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Researchers deploy a benthic lander in the Baltic Sea.
Deployment of the autonomous Big Gothenburg Benthic Lander in the Baltic Sea from R/V Skagerak. The experiment measured the release of phosphorus, and other dissolved components related to eutrophication and oxygen deficiency, from sediment at 170-m.
Photo: Astrid Hylén
Breadcrumb

Seafloor Chemistry

Research group

Short description

Our research group studies biogeochemical processes in marine surficial sediments.

The main objective is to better understand the roles of sediments in the biogeochemical cycles of the ocean. The processes include early diagenetic processes such as oxidation of organic carbon, denitrification, dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium, reductive dissolution of iron and manganese oxides, etc.

We study how these processes lead to or influence fluxes of solutes (such as nutrients, inorganic carbon, metals, methane, nitrogen gas, nitrous oxide, etc.) across the sediment-water interface. We measure and quantify these fluxes in situ using so called autonomous benthic landers.

We have been studying most of Earth’s oceans, including the deep sea, but focus has been on Skagerrak and its fjords, and is now on the Baltic Sea.