RESEARCH PROGRAM 4

RP4 deals with the vertical fluxes of dissolved and particulate organic materials in different physical, chemical and biological settings along the Humboldt Current System HCS.

RP4 devotes attention to the main functional groups linked to the downward export of calcium carbonate with emphasis on key functional groups that may be impacted by acidification of the ocean, and emphasizes the generation of an integrated model that will synthesize our current research knowledge on the main carbon pathways in the HCS. RP4 also extents the geographical area of interest to the fjord and channel area of southern Chile since this area as a unique place in terms of understanding anthropogenic and climate driven pressures on fragile marine ecosystems.