Mariko is an Affiliate Researcher and a member of the Graduate Faculty in the Department of Oceanography at the University of Hawaii. She received a PhD in Life and Environmental Science from the University of Toyama, Japan.
On GP15 Mariko will provide shipboard determinations of dissolved aluminum (Al), Iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn), which are three of the key GEOTRACES parameters, to provide near real-time insights into the distribution of these trace elements that can be used to potentially modify sampling strategies and that can also be used to identify any systemic sampling contamination issues. She is interested in studying those trace element distributions since they play a critical role in biogeochemical process (Fe) or highlighting transport processes associated with the atmospheric delivery of Fe (Al) or their ability to trace impotent redox processes associated with Fe cycling (Mn) in the Pacific Ocean.
Flow Injection Analysis methods will be used in this project. Mariko’s team includes a graduate student Gabrielle Weiss of University of Hawaii, who was one of the ‘super tech’ sampling team during previous GEOTRACES Arctic Cruise 2015, and we will determine the trace elements at sea and she is particularly interested in Fe geochemistry and the improved method development. The results of the cruise will be a part of her Ph.D thesis.
GEOTRACES GP15 