Project: Preparation and Distribution of DOC Consensus Reference Materials

NSF Award Abstract:

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the ocean is part of the global carbon cycle. DOC interacts with the Earth's climate system through its connection to carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Keeping track of DOC requires the cooperation of many marine laboratories worldwide. Making sure that all of these laboratories are making accurate DOC measurements requires that each can access a standardized sample of seawater for which the DOC concentration is set by international agreement. This award funds the University of Miami to continue a consensus reference material (CRM) program that was first developed in 1998 in support of consistent, high quality measurements of dissolved organic carbon by the international ocean chemistry community. With continuation of this work, the US and international communities can make consistent measurements of a major marine carbon reservoir and advance society's ability to assess changes in the marine carbon cycle and the role of the ocean in climate change.

With continued strong international efforts to investigate the marine carbon cycle, the existing CRM program provides the necessary benchmark for globally comparable marine DOC measurements. Water from the deep Florida Strait (approximately 42 umol/kg DOC) will be collected, placed in ampoules, and distributed to the US and international community. Over the time period of this program, approximately 228,000 vials of reference waters have been distributed to approximately 240 US and international laboratories in 43 nations, currently at a rate of about 23,000 vials/year. With continuation of the reference material program for a seventh 3-year period of support, distribution of deep ocean water containing biologically refractory dissolved organic carbon and low carbon reference water will continue to aid the analytical work of the community studying dissolved organic matter in the ocean. A website is maintained that provides direct and convenient links to a growing number of DOC data collected from the global ocean.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.