The seafloor serves as the only geologic-scale storage of oceanic carbon, and consideration of benthic-pelagic exchanges constitutes a major knowledge GAP in our understanding of the longterm…

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) awarded a $587,486 Project Grant under the Cooperative Institute (Inter-Agency Funded Activities) program (CFDA 11.405) to The Trustees of Princeton University Office of Research and Project Administration (Princeton University). The grant supports research to investigate the role of benthic biogeochemical cycles and benthic food webs on two marine carbon dioxide removal strategies: kelp aquaculture and cessation of trawling. The project aims to develop a simple benthic biogeochemical model that can be coupled to ocean circulation and biogeochemistry models to assess the impact of benthic-pelagic coupling on marine carbon removal strategies and the global carbon cycle. The award period is from February 1, 2024 to January 31, 2027. No sub-awards were specified in the details provided.

The seafloor serves as the only geologic-scale storage of oceanic carbon, and consideration of benthic-pelagic exchanges constitutes a major knowledge GAP in our understanding of the longterm evolution of the global carbon cycle, as well as the durability of marine carbon dioxide removal (mcdr) strategies. This work will focus on the role of benthic biogeochemical cycles and benthic food web on two mcdr strategies: kelp aquaculture and cessation of trawling. Work will consist of the development of a simple benthic biogeochemical model that can be coupled to the gfdl modular ocean model v. 6 (MOM6) and carbon, ocean biogeochemistry, and lower trophics (cobalt) models. Additionally, experiments will be conducted in a range of domains (1-dimensional to regional), assessing the impact of benthicpelagic coupling on mcdr strategies as well as the ocean carbon cycle.