Grand challenges in marine biogeochemistry

The ocean is increasingly perturbed by human induced alterations to our planet, including anthropogenic emissions of nitrogen, phosphorus, carbon and trace elements, and climate change. Important research areas in marine biogeochemistry involve the cycling of organic and inorganic forms of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus, the cycling and biological roles of essential trace elements, and the fate and climatic impact of marine produced trace gases. Climate change is considered to result in the expansion of the low nitrate low chlorophyll (LNLC) regions (Steinacher et al., 2010), which currently occupy ca. 60% of the world's ocean and are characterized by chlorophyll a concentrations