Aurora Australis AU0701 (GIPY03, SIPEX)
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | Aurora Australis (09AR) |
| Cruise identifier | AU0701 (GIPY03, SIPEX) |
| Cruise period | 2007-09-03 — 2007-10-17 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Hobart, Australia |
| Port of return | Hobart, Australia |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | The project investigates the biogeochemistry of iron (Fe), including a comprehensive examination of its distribution, speciation (i.e. the different forms of Fe), cycling and its role in fuelling sea ice-based and pelagic algal communities. A major part of this research will concentrate on the influence of organic exopolysaccharides (EPS) on Fe solubility and its bio-availability. The distribution of other bioactive trace elements will also be examined as a means of fingerprinting the source(s) of Fe, as well as indicating their biological requirements.
A non-contaminating electro-polished stainless steel ice corer will be used for sea ice sampling. Melted sea ice, snow, brine and seawater will then be analyzed to determine Fe and other trace metals of interest, including EPS concentrations, biological and physico-chemical parameters. This research will improve our understanding of key processes that control the productivity of the climatically-important Antarctic sea ice zone. |
| Chief scientist | Andrew R Bowie (University of Tasmania, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies) |
| Project | GEOTRACES -Trace elements and their isotopes in the water column |
| Cruise report |  (0.08 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | Southern Ocean |
| Specific | Antarctic |
| Track charts | (0.10 MB) |
