Research Overview
4 main research topics are developed within our Marine chemistry Research Group:
Climate-change gases exchanged between ocean and atmosphere are studied to estimate the ocean ability to store or release gases involved in heat trapping in the atmosphere (greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), or in ozone depletion (volatile halogenated organic compounds (VHOC)).
CO2
Chemical tracers of ocean circulation
Nutrients
Chemical tracers have become a key tool for oceanographers over the last few years, to study ocean circulation. Our team implements usual physical tracers as well as two types of chemical tracers:
- natural tracers, or nutrients (silicates, nitrates, phosphates), which can show constant relative concentrations in the deep ocean
-transient tracers (CFCs, CCl4), which are anthropogenic compounds whose concentrations have widely fluctuated over the last decades.
Continuous observation and long-term surveys on the coastal environment are a key component to evaluate anthropogenic impact of coastal ecosystems. Our research group contributes to SOMLIT monitoring program by implementing physicochemical and biogeochemical time-series data in Roscoff.
We also contribute to the European INTERREG-Marinexus program by installing an automated instrument package, called a Ferrybox, onboard the ‘Armorique’ ferryboat (Brittany Ferries). Sensors implemented on this ferryboat allow us to collect a high-frequency dataset (daily cruises between Roscoff andPlymouth) for biogeochemical parameters in Western channel.
High frequency Data
The Marine chemistry team has implemented over the last decade a number of sensors delivering continuous data in real time, on buoys or ships of opportunity
Sensors :
on Astan cardinal buoy : meteorological parameters (atmospheric T and P, speed and direction of wind) and oceanographical parameters (Sea Water temperature, Salinity, Dissolved oxygen, pCO2, Fluorescence)
on Ferrybox instrument : Sea Water temperature, Salinity, Dissolved oxygen, pCO2, Fluorescence, CDOM
