Fluxes Across Interfaces

Coastal and marine ecosystems are experiencing increasing pressure, both from the direct impacts of human-driven CO2 pollution as well as our attempts to mitigate these emissions.

In the department of Fluxes across coastal interfaces, we take a largely observational (measurement-driven) approach to better understand how coastal systems are reacting to these changes, and where they can contribute our efforts to reduce atmospheric CO2 levels.

We acknowledge the highly complex and interconnected nature of coastal carbon fluxes and apply approaches aimed at considering the coupled physical and (bio)geochemical of carbon exchange. This includes both direct flux observations (eddy covariance), modern physical oceanographic tools (largely ADCP), as well as traditional carbonate chemical and stable (carbon) isotopic tracing.

Together, we use these observations to describe the present carbon cycle, as well as its sensitivity to human modifications, especially via intentional efforts aimed at marine Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR).

This work takes us to a diverse suite of ecosystems, ranging from open and nearshore coastal waters, coastal vegetated “Blue Carbon” habitats, as well as estuaries and inland waters. The data collected, and understanding gained through their analysis, all play a critical secondary role by feeding into models of the marine carbon cycle, ensuring their validity and reliability.