Chemical Oceanography Highlight – Trace Metal Clean Sampling System
Highlights of Your Institution's Ocean Chemistry - Trace Element Clean Sampling System
Why Study Ocean Trace Elements?
The study of ocean trace elements unveils the key mysteries of the marine biogeochemical cycle, revealing how ocean chemistry influences the details of ecosystems, environmental changes, and environmental health. The sources and distribution of trace elements play a crucial role in the growth of marine organisms and the absorption of atmospheric carbon dioxide, thereby having a significant impact on marine ecosystems and the global carbon cycle. Additionally, trace elements are often regarded as pollutants, and their distribution and concentrations in the ocean are of global concern. Although we are aware of the importance of trace elements and isotopes in the ocean, our understanding of their sources, pathways, internal and external cycles, and chemical forms in particulate and dissolved states is extremely limited, leading to significant errors in numerical models predicting global changes and biogeochemical cycles.
Challenges in Trace Element Sampling
Due to the extremely low concentrations of trace elements in seawater, sampling techniques require special design and considerations to avoid contamination. With advancements in materials and sampling technologies, the international GEOTRACES program, which began in 2010, has overcome sampling challenges worldwide to obtain reliable research data. With strong financial support and the dedicated efforts of researchers, the National Taiwan University Xinhai Research Center established the new "Trace Element Clean Sampling System" at the end of 2023, which meets the GEOTRACES operational standards and significantly enhances Taiwan's ability to conduct ocean trace element research and participate in large international programs. During the system construction period, Professors Prof. Ed Boyle from MIT and Prof. Greg Cutter from Old Dominion University were invited to visit Taiwan to share their GEOTRACES research findings and sampling system construction experiences, enhancing Taiwan's international cooperation and technical exchange in trace element research.
Providing Taiwan's Cross-Institutional, Cross-Disciplinary, and Cross-Research Vessel Collaboration, and Optimizing Ocean Education
In addition to strengthening Taiwan's trace element research capabilities, the new sampling equipment connects the research talent network and research vessel resources from various academic institutions in Taiwan, promoting cross-institutional and cross-disciplinary biogeochemical research teams focused on nutrients and trace elements. The Taiwan Trace Element Biogeochemistry Joint Research Team currently consists of researchers from five academic institutions and 13 research teams (National Taiwan University, National Sun Yat-sen University, National Taiwan Ocean University, National Cheng Kung University, and Academia Sinica), all collaborating on this trace element sampling system platform. Furthermore, the modular experimental equipment has successfully demonstrated the applicability of large experimental containers and equipment on various research vessels (e.g., Xinhai Research 1 and Lijin). The new sampling system also provides Taiwan with complete ocean trace element education and training facilities, allowing students to learn trace element sampling techniques during experimental cruises.
International Collaboration: GEOTRACES and BioGeoSCAPES
The GEOTRACES program offers a comprehensive and systematic approach to studying the global ocean's nutrients, trace elements, and biogeochemical cycles. The United Nations has listed GEOTRACES as one of the major international programs in the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), aiming to promote global ocean sustainability. Starting in 2020, the international academic community began planning another new global research program, BioGeoSCAPES, which will conduct integrated biological and chemical studies on regional and oceanic scales and connect biogeochemical models to provide more comprehensive ocean research. Taiwan has long been an important partner in the GEOTRACES international program and is actively involved in the planning of BioGeoSCAPES. The establishment of the new sampling system provides a more complete sampling platform, significantly enhancing Taiwan's ability to execute international programs and improving Taiwan's visibility in international research.
（Figure 1）Trace Element Clean Sampling System.
（Figure 2）Group photo from the NOR1-T030 training cruise, Prof. Greg Cutter with researchers, students, and technicians from National Taiwan University's Institute of Oceanography, National Cheng Kung University, TORI technicians, and French Kley engineers exchanging experiences on trace element sampling systems.
（Figure 3）NOR1-T030 cruise using the Clean Sampling System (Clean) and a regular seawater sampling system (Regular) at a depth of 2200 meters, comparing the concentrations of trace elements Zn, Pb, Fe, and Mn measured by the two systems. Samples obtained using the clean sampling system indicated lower levels of contamination and interference, demonstrating the necessity and advantages of the clean sampling system. Data provided by: National Cheng Kung University Department of Earth Sciences, Liao Wen-Hsuan.