The North American Carbon Program (NACP) Coastal Interim Synthesis Activity:
Carbon synthesis along North American margins
Simone R. Alin, NOAA/PMEL
David Archer, University of Chicago
Heather Benway, OCB/WHOI
Wei-Jun Cai, University of Georgia
Feizhou Chen, Dalhousie University
Paula Coble, University of South Florida
Richard A. Feely, NOAA/PMEL
Katja Fennel, Dalhousie University
Marjy Friedrichs, Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Peter Griffiths, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Nicolas Gruber, Eldgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich
Burke Hales, Oregon State University
Martin Hernandez, Universidad Autonoma de Baja California
Bror Jönsson, Boston University
Beverly E. Law, Oregon State University
Mingliang Liu, Auburn University
Steven E. Lohrenz, University of Southern Mississippi
Amala Mahadevan, Boston University
Jeremy T. Mathis, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Wade McGillis, Columbia University
Galen McKinley, University of Wisconsin
Ray Najjar, Pennsylvania State University
Gian-Kasper Plattner, Eldgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich
Peter Raymond, Yale University
Christopher L. Sabine, NOAA/PMEL
Joe Salisbury, University of New Hampshire
Elizabeth H. Shadwick, Dalhousie University
Samantha Siedlecki, University of Chicago
Peter Strutton, Oregon State University
Helmuth Thomas, Dalhousie University
Hanqin Tian, Auburn University
Doug Vandemark, University of New Hampshire
Andrea Vander Woude, Oregon State University
Coastal oceans have important and complex linkages with terrestrial, atmospheric, and open ocean
biogeochemical cycles. The goal of the NACP Coastal Interim Synthesis Activity is to stimulate
synthesis of small-scale studies across broader spatial and temporal scales to improve estimates of
the magnitude, spatial distribution, and inter-annual variability of carbon sources and sinks in
coastal waters. We encourage broad participation of researchers focused on organic (OC) and
inorganic carbon, as well as related aspects of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and oxygen (O) cycling.
Participating investigators will facilitate data mining and recovery by creating metadata on the
NACP website to identify existing data products and centers.
The coastal synthesis activity is divided into five regions:
Atlantic (including Gulf of Maine & Scotian Shelf)—Carbon cycling on the Atlantic coast has been
studied for >30 years. Recent field and satellite-based studies have yielded new insights into the
relative dominance of dissolved vs. particulate OC in coastal C budgets, the importance of river
inputs on air-sea exchange and ocean acidification, and inter-annual variability. Biogeochemical
models for the east coast are being used to assess sources, sinks, transformations, and fate of C on
the shelf; interactions between N, C, and O cycling; and influences of future climate change.
Pacific—Recent observations have dramatically improved data coverage of surface ocean CO2 along
the west coast, as well as terrestrial atmospheric CO2, soil carbon stocks, and terrestrial C fluxes.
Satellite-based synthesis methods and new observations have yielded revised estimates of the
strength of the west coast CO2 sink and have also improved sampling coverage and process
understanding in previously undersampled areas. Efforts toward a west coast model-data
synthesis comparison are beginning.
Gulf of Mexico— The Gulf of Mexico (GOM) has substantial influence on the continental carbon
budget because prevailing winds carry GOM air masses over NA and outward over the east coast.
Recent observations and modeling efforts have provided additional information about sources and
sinks of CO2 in the GOM, the importance of river inputs of carbon and nutrients through time, and
seasonal and regional gradients in air-sea fluxes. Synthesis and model development efforts for the
GOM are underway.
Arctic and marginal seas—Recent observations in the Arctic, Bering, and Beaufort basins have
provided new insights into our understanding of the high-latitude marine carbon cycle (MCC),
particularly at the land-ocean and ocean-atmosphere interfaces. These regions act as strong
seasonal sinks for atmospheric CO2 and thus have a greater sensitivity to anthropogenicallyinduced changes in the MCC. Intensive, year-round observations will yield insight into seasonal CO2
system variability and the importance of biological activity, terrestrial inputs, and exchange
between the Pacific and Atlantic. Carbon budgets are being developed.
Great Lakes—While it is generally accepted that small lakes are sources of CO2 to the atmosphere
due to their processing of terrestrial carbon, the role of the Great Lakes is less clear. Observations in
coastal Lake Superior indicate significant supersaturation over much of the year, but recent
modeling work suggests that the lake is in approximate balance with the atmosphere over the
annual cycle. A community carbon budgeting effort for the Great Lakes is just beginning.
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