A versatile programmable flow injection platform for shipboard and autonomous analysis of nutrients and trace metals

The National Science Foundation Division of Ocean Sciences awarded San Jose State University Research Foundation $606,009 on September 1, 2026, for development and validation of a programmable flow injection platform to measure dissolved iron and other trace metals in seawater for shipboard and autonomous ocean observation.

The project develops wet-chemical instrumentation and methods to advance trace metal oceanography, addressing a capability gap in U.S. ocean science. Investigators will establish a sub-nanomolar dissolved iron measurement method suitable for shipboard deployment and assess its adaptation to autonomous operation in a coastal setting. In parallel, they will deploy an autonomous analyzer at the Moss Landing shore station to generate an 18-month hourly record of phosphate and silicate concentrations co-located with an existing UV nitrate sensor. The work transforms wet-chemical analysis from traditional continuous flow systems to programmable reaction-zone control, enabling kinetically distinct measurements within a universal fluidic manifold. Graduate and undergraduate students receive training in wet-chemical instrumentation, method development, uncertainty analysis, and data interpretation. Public demonstrations will engage the community in coastal observing and ocean health monitoring.

Performance occurs in San Jose, California, with a period of performance from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2029. The award is classified as a Project Grant under the National Science Foundation's Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050), which supports basic research in atmospheric, earth, and ocean sciences to strengthen the national scientific enterprise.

Abstract

The supply and concentration of nutrients and trace metals exert a fundamental control on marine productivity, phytoplankton community structure, and carbon cycling in the ocean. High-quality measurements of nutrients and trace metals are essential for understanding these processes that govern life in the ocean. However, most wet-chemical methods remain difficult to operate during extended shipboard campaigns and are unsuitable for unattended deployment. As a result, established methods for trace metals and nutrients other than nitrate have not kept pace with the expansion of autonomous ocean observing platforms. Building on prior NSF support that established programmable flow injection (PFI) for nutrients and dissolved aluminum analysis, this project will expand U.S. Capability in trace metal oceanography and advance the PFI platform toward the more difficult measurement of iron. The project will train graduate and undergraduate students in wet-chemical instrumentation, method development, uncertainty analysis, and data interpretation. Public demonstrations will engage the community in coastal observing and ocean health monitoring. Investigators will develop and validate a shipboard method for sub-nanomolar dissolved iron and assess its suitability for autonomous operation in a coastal setting. In parallel, they will deploy an autonomous PFI analyzer at the moss landing shore station to produce an 18-month long hourly record of phosphate and silicate CO-located with an existing UV nitrate sensor. The project will advance chemical oceanographic measurement by transforming wet-chemical analysis from dispersion-based continuous flow systems to programmable reaction-zone control. Adapting PFI to dissolved iron will establish a robust, sub-nanomolar shipboard method within a universal fluidic manifold capable of supporting kinetically distinct trace metal assays. Long-duration coastal deployments will quantify analytical stability and combined measurement uncertainty under sustained field operation, providing performance benchmarks required for future autonomous chemical sensing applications. The sustained phosphate?silicate time series will provide high-frequency observations of cross-shelf exchange along a steep continental margin, where internal tides and bores transport nutrient-rich deep waters onto the shelf. Resolving variability at tidal-to-seasonal timescales will clarify how offshore source waters and nearshore modification interact to structure nutrient stoichiometry in productive coastal environments. Together, these advances will move wet-chemical oceanographic measurements from expert-operated shipboard methods toward sustained autonomous chemical observing. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.