Great Barrier Reef Atmospheric Survey
In Feb-March 2023 and Nov – Dec 2024 we’ve conducted comprehensive atmospheric observation measurements at the Heron Island Research Station with a goal of improved understanding of the atmosphere and cloud physics over the Great Barrier Reef. This research was a part of the Cooling and Shading Subprogram of the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program (RRAP). Both measurement campaigns included deployment of some of our field-deployable mass spectrometers (nitrate-CIMS, Vocus-CIMS, c-ToF-AMS).
In 2024 we expanded our measurements to include sea-surface microlayer (SML) sampling. We wanted to investigate if the SML over the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is more enriched in organic material compared to the open ocean, particularly during periods of coral stress, due to increased release of organic exudates and mucus by corals and associated reef organisms in response to environmental stressors (e.g. exposure of lagoon corals to air during low tide). We also wanted to investigate if any enrichment of organic material in the GBR SML will be selectively translated to primary aerosol chemical properties. This was done in collaboration with Dr Sanja Frka Milosavljevic from the Rudjer Boskovic Institute (Zagreb, Croatia).
