Marine Biogeochemical Modelling and Data Assimilation for Operational Forecasting, Reanalysis, and Climate Research

Marine biogeochemistry is the study of chemical elements in the ocean, and their interactions with marine life. Chief amongst these elements is carbon, the building block of life and a key influence on Earth’s climate. thers of importance include nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, silicon, and iron. Biogeochemical cycling happens through physical transport, chemical reactions, and uptake and processing by plankton, which are organisms unable to swim against ocean currents. Phytoplankton, microscopic photosynthesising algae, form the base of the ocean food web and contribute about half of Earth’s primary production. The zooplankton that consume them also process a significant quantity of carbon and nutrients. In addition, many plankton produce shells or skeletons mostly made of calcium carbonate or silicate (also referred to as biogenic opal). Higher trophic levels such as fish and marine mammals play a lesser role in elemental cycling, and so are generally considered separately.