EAPS

PAOC Colloquium: Andrew Babbin, EAPS MIT
Date Time Location
April 10th, 2017 12:00pm-1:00pm Ida Green Lounge (9th Floor), Building 54, Cambridge, MA, United States
Title: Can we finally balance the marine nitrogen budget?

Abstract: The marine fixed nitrogen budget is widely thought to be out of balance, losing enough bio-available nitrogen that the oceans would be devoid of life within 3,000 years. But is such a apocalyptic scenario realistic? Surely not. This talk will present nuances of the cycling of marine nitrogen, expanding specifically on the anaerobic metabolisms within the oxygen deficient “shadow” zones of the ocean. I’ll present a hypothesis for attempting to balance the nitrogen budget calculation by incorporation of a novel but potentially significant pathway: anaerobic nitrite oxidation. This metabolism would further help resolve another long-standing debate among the nitrogen community, i.e., the respective roles of anammox and denitrification in regulating fixed nitrogen loss. In all, a lunchtime full of nitrogen is to be expected.