Science Group

Marine Biogeochemistry and Observations

Developing our understanding of key marine biogeochemical processes and their multiple exchanges with terrestrial, atmospheric and benthic environments.

The ‘Marine Biogeochemistry and Observations (MBO)’ group explores the natural variability and the impact of man's activities on the marine environment from local to global scales.

Boasting a wealth of expertise, datasets and hardware that span local, regional and basin scales, the team has a truly pole-to-pole capability.

The group’s areas of focus include:

Understanding the key processes in the biogeochemical cycling of organic and inorganic carbon and nutrients in contrasting environments, the factors controlling them and the fluxes between different systems
Identifying how the composition and cleanliness of marine air varies over time and space
Seeking ways to better inform clean air legislation on sulphur and nitrogen gases, and particulates

Article The Penlee Point Atmospheric Observatory (PPAO) was established by PML in 2014 for long-term observations of ocean-atmosphere interaction and forms part of the Western Channel Observatory.

Penlee Point Observatory

The Penlee Point Atmospheric Observatory (PPAO) was established by PML in 2014 for long-term observations of ocean-atmosphere interaction and forms part of the Western Channel Observatory.

PML Project pages

Latest publications

McMahon, O; Smyth, TJ; Davies, TW; 2022. Broad spectrum artificial light at night increases the conspicuousness of camouflaged prey . Journal of Applied Ecology.
Sims, RP; Bedington, M; Schuster, U; Watson, AJ; Kitidis, V; Torres, R; Findlay, HS; Fishwick, J; Brown, IJ; Bell, TG; 2022. Tidal mixing of estuarine and coastal waters in the western English Channel is a control on spatial and temporal variability in seawater CO2; . Biogeosciences.
Clark, DR; Rees, AP; Ferrera, CM; Al-Moosawi, L; Somerfield, PJ; Harris, C; Quartly, GD; Goult, S; Tarran, GA; Lessin, G; 2022. Nitrite regeneration in the oligotrophic Atlantic Ocean . Biogeosciences.

Watts, J; Bell, TG; Anderson, K; Butterworth, BJ; Miller, S; Else, BGT; Shutler, J; 2022. Impact of sea ice on air-sea CO2 exchange – A critical review of polar eddy covariance studies . Progress in Oceanography.
Brotas, V; Tarran, GA; Veloso, V; Brewin, RJW; Woodward, EMS; Airs, RL; Beltran, C; Ferreira, AS; Groom, SB; 2022. Complementary Approaches to Assess Phytoplankton Groups and Size Classes on a Long Transect in the Atlantic Ocean . Frontiers in Marine Science.
Dong, Y; Yang, M; Bakker, DCE; Liss, PS; Kitidis, V; Brown, IJ; Chierici, M; Fransson, A; Bell, TG; 2021. Near‐Surface Stratification Due to Ice Melt Biases Arctic Air‐Sea CO 2 Flux Estimates . Geophysical Research Letters.
Cerdan-Garcia, E; Baylay, A; Polyviou, D; Woodward, EMS; Wrightson, L; Mahaffey, C; Lohan, MC; Moore, CM; Bibby, T.S; Robidart, J.C; 2021. Transcriptional responses of Trichodesmium to natural inverse gradients of Fe and P availability . ISME Journal - Multidisciplinary Journal of Microbial Ecology.
Rees, AP; Bange, HW; Arévalo-Martínez, DL; Artioli, Y; Ashby, DM; Brown, IJ; Campen, HI; Clark, DR; Kitidis, V; Lessin, G; Tarran, GA; Turley, CM; 2021. Nitrous oxide and methane in a changing Arctic Ocean . Ambio.
Jia, K; Manning, CCM; Jollymore, A; Beckie, RD; 2021. Technical note: Effects of iron(II) on fluorescence properties of dissolved organic matter at circumneutral pH . Hydrology and Earth System Sciences.
Tidau, S; Smyth, TJ; McKee, D; Wiedenmann, J; D’Angelo, C; Wilcockson, DC; Ellison, A; Grimmer, A; Jenkins, S; Widdicombe, S; Queiros, AM; Talbot, E; Wright, A; Davies, TW; 2021. Marine artificial light at night: An empirical and technical guide . Methods in Ecology and Evolution.