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1. The air-sea interface in a changing climate: Research advances and future directions

   https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2025.00022  

   Law, Cliff S; Miller, Lisa A (January 2025, Elem Sci Anth)

   At the end of its second decade, the Surface Ocean-Lower Atmosphere Study (SOLAS) continues to expand critical collaborations in Earth system research, opening new gateways between the disciplines of oceanic and atmospheric science. The collection of papers in this Special Feature highlights important recent advances in air-sea interaction science, emphasizing emerging priorities and critical challenges. Since the last SOLAS synthesis in 2014, the community has gained a more nuanced understanding of the variety of marine sources of atmospheric aerosols; the influence of chemical speciation on atmospheric deposition and resulting biogeochemical impacts in the ocean; the mechanistic microscale controls of aerosol production and gas exchange at the sea surface; and also how air-sea exchange processes are influencing and responding to climate change, among numerous other advances. At the same time, SOLAS scientists have engaged more directly with socio-economic networks and in the development and evaluation of environmental and policy decisions. In addition to substantial contributions to improved understanding of the global cycling of greenhouse gases, SOLAS scientists are examining the impacts of new shipping regulations and contributing to development of frameworks for climate intervention research and governance. However, challenges remain, including characterizing the variability in air-sea gas exchange, particularly in coastal regions, and identifying mechanisms by which marine emissions influence cloud dynamics and thereby coupled marine and atmospheric feedbacks to climate change. Addressing these and other challenges requires development of innovative scientific tools (e.g., chemical sensors, expanded and integrated observational networks, machine learning algorithms), and also new inter- and trans-disciplinary collaborations, to ensure that air-sea exchange research continues to transcend boundaries in tackling current and emerging global challenges. 

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2. Surface ocean-lower atmospheric processes in the Indian Ocean: Current understanding, knowledge gaps, and future directions

   https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2023.00041  

   Kumar, Ashwini; Tegtmeier, Susann; Fernandes, Sheryl Oliveira; Biswas, Haimanti; Girach, Imran; Roxy, M K; Kurian, Siby; Marandino, Christa A; Sarma, V_V_S S; Shenoy, Damodar M (January 2024, Elem Sci Anth)

   Our understanding of surface ocean and lower atmosphere processes in the Indian Ocean (IO) region shows significant knowledge gaps mainly due to the paucity of observational studies. The IO basin is bordered by landmasses and an archipelago on 3 sides with more than one-quarter of the global population dwelling along these coastal regions. Therefore, interactions between dynamical and biogeochemical processes at the ocean–atmosphere interface and human activities are of particular importance here. Quantifying the impacts of changing oceanic and atmospheric processes on the marine biogeochemical cycle, atmospheric chemistry, ecosystems, and extreme events poses a great challenge. A comprehensive understanding of the links between major physical, chemical, and biogeochemical processes in this region is crucial for assessing and predicting local changes and large-scale impacts. The IO is one of the SOLAS (Surface Ocean-Lower Atmosphere Study) cross-cutting themes as summarized in its implementation strategy. This article attempts to compile new scientific results over the past decade focusing on SOLAS relevant processes within the IO. Key findings with respect to monsoon and air–sea interactions, oxygen minimum zones, ocean biogeochemistry, atmospheric composition, upper ocean ecosystem, and interactions between these components are discussed. Relevant knowledge gaps are highlighted, with a goal to assist the development of future IO research programs. Furthermore, we provided several recommendations to conduct interdisciplinary research to advance our understanding on the land–ocean–atmospheric interaction in the IO. 

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3. Impacts of ocean biogeochemistry on atmospheric chemistry

   https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2023.00032  

   Tinel, Liselotte; Abbatt, Jonathan; Saltzman, Eric; Engel, Anja; Fernandez, Rafael; Li, Qinyi; Mahajan, Anoop S; Nicewonger