Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Ocean Sciences awarded $516,832 to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego on August 1, 2026, for a collaborative research project examining microbial composition and metabolite production associated with sinking particles in the California Current System. Under this Project Grant (CFDA 47.050, Geosciences), the awardee will conduct an integrated multi-omics study characterizing particle-attached bacterial communities and their role in the biological carbon pump—the natural process by which the ocean absorbs atmospheric carbon dioxide and transports it to the deep sea. The research will analyze organic matter composition across the particulate-dissolved continuum at depths between 50 and 450 meters to understand how particle characteristics influence microbial metabolism and carbon preservation versus recycling in the ocean's interior.

This three-year project, concluding July 31, 2029, will deliver scientific knowledge products that advance understanding of carbon cycle processes affecting coastal ecosystem health and fisheries productivity along the U.S. West Coast. The research is expected to generate contributions to open-source research tools, educational resources, and workforce development through training of early-career scientists, while strengthening U.S. national leadership in ocean science and data integration. The collaborative research framework leverages Scripps' specialized oceanographic laboratories, research vessels, and marine biogeochemistry expertise to produce peer-reviewed publications and datasets advancing ocean science capabilities.