METEOR M136

The strength of benthic and pelagic nutrient and trace metal cycling in oxygen minimum zones (OMZ) and the involved loss of nitrogen is crucial for the ocean’s nutrient budget, particularly in light of the ongoing expansion of OMZs. The major aim of the research cruise to the Peruvian OMZ is to quantify benthic and pelagic nutrient and trace metal budgets during austral fall. Additional objectives are determining ventilation rates by submesoscale processes, quantifying export fluxes of particulate organic matter out of the euphotic zone, and production and decay rates of dissolved organic material in the water column, as well as investigating mechanisms of iron stabilization, removal and cycling in the water column