In this study, a researcher at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories will collaborate with a scientist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, to complete the bottling of the coastal surface sample (C1) collected during the NSF funded Sampling and Analysis of Fe (SAFe) program. This sample is the only one obtained during the SAFe program from coastal waters with higher concentrations of iron and higher amounts of iron-complexing organic matter than the other three. Thus, this sample will be very useful for method development and as a reference material. In addition, C1 will be analyzed to ensure its stability and homogeneity over time, and be made available to the marine science community. The previously collected SAFe surface sample (S1) and deep-water samples (D1 and D2) will also continue to be periodically checked for stability and homogeneity during the long-term storage process. All results on the stability and homogeneity of these four reference materials will be provided to the community.
As regards broader impacts, this work will make available to the worldwide science community involved in trace metal analysis, a fourth reference material for seawater iron, thereby ensuring that high quality iron measurements are made. Also, these samples have the benefit of providing uncontaminated typical seawater values for a variety of trace elements, an invaluable resource to analysts in programs such as GEOTRACES.
