For his post-doctoral studies, this Fellow will isolate, fractionate, and characterize analytical quantities of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in seawater in order to find possible representative molecules. By measuring DOC at every step, a quantitative mass balance will be achieved. This is critical for determining the significance of each DOC fraction on a global scale. The major fractions will be investigated in terms of depth and spatial variations. Studies should reveal the relative sources of DOC in the oceans; terrestrial, marine, sedimentary, and planktonic sources all have characteristic signals. Ultimately these data can be incorporated into a global circulation model, modelling not currently possible as DOC is treated as one species with one geochemical cycle. His studies at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) provide an ideal match for the personnel and facilities there. The blend of expertise in organic chemistry identification techniques and this Fellow's studies of DOC will be an unique approach to understanding global DOC cycling.//
