METEOR M138

The oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) in the eastern tropical South Pacific is tightly connected to the coastal upwelling system off Peru. The resulting high productivity off Peru is driven by the complex interplay between upwelled nutrients and the amount of nutrients recycled by remineralisation processes in the OMZ. However, surprisingly little is known about organic matter cycling and its effects on biogeochemical processes in the OMZ off Peru. To this end we will conduct a first comprehensive biogeochemical study on the role of organic matter for the biogeochemical processes (incl. the nitrogen cycle) and the maintenance of the OMZ off Peru.