SONNE SO305/1

The scientific programme of expedition SO305 BIOCAT-IIOE2 aims to address fundamental questions about the formation and maintenance of oxygen minimum zones in the Bay of Bengal. It will also investigate the impact of air pollution transported from the Indian subcontinent.

Research will focus on microbiology, biogeochemistry and atmospheric chemistry.

During the expedition, the team of scientists, students and technicians will carry out measurements at various stations in the eastern Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal to collect comprehensive data from the water column and the atmosphere. This will include studies of physical properties, microbial processes, trace elements and climate-relevant gases in the water column, as well as measurements of climate-relevant gases and aerosols in the atmosphere.

The results will contribute to two major international research programmes: the ongoing Second International Indian Ocean Expedition (IIOE II), and the Surface Ocean - Lower Atmosphere Study (SOLAS) research programme, which investigates the complex physical, chemical and biological exchange processes between the ocean and the atmosphere.