An OceanICU funded scientific cruise is underway! Seven researchers from eight different institutions are onboard the CSIC Research Vessel Sarmiento de Gamboa which departed Walvis Bay, Namibia for an expedition bound for the Canary Islands, with ten planned stops along the West African coast for sampling. The vessel is expected to arrive in Gran Canaria on 17 April.
The cruise, led by Javier Arístegui (ULPGC), is in support of research to enhance our understanding of key processes of the biological carbon pump, a key objective of the project, as well as the impact of climate stressors on surface plankton communities in the tropical and subtropical Atlantic Ocean.
The route will cross the Atlantic, through regions that differ in nutrient availability, oxygen levels, organic matter content, and temperature. This variability is crucial to the objective of refining model parametrisations achieved by investigating regional differences in the contributions of various carbon pump processes.
Check out their blog and stay tuned as we cover their expedition.
