BATS 2024 - 11of12

Rhizaria in Oligotrophic Oceans Mar

Our study will use cutting-edge in situ imaging (using a UVP-DEEP) of Rhizaria to bypass limitations in other sampling methods and to produce accurate estimates of Rhizaria biomass. Additionally, sampling will occur across a wide depth range (0-1200 m), at monthly intervals, and in conjunction with a wide array of other biological, chemical, and physical oceanographic measurements (as part of the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study, BATS). UVP imagery data will be integrated with molecular identification of Rhizaria using community metabarcoding and barcoding of individual Rhizaria collected from MOCNESS net tows taken in conjunction with UVP casts. Size-specific elemental analyses of Rhizaria and seasonally and vertically explicit estimates of Rhizaria biomass will be used to model their contributions to vertical flux in the system.