Land Ocean Carbon Transfer (1-year extension)
Lead Research Organisation:
Plymouth Marine Laboratory
Department Name: Plymouth Marine Lab
Abstract
See lead organisation submission
Publications
Williamson J
(2021)
Landscape controls on riverine export of dissolved organic carbon from Great Britain
in Biogeochemistry
Tye A
(2022)
Dissolved inorganic carbon export from rivers of Great Britain: Spatial distribution and potential catchment-scale controls
in Journal of Hydrology
García-Martín E
(2021)
Contrasting Estuarine Processing of Dissolved Organic Matter Derived From Natural and Human-Impacted Landscapes
in Global Biogeochemical Cycles
| Description | Sunlight and microbial life remineralize organic Carbon and inorganic nutrients from land as they travels towards the ocean. This has implications for water quality and reduces coastal polution by nutrient runoff. |
| Exploitation Route | The findings of this award are relevant to land management, specifically nature based solutions towards net zero emissions targets, eutrophication (nutrient polution) and coastal polution. |
| Sectors | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Environment |
| Description | Collaboration with local stakeholders (Environment Agency, Tamar Catchment Partnership, SouthWest Water) |
| First Year Of Impact | 2021 |
| Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Environment |
| Impact Types | Societal,Policy & public services |
| Description | Research Project to investigate the development and protection of seagrass beds in estuarine and coastal waters adjacent to South West Water and Bournemouth Water Holdings |
| Amount | £22,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | South West Water Ltd |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2022 |
| End | 03/2022 |
| Title | Greenhouse Gas Flux Chamber |
| Description | An automated flux chamber for the determination of greenhouse gas fluxes from water surfaces and intertidal areas. |
| Type Of Material | Technology assay or reagent |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | Improved capabilities for inland/sheltered waters where existing techniques cannot be applied. |
| Title | Solar Simulator for photochemical experiments |
| Description | A custom Solar Simulator instrument was built, commissioned and tested at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML). This instrument allows photochemical experiments to be carried out on environmental samples (e.g. investigating the photolysis of Dissolved Organic Matter and concomitant photoproduction of Inorganic Carbon). Compared to natural sunlight, this offers the advantage of constant spectral irradiance, characterized by chemical actinometry. This allows the user to derive quantum yields (product formed per unit irradiance) which can be directly applied to numerical models of aquatic biogeochemistry and climate modelling. |
| Type Of Material | Technology assay or reagent |
| Year Produced | 2019 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | The Solar Simulator instrument has allowed us to calculate the photochemical source of carbon dioxide in UK waters (manuscript in preparation) |
| Title | Stable isotopic signature of Nitrous Oxide |
| Description | An analytical method has been developed to determine the stable isotopic signature of the greenhouse gas Nitrous Oxide (N2O). The method gives the relative abundance of 14N, 15 N, 16O,17O and 18O stable isotopes in N2O dissolved in fresh- or sea-water. These data provide information on the provenance of N2O and can be used to assess management practices and their impact on the emission of this important greenhouse gas. |
| Type Of Material | Technology assay or reagent |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | Enhanced collaboration with industrial partner (Sercon) and engagement with Environment Agency |
| Title | Sampling of estuarine chemistry and organic matter for 16 estuaries in Great Britain in 2017/8 as part of the LOCATE project |
| Description | Environmental dataset including temperature; specific electrical conductivity (SEC); salinity; concentrations of ammonium, nitrate, phosphate, non-particulate organic carbon, total dissolved carbon, total nitrogen and total phosphorous; alkalinity; pH; dissolved organic matter fluorescence (fDOM); absorbance; particulate organic carbon; particulate organic nitrogen; 13C; 15N. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | Scientific Publications: doi: 10.1029/2021GB007023 doi: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2022.128677 |
| URL | https://www.bodc.ac.uk/data/published_data_library/catalogue/10.5285/d111d44e-0794-28dc-e053-6c86abc... |
| Description | Collaboration with Environment Agency, Dartmoor National Park Authority and Tamar Valley AONB |
| Organisation | Dartmoor National Park Authority |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | We have provided expertise in Carbon, Nutrient and Greenhouse Gases cycling. This is an ongoing collaboration seeking to spin up research on managed realignment schemes and peat restoration as Nature Based Solutions to meeting the UK's "net zero" emission target. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our partners are collectively engaged with managed realignment schemes on the River Tamar and peat restoration on Dartmoor National Park. These schemes will provide flood management to the wider communities of Devon and the Tamar Valley as well as a Nature Based Solution to meeting the UK's "net zero" emission target. |
