observational constraints to refine process representations, identify structural uncertainties, and support integration into Earth System Models. This town hall will feature a short presentation on the rationale, design, and goals of the project, followed by small breakout groups, Q&A, and open community feedback. Group insights will be synthesized live, providing valuable input to the project's development, including the design of an experimental protocol and principal observational datasets for model-data comparisons. We invite feedback on how to structure upcoming phases, including the design of an experimental protocol, and key observational datasets for model-data comparisons. The session is targets modelers, observational scientists, and Earth system model developers interested in improving model skill and advancing predictive understanding of seafloor processes. We welcome all interested community members. The goal is to gather diverse perspectives, identify gaps and opportunities, and build community around this intercomparison effort.
Also check out the related Town Hall:
Thursday at 12:45-1:45pm in Hall 3, Coral Cove - SEC
TH43B: Creating Truly Global Datasets of Benthic Fluxes for Advancing Carbon and Nutrient Cycling Research (Robinson Fulweiler, Boston University; Nicholas Ray, University of Delaware; Natalya Evans, University of California Santa Barbara; Cristina Schultz)
Samantha Siedlecki (UConn)
Colleen Petrik (UCSD)
Stanley Nmor (NIOZ Yerseke)
Tyler Rohr (Univ of Tasmania)
Cristina Schultz (Northeastern University)
Jessica Luo (NOAA Geophysical Fluid
Dynamics Laboratory)
Jeremy Testa (University of Maryland Center for Environmental Sciences)
Gennadi Lessin (Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK)
Olivier Sulpis (CEREGE, Aix Marseille University, CNRS, France)
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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.