Browning, Thomas J. , Achterberg, Eric P. , Ankri, Benjamin, Berman-Frank, Ilana, Bett, Winnie, Bialik, Or, Blachinsky, Alon, Blanke, Jana, Cai, Leda, Damke, Paula, Eckmann, Charlotte , Gilboa, Merav, Guy-Haim, Tamar , Han, Yuye, Hansen, Nis, Herut, Barak, Ivaldi, Julian, Jasinski, Dominik, Li, Jiashun, Liadova, Margarita, Melzer, Hannah, Mutzberg, André, Nicolas, Angèle, Qiu, Li, Reich, Tom, Ruan, Yaqing, Steiner, Zvi , Stelzner, Martin, Suter, Patrick and Wilckens, Henriette (2024) Eastern Mediterranean Sea Process Study, Cruise No. M197, 30.12.2023-06.02.2024, Limassol (Republic of Cyprus) Catania (Italy), EMS-PS. . METEOR-Berichte, M197 . Begutachterpanel Forschungsschiffe, Bonn, 156 pp. DOI 10.48433/cr_m197.

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Abstract

The research cruise M197 with the RV METEOR sailed January 6th 2024 to February 6th 2024
from Limassol (Republic of Cyprus) to Catania (Italy), with a focus on investigating the seawater
and sediment biogeochemistry in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. The two specific foci of the
research cruise were to (i) investigate the physical, chemical and biological factors regulating the
productivity and sinking carbon flux in this region, and (ii) investigate natural and human induced
changes in the region over the last few thousand years. On the research cruise, 30 stations were
occupied. Seawaters were collected from the surface to the seafloor to measure chemical properties
of the seawater, including major and trace nutrients, the carbonate system, microplastics, and the
microbial communities inhabiting the water column. Experiments were conducted to assess rates
of primary production and nitrogen fixation, and the nutrients regulating phytoplankton growth.
Sinking carbon fluxes were determined using the thorium-234 approach. The types and abundance
of zooplankton were determined via various nets and two camera systems. The deposition flux and
chemistry of aerosols was also assessed. Sediment cores were collected to determine nutrient
fluxes into the overlying water column as well as investigate past environmental conditions.
Collectively our research will provide an important advance in the network of factors that regulate
the chemistry and biology of this system and inform ocean biogeochemical models of this region
to make more realistic predictions of climate change induced impacts.

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