| Impact | We have established contacts with local landlords and stakeholders in order to undertake preliminary data collection. In addition, we are exploring various funding opportunities for an integrated research program including the socioeconomic benefits of managed realignment schemes. |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Collaboration with Environment Agency, Dartmoor National Park Authority and Tamar Valley AONB |
| Organisation | Environment Agency |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | We have provided expertise in Carbon, Nutrient and Greenhouse Gases cycling. This is an ongoing collaboration seeking to spin up research on managed realignment schemes and peat restoration as Nature Based Solutions to meeting the UK's "net zero" emission target. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our partners are collectively engaged with managed realignment schemes on the River Tamar and peat restoration on Dartmoor National Park. These schemes will provide flood management to the wider communities of Devon and the Tamar Valley as well as a Nature Based Solution to meeting the UK's "net zero" emission target. |
| Impact | We have established contacts with local landlords and stakeholders in order to undertake preliminary data collection. In addition, we are exploring various funding opportunities for an integrated research program including the socioeconomic benefits of managed realignment schemes. |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Collaboration with Environment Agency, Dartmoor National Park Authority and Tamar Valley AONB |
| Organisation | Tamar Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | We have provided expertise in Carbon, Nutrient and Greenhouse Gases cycling. This is an ongoing collaboration seeking to spin up research on managed realignment schemes and peat restoration as Nature Based Solutions to meeting the UK's "net zero" emission target. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our partners are collectively engaged with managed realignment schemes on the River Tamar and peat restoration on Dartmoor National Park. These schemes will provide flood management to the wider communities of Devon and the Tamar Valley as well as a Nature Based Solution to meeting the UK's "net zero" emission target. |
| Impact | We have established contacts with local landlords and stakeholders in order to undertake preliminary data collection. In addition, we are exploring various funding opportunities for an integrated research program including the socioeconomic benefits of managed realignment schemes. |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Collaboration with West Country Rivers Trust |
| Organisation | Westcountry Rivers Trust |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | The Plymouth Marine Laboratory have provided sample analysis for three upland streams sampled by WRT on 7 occasions. These are added to monthly sampling and analysis from the Tamar catchment, carried out by the PML under the LOCATE project. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The Westcountry Rivers Trust have sample 3 upland streams complementing the monthly Tamar-catchment samples collected by the Plymouth Marine Laboratory |
| Impact | This collaboration has added value to both WRT and PML activities. For WRT it has provided additional measurement parameters (Dissolved Organic Carbon, Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter). For the PML, it has provided additional sampling, particularly in upland streams which complements the monthly sampling of the Tamar catchment. |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Environmental monitoring plan for Calstock managed realignment. |
| Organisation | Cornwall Council |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | The Plymouth Marine Laboratory has been conducting research on the 'climate mitigation' and 'nutrient regeneration' services provided by the Calstock managed realignment scheme. In 2022, this research was included in the environmental monitoring plan for the site. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Access to a newly developed managed realignment scheme |
| Impact | Further funding through the Natural Environment Research Council for multidisciplinary research (natural science and socioeconomics) |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Environmental monitoring plan for Calstock managed realignment. |
| Organisation | Environment Agency |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | The Plymouth Marine Laboratory has been conducting research on the 'climate mitigation' and 'nutrient regeneration' services provided by the Calstock managed realignment scheme. In 2022, this research was included in the environmental monitoring plan for the site. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Access to a newly developed managed realignment scheme |
| Impact | Further funding through the Natural Environment Research Council for multidisciplinary research (natural science and socioeconomics) |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Presentation at Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science Association (ECSA 2020) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presented a paper entitled "Transfer of organic C from catchment to sea. What does OC-colour tell us about processing?" |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Presentation at the Tamar Catchment Partnership (October 2021) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Presentation by V. Kitidis to local stakeholders: Environment Agency, SW Water, Cornwall County Council, Devon County Council, South Hams, AONB, Tamar Valley AONB, Westcountry Rivers Trust |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |