
NSF Org: |
OCE Division Of Ocean Sciences |
Recipient: |
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Initial Amendment Date: | July 19, 2016 |
Latest Amendment Date: | July 19, 2016 |
Award Number: | 1634463 |
Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
Program Manager: |
Simone Metz
OCE Division Of Ocean Sciences GEO Directorate for Geosciences |
Start Date: | August 1, 2016 |
End Date: | December 31, 2019 (Estimated) |
Total Intended Award Amount: | $534,389.00 |
Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $534,389.00 |
Funds Obligated to Date: |
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History of Investigator: |
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Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
2425 CAMPUS RD SINCLAIR RM 1 HONOLULU HI US 96822-2247 (808)956-7800 |
Sponsor Congressional District: |
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Primary Place of Performance: |
1000 Pope Road, MSB Honolulu HI US 96822-2336 |
Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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Parent UEI: |
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NSF Program(s): | Chemical Oceanography |
Primary Program Source: |
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Program Reference Code(s): |
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Program Element Code(s): |
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Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.050 |
ABSTRACT
The ability of oceanographers to investigate and understand chemical processes in the ocean is only as good as the accuracy and precision of the techniques available for making chemical measurements. This project seeks to upgrade an existing analytical method (the micro-Sequential Injection Lab on Valve; uSI-LOV methodology) for measurement of dissolved aluminum (Al) and phosphate (P) in seawater. Aluminum is an abundant element used for tracking dust input to the ocean from the atmosphere and the movement of water masses. Phosphate is an essential nutrient for biological growth in the ocean, showing spatial and temporal variability that affects the growth of phytoplankton. The novel uSI-LOV methods would allow unattended and accurate measurement of Al and P together, with direct benefit for oceanographic research on biogeochemical cycles and ecosystem dynamics. Additionally, the uSI-LOV methodology includes an ingenious "single standard" technique that greatly simplifies calibration of the system, can be developed for analysis of many other elements beyond Al and P, and would provide a procedure for improved inter-comparison between different studies. The refined, modular uSI-LOV system produced by this proposal will be widely applicable for use by the oceanographic community. The project will also fund an excellent interdisciplinary PhD student thesis opportunity that incorporates aspects of engineering, analytical chemistry, and oceanography.
The PIs on this project intend to adapt the micro-Sequential Injection Lab on Valve (uSI-LOV) system to the measurement of seawater Al and P using fluorescent and spectrophotometric detection with flow injection analysis. They will develop and evaluate a novel "single standard" calibration process that uses the precisely reproduced timing of the rising and falling edge of a single standard injection peak as a pseudo-standard addition curve, potentially providing better calibration of other seawater analytical systems designed for trace element and nutrient concentrations in the ocean. The improved uSI-LOV methodology has advantages of physical robustness, as well as lowered power, sample, and reagent requirements. The project will field test the uSI-LOV system during an at-sea intercalibration against established shipboard analytical methods for P and Al, and deploy a small battery operated version in shallow water to test autonomous operation. The work is directed at eventual use of the uSI-LOV technology on existing and future remote platforms and autonomous vehicles. Successful adaptation, integration into the chemical oceanography community, and future deployments would provide greatly improved chemical data sets that would inform biogeochemical models and promote significant advancements in our understanding of marine biogeochemical cycles.
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
The availability of certain nutrients and trace elements (particularly dissolved iron) is known to control the growth of oceanic plants in surface waters. However, our understanding of the detailed biogeochemical processes in the ocean is limited in part by our ability to obtain sufficient data over temporal time scales.
This project developed a rapid, small volume analytical technique for the determination of dissolved phosphorus at sea. An additional advantage of the small volume nature of this method is that it not only reduces the volume of the sample needed but it reduces the amount of reagent chemicals needed for the determination helping us to move towards a more "Green Chemistry" for use in future monitoring operations. We have also designed and constructed a field deployable version of this system.
During the early stages of the analytical development we participated in an international collaborative oceanographic research cruise aimed at ascertaining the accuracy of current methodology, our new analytical technique showed that it was capable of achieving similar values to those of the traditional analytical methods in real time at sea. A field deployable version of this method, using battery power was successfully developed using commercially available components including a Raspberry Pi 3 control system in a weather-resistant housing and was briefly deployed in the ocean.
Intellectual Merit: The first shipboard deployment of our one pump analyzer confirmed that the technique can produce phosphate data with an accuracy comparable to that of traditional continuous flow methods but with sample and reagent volumes that are 10-20 fold smaller than current methods, the new technique also uses instrumentation that is more compact and lower maintenance than traditional instrumentation. A more recently developed two pump system further confirms the advantages of flow programming and eliminates the drawback of incomplete mixing that occurs with the one pump system.
Broader Impacts: The researchers have benefited from participation in an international research project that brings technologies and scientists from different institutions together creating a collaborative cohort that will outlast the specific project. A graduate student (N. Harmon) is currently completing a MS thesis describing the field deployable phosphate analyzer. This newly developed two pump methodology will be applied to other chemical assays that are of relevance to chemical oceanography such as silicate, trace metals).
Last Modified: 03/02/2020
Modified by: Mariko Hatta
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