About this Research Topic

Background

Micro/trace elements (M/TEs) are found in exceedingly low amounts in the ocean, but they are critical to marine ecosystems, the global carbon cycle and the overall health of the ocean. Some M/TEs can be important nutrients and toxins, others can be tracers for redox conditions or pollution. Some M/TEs form economic deposits such as manganese nodules. The cycles of M/TEs in the ocean are very complex, and their concentrations and impacts on marine ecosystems depend on the chemical forms, which in turn depend on their interactions with other inorganic, organic matter, suspended particles and sediments.

In the past decades, the increasing availability of M/TEs and isotopic data has yielded new, and potentially more direct, insights into secular changes in seawater/sediment composition and ultimately the evolution of the marine biosphere. Meanwhile, this also reflects that human activity is altering the ocean, which is happening through climate change, the release of pollutants, and direct exploitation of the marine environment. Society is now increasingly viewing the ocean as a strategic resource. There is plenty of work in the marine trace element work in progress globally and a good amount is under the auspices of GEOTRACES. Therefore, recent advances in understanding the interaction between M/TEs and the ocean as well as the ways and mechanisms of M/TEs regulating marine life activities come at a critical time.

The focus of this Research Topic is on studies of the biogeochemical cycle of M/TEs and their interaction mechanism with marine ecosystems. It calls for original and novel papers including but not limited to the following research topics:

• The occurrence, distribution and migration of M/TEs in the ocean.
• The multi-media distribution characteristics and rules of M/TEs in seawater, suspended particles and sediments.
• The changes in chemical forms of M/TEs in the ocean and their bioavailability.
• The relationships between marine M/TEs and biodiversity, structure and species function.
• The mechanisms of M/TEs in regulating global climate change and the carbon cycle.
• The new monitoring techniques for M/TEs and new methods for assessing their interactions with marine ecosystems.

Keywords: Micro/Trace elements, Biogeochemical processes, Marine ecosystem, Climate change, Carbon cycle, Ecologic environment impact

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