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Rapid mapping of dissolved methane and carbon dioxide in coastal ecosystems using the ChemYak autonomous surface vehicle

Rapid mapping of dissolved methane and carbon dioxide in coastal ecosystems using the ChemYak autonomous surface vehicle
Rapid mapping of dissolved methane and carbon dioxide in coastal ecosystems using the ChemYak autonomous surface vehicle

Coastal ecosystems host high levels of primary productivity leading to exceptionally dynamic elemental cycling in both water and sediments. In such environments, carbon is rapidly cycled leading to high rates of burial as organic matter and/or high rates of loss to the atmosphere and laterally to the coastal ocean in simpler forms, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). To better understand carbon cycling across these heterogeneous environments, new technologies beyond discrete sample collection and analysis are needed to characterize spatial and temporal variability. Here, we describe the ChemYak, an autonomous surface vehicle outfitted with a suite of in situ sensors, developed to achieve large spatial scale chemical mapping of these environments. Dissolved methane and carbon dioxide are measured by a laser spectrometer coupled to a gas extraction unit for continuous quantification during operation. The gas-powered vehicle is capable of rapidly surveying the coastal system with an endurance of up to 10 h at operating speeds in excess of 10 km h-1. Here, we demonstrate its ability to spatially characterize distributions of CO2, CH4, oxygen, and nitrate throughout a New England saltmarsh estuary.

0013-936X
13314-13324
Nicholson, David P.
ca0c6e5f-99ed-4dc1-be3e-5199fe6a580a
Michel, Anna P.M.
a6a652bf-01c9-4cc1-8d78-dc0e2cbf95c3
Wankel, Scott D.
97903ae8-fa11-4020-a7c4-f22dab3475a1
Manganini, Kevin
2fc1dd27-a44d-4d1c-8fb9-c466a851ba94
Sugrue, Rebecca A.
df8ea430-d391-4616-a994-24a89292bef6
Sandwith, Zoe O.
45c5e6b8-0995-463c-bcac-a070fc4d0590
Monk, Samuel A.
074be9b0-1159-4573-9af3-6b6b22a05c3c
Nicholson, David P.
ca0c6e5f-99ed-4dc1-be3e-5199fe6a580a
Michel, Anna P.M.
a6a652bf-01c9-4cc1-8d78-dc0e2cbf95c3
Wankel, Scott D.
97903ae8-fa11-4020-a7c4-f22dab3475a1
Manganini, Kevin
2fc1dd27-a44d-4d1c-8fb9-c466a851ba94
Sugrue, Rebecca A.
df8ea430-d391-4616-a994-24a89292bef6
Sandwith, Zoe O.
45c5e6b8-0995-463c-bcac-a070fc4d0590
Monk, Samuel A.
074be9b0-1159-4573-9af3-6b6b22a05c3c

Nicholson, David P., Michel, Anna P.M., Wankel, Scott D., Manganini, Kevin, Sugrue, Rebecca A., Sandwith, Zoe O. and Monk, Samuel A. (2018) Rapid mapping of dissolved methane and carbon dioxide in coastal ecosystems using the ChemYak autonomous surface vehicle. Environmental Science and Technology, 52 (22), 13314-13324. (doi:10.1021/acs.est.8b04190).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Coastal ecosystems host high levels of primary productivity leading to exceptionally dynamic elemental cycling in both water and sediments. In such environments, carbon is rapidly cycled leading to high rates of burial as organic matter and/or high rates of loss to the atmosphere and laterally to the coastal ocean in simpler forms, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). To better understand carbon cycling across these heterogeneous environments, new technologies beyond discrete sample collection and analysis are needed to characterize spatial and temporal variability. Here, we describe the ChemYak, an autonomous surface vehicle outfitted with a suite of in situ sensors, developed to achieve large spatial scale chemical mapping of these environments. Dissolved methane and carbon dioxide are measured by a laser spectrometer coupled to a gas extraction unit for continuous quantification during operation. The gas-powered vehicle is capable of rapidly surveying the coastal system with an endurance of up to 10 h at operating speeds in excess of 10 km h-1. Here, we demonstrate its ability to spatially characterize distributions of CO2, CH4, oxygen, and nitrate throughout a New England saltmarsh estuary.

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More information

Accepted/In Press date: 25 October 2018
e-pub ahead of print date: 25 October 2018
Published date: 20 November 2018

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 428075
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/428075
ISSN: 0013-936X
PURE UUID: 13db4700-2f19-4906-b6d2-4914ef8114c8

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Date deposited: 08 Feb 2019 17:30
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 00:16

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Contributors

Author: David P. Nicholson
Author: Anna P.M. Michel
Author: Scott D. Wankel
Author: Kevin Manganini
Author: Rebecca A. Sugrue
Author: Zoe O. Sandwith
Author: Samuel A. Monk

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