Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

Canada's oceans are undergoing rapid change as a result of climate-driven alterations in sea ice cover and surface ocean circulation, which in turn can strongly influence biological productivity and the health of our fisheries, air-sea exchange of greenhouse gases (e.g. carbon dioxide) and the distribution of potentially harmful contaminants (e.g. mercury, lead). At present, our ability to predict the future trajectory and fully understand the impacts of these changes is limited by a poor understanding of the interacting chemical, physical and biological processes which shape the functional characteristics and resiliency of our three oceans. The distribution and variation of trace elements and isotopes (TEIs) with time and space in the ocean can provide important information on key biological, physical and chemical processes relative to ongoing global change. For example, trace elements influence biological productivity which ultimately impacts the ability of the oceans to absorb anthropogenic carbon dioxide and mitigate climate change. Similarly, spatial and temporal variability in primary production determines our fisheries yields. TEIs are also useful geochemical tracers of present ocean circulation and provide, through sediment records, proxy information about past ocean conditions, which can only be understood by studying TEIs in the modern ocean. To do this kind of research, seawater must be collected without contaminating it for trace metals during sampling - this is a difficult task that requires specialized equipment. The equipment requested here will help to maintain and expand Canadian capacity to reliably, cleanly sample the ocean for TEIs with the high spatial and temporal resolution required for modern oceanographic survey and process studies. This capacity is essential to allow Canadian contributions to global and regional studies that will provide invaluable information for oceanographic, fisheries and climate change research.