Sea- going expedition to the tropical pacific with the SCRIPPS vessel R/V Sally Ride
Post doc, Claudia Frey, participated in a 6 weeks long cruise lead by PI Prof. Bess Ward to the Tropical pacific. Starting off in San Diego, U.S.A. we took over 6000 water samples within 6 weeks on our way to Manzanillo, Mexico.
The goal was to resolve exactly where and how much nitrous oxide is produced and consumed by ocean microbes. For that we analysed the level of nitrogen and oxygen at different depths. Knowing the origins and sinks of the powerful greenhouse gas, N2O has significant implications for modeling global warming. Microbes produce more than half of the planet’s nitrous oxide, which is not only contributing to climate change but also destroying our protective ozone layer.
The pictures not just give an impression of how we get the water samples and how we process them, but also on the beauty of the sea.
