Objective Inland waterways are an important component of the global carbon cycle, receiving an annual carbon input of ~ 4.8 Pg of carbon per year. Of this approximately 0.6 Pg is buried, entering the lithosphere, whilst 3.3 Pg is recycled through aquatic food webs. These numbers highlight the global importance of streams, rivers lakes and other inland waters but provide little detail regarding the dynamics of organic matter burial and remineralisation. A poorly defined aspect is the relationship between organic matter burial and remineralisation of organo-mineral complexes. Organo-mineral particles form by adsorption of dissolved organic matter to freshly-eroded mineral surfaces, and are thought to greatly control the fluxes of particulate organic carbon at the watershed scale. The unique physico-chemical properties of these particles may enhance their deposition onto and subsequent burial into the sediments of inland waters. However, the metabolic fate of these particles at the water-streambed interface remains poorly studied. Particle deposition at the streambed is enhanced by benthic microbial biofilms. As such, understanding the potential role of organo-mineral complexes in the preservation and burial of organic matter, requires investigation of the interactions with biofilms. Bio-ERODS aims to experimentally investigate biophysical mechanisms driving biofilm-particle interactions and mechanisms that potentially alter the organo-mineral complexation and thus contributing to stream biogeochemistry. Bio-ERODS will thus elucidate, at the fine scale, fundamental mechanisms of the controls on carbon fluxes in streams and rivers. Fields of science natural sciencesearth and related environmental scienceshydrologydrainage basinsnatural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesgeochemistrybiogeochemistry Programme(s) FP7-PEOPLE - Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF - Marie-Curie Action: "Intra-European fellowships for career development" Call for proposal FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF See other projects for this call Funding Scheme MC-IEF - Intra-European Fellowships (IEF) Coordinator UNIVERSITAT WIEN Address Universitatsring 1 1010 Wien Austria See on map Region Ostösterreich Wien Wien Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Tom Battin (Prof.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window EU contribution No data
