GESAMP and its Working Group on the Atmospheric Input of Chemicals to the Ocean

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1 GESAMP and its Working Group on the Atmospheric Input of Chemicals to the Ocean Robert A Duce Departments of Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences Texas A&M University College Station, Texas

2 What is GESAMP? The Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection is an interagency advisory group in the United Nations System, established in 1969 and sponsored by nine UN bodies

3 MISSION STATEMENT To provide authoritative, independent, interdisciplinary scientific advice to organizations and governments to support the protection and sustainable use of the marine environment.

4 STRUCTURE EXCOM PARTNERS GESAMP Office GESAMP Pool of Experts Governments IGO s Regional organisations Industry Scientific bodies NGO s Evaluation of the hazards of harmful substances carried by ships (WG 1) Review of applications for active substances to be used in Ballast Water Management Systems (WG 34) CURRENT WORKING GROUPS Atmospheric input of chemicals to the ocean (WG 38) Global trends in pollution of coastal ecosystems (WG 39) Sources, fate and effects of micro-plastics in the environment: a global assessment (WG 40) Marine Geoengineering (WG 41)

5 WORKING GROUPS Terms of Reference proposed by the lead Organization and approved by GESAMP WGs are supported by a lead agency and co-sponsors Reports considered for publication in GESAMP Reports & Studies following rigorous, external peer review and final approval by GESAMP WGs progress update during annual GESAMP sessions

6 GESAMP Working Group 38 The Atmospheric Input of Chemicals to the Ocean

7 GESAMP Working Group 38 The Atmospheric Input of Chemicals to the Ocean Rationale Recognition continues to grow concerning the impact of the atmospheric input of both natural and anthropogenic substances on ocean chemistry, biology, and biogeochemistry as well as climate. In the 1980s, GESAMP formed a working group sponsored by WMO, UNESCO/IOC, and UNEP that developed a comprehensive review of the input of atmospheric trace species to the global ocean (GESAMP, 1989). That benchmark effort led to a scientific publication in Global Biogeochemical Cycles in 1991 that for more than 15 years was the state-of-the-art reference in this area, leading to over 1300 citations in the literature. Since that paper was considerably out of date, a new overall look at this issue was needed and Working Group 38 was formed in 2008.

8 Early workshops focused on the impact of dust and its associated nutrients iron and phosphorus on marine biogeochemistry as well as the impact of SO 2 and NO x on ocean acidification. Okin, G., et al., Impacts of atmospheric nutrient deposition on marine productivity: roles of nitrogen, phosphorus, and iron, Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 25, GB2022, doi: /2010gb003858, (2011). Hunter, K.A., et al., Impacts of anthropogenic SO x, NO x and NH 3 on acidification of coastal waters and shipping lanes, Geophysical Research Letters, 38, L13602, doi: /2011gl (2011). Kanakidou, M., et al., Atmospheric fluxes of organic N and P to the ocean, Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 26, GB3026,doi: /2011GB004277, (2012). Schulz, M., et al., The atmospheric transport and deposition of mineral dust to the ocean - Implications for research needs, Environmental Science and Technology, 46, 10,390-10,404 (2012). Hagens, M., et al., Biogeochemical context impacts seawater ph changes resulting from atmospheric sulfur and nitrogen deposition, Geophysical Research Letters, 41, doi: /2013gl (2014).

9 A later charge to WG 38 was as follows: 1) Update the geographical estimates of anthropogenic nitrogen deposition to the global ocean made in a 2008 paper in Science. 2) Re-estimate the amount of CO 2 that could be drawn down from the atmosphere into the ocean as a result of the increased productivity in the ocean resulting from the additional anthropogenic nutrient nitrogen deposited. 3) Provide a more reliable estimate of the impact of atmospheric anthropogenic nitrogen deposition on the production of additional nitrous oxide in the ocean and its subsequent emission to the atmosphere. 4) Evaluate the extent to which anthropogenic nitrogen delivered to the coastal zone via rivers, atmospheric deposition, etc. is transported to the open ocean, in which regions this may happen, and what its impact is there. 5) Make a more detailed estimate of the input and impact of anthropogenic nitrogen in the area of the Northern Indian Ocean (Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal) and the South China Sea.

10 Papers to Date Published Kim, T.-W., K. Lee, R. Duce, and P. Liss, Impact of atmospheric nitrogen deposition on phytoplankton productivity in the South China Sea, Geophysical Research Letters, 41, , doi: /2014gl (2014). In Press Somes, C.J., A. Landolphi, W. Koeve, and A. Oschlies, Ocean biogeochemical feedbacks limit the impact of atmospheric nitrogen deposition on marine productivity, Geophysical Research Letters (2016). To Be Submitted Soon Sharples, J., J.J. Middelburg, K. Fennel, and T.D. Jickells, Physical controls on riverine delivery of nutrients and carbon to the open ocean, Global Biogeochemical Cycles (2016). Four additional papers are still in preparation, but all should be submitted before the end of the year. This includes a major summary paper on our current understanding of the impact of atmospheric nitrogen deposition on marine biogeochemical cycling, led by Tim Jickells, and a paper comparing observation and model-based estimates of atmospheric nitrogen deposition to the ocean, led by Alex Baker.

11 At GAW s request, GESAMP WG 38 is pleased to help in any way it can in the International Nitrogen Management System (INMS) effort, which will be described by Mark Sutton tomorrow.

12 The most recent membership of WG 38 has been as follows Co-Chairs: Robert Duce, United States Timothy Jickells, United Kingdom Members: Katye Altieri (South Africa) Alex Baker (United Kingdom) Doug Capone (United States) Frank Dentener (Italy) Katja Fennel (Canada) Jim Galloway (United States) Maria Kanakidou (Greece) Julie LaRoche (Canada) Kitack Lee (Korea) Peter Liss (United Kingdom) Jack Middelburg (Netherlands) Keith Moore (United States) Slobodan Nickovic (Serbia) Greg Okin (United States) Andreas Oschlies (Germany) Joseph Prospero (United States) Manmohan Sarin (India) Sybil Seitzinger (Sweden/Canada) Jonathan Sharples (United Kingdom) Parv Suntharalingam (United Kingdom Mitsuo Uematsu (Japan) Lauren Zamora (United States) WG 38 recognizes the importance of interacting with and understanding the issues of related scientific groups and programs, and its membership includes individuals with extensive present or past experience with CACGP, SOLAS, IGAC, IGBP, SCOR, SDS-WAS, etc.

13 Following discussions last year with Oksana Tarasova, Alexander Balkanov, and Silvina Carou of WMO, GESAMP has approved WG 38 to undertake two workshops related to the changing acid/base character of the global atmosphere and ocean and the impact of these changes on certain air/sea chemical exchange processes. One workshop, Changing Atmospheric Acidity and the Oceanic Solubility of Nutrients, focuses on how the changing atmospheric acidity will affect the solubility, and thus bioavailability, of such aerosol derived nutrients as iron and phosphorus when they are deposited in the ocean from the atmosphere and how their oceanic solubility can best be evaluated through laboratory studies. The second workshop, Impact of Ocean Acidification on Fluxes of non-co 2 Climate-Active Species, focuses on the impacts of ocean acidification on the oceanic production and emissions of a range of non-co2 gaseous species as well as aerosol precursors that are influential in regulating radiative forcing, atmospheric oxidizing capacity and atmospheric chemistry. Detailed planning for the workshops took place at the University of East Anglia earlier this week, and we expect the workshops to take place there in late February, early March Support will be from WMO, IMO, SCOR, and very likely the US National Science Foundation.

14 Thank you!