Coastal oceans play a key role in the global carbon cycle, and this field plan explains how scientists study that role.
It outlines the Ocean Margins Program’s approach to measuring how carbon moves and transforms from land to sea and back to the atmosphere.
The document focuses on the science goals, the experimental design near Cape Hatteras, and how researchers will combine moored instruments with ship campaigns. It emphasizes integrating physical, chemical, and biological observations to quantify carbon fluxes, storage, and the processes that drive them.
- Understand how the coastal ocean acts as a system and a boundary between land, estuaries, and open ocean.
- Learn about the methods used to observe carbon exchange, including moorings, sensors, and ship-based measurements.
- Explore how primary production, respiration, and microbial activity transform carbon in the water column, benthic boundary layer, and sediments.
- See how this research informs coastal policy, climate models, and global carbon assessments.
Ideal for readers of coastal science, environmental policy, and climate-related research who want a clear view of how ocean margins are studied and why they matter.