This award supports a planning visit to enable Dr. Shannon McCallister of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond to meet with Dr. Barrie Peake at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. The visit will help develop a collaborative plan for a study of radiocarbon measurements of organic carbon in Doubtful Sound, NZ. The project will help gain an understanding of carbon cycling and its linkage to the water cycle in an important system that can be applied to other active margin high relief regions. An assessment of the sources, ages and reactivity of particulate organic carbon (POC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) exported from the Doubtful Sound will provide a better understanding of the subsequent fate of organic matter in coastal seas and more accurately constrain CO2 budgets in this region. The researchers have a unique expertise in measurements of organic matter characterization and cycling. It is also anticipated that this project will provide unique training and educational opportunities for a U.S. undergraduate student to obtain a global research experience. It is anticipated that the collaborations between the scientists and students from each country will lead to long-term collaborations that will benefit both the institutions.
