02/12/2011 00:30
02/17/2011 17:30
Etc/GMT
ASLO -S55: Microbial Carbon Pump: A multidisciplinary focus on origins, cycling and storage of DOM in the ocean
Deadline for abstract submission: 11 Oct 2010.
Convenors: Dr. Nianzhi (George) JIAO (jiao@xmu.edu.cn), Gerhard Kattner (Gerhard.Kattner@awi.de); Farooq Azam, (fazam@ucsd.edu); Steven Wilhelm, (wilhelm@utk.edu)
The majority of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the ocean has an average age of 4000 to 6000 years. These substances must be extremely resistant against biotic and abiotic degradation and/or almost unusable for microorganisms. DOM, produced via a number of food web processes, undergoes multiple transformations to semi-labile and finally to recalcitrant DOM. Bacterial/microbial processes govern some of those transformations. The specific mechanisms that generate recalcitrant DOM are largely unknown. Moreover, with limited ability to characterize the molecular structures of DOM it is difficult to discern why some is resistant to biotic and abiotic decomposition. The interaction between microbes and the production and removal of recalcitrant DOM requires further information of both microbial function and molecular level determination of DOM to assess the impact of DOM on global carbon cycles. This session seeks to develop a close co-operation between chemists and microbiologists that is indispensible to understand the cycling and storage of DOM.
In addition to the SS 55, SCOR WG134 on Microbial Carbon Pump in the Ocean (http://www.scor-int.org.working-groups/wg134.htm or http://mme.xmu.edu.cn/mcp/eindex.asp ) is also planning an ASLO Emerging Seminar immediately after the ASLO meeting (on Feb.18-20, 2011); this is an open meeting and all are welcome to join us.Contact convenors above.
