Indian Contributions to Chemical Studies in the Indian Sector of Southern Ocean

Abstract

Southern Ocean is a crucial oceanic regime for understanding the role of biogeochemical cycles in influencing the global climatic changes, as this is a region where signatures of global changes are more pronounced. For an Improved understanding of the link between Southern Ocean processes, biogeochemical cycles and the global climate, scientific research was commenced. Some remarkable research work has been accomplished by Indian Scientific community in the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean (ISSO). A total of six successful multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional expeditions were carried out from the year 2009 to 2015 in the ISSO, with the pilot expedition launched in the year 2004. During the last decade, an understanding of different aspects of the ocean processes has been achieved using chemical studies and proxies. Studies in the ISSO focused on shifts in the oceanic fronts, the carbon and nutrient dynamics, as well as the food web dynamics across the different fronts. The spatial-temporal variation of nutrients, dissolved oxygen, dissolved inorganic carbon and the factors regulating their distribution in the ISSO has also been addressed. Attempts were made to understand the atmosphereocean
interaction of CO2 and biogeochemical processes. Some experimental work have been undertaken to assess the nitrogen uptake and influence of micronutrients on phytoplankton. Similarly, stable isotope of oxygen has been used as a proxy in some early studies in the ISSO. Isotopic and molecular investigations have been commenced to understand the biogeochemical processes within the water column, as the biological pump and particulate organic matter (POM) have a major role to play in carbon sequestration and further influencing the global climate variability. Detailed studies on dissolved and particulate organic matter are being carried out to gain knowledge of the biological pump and the factors responsible for climate variability and ocean acidification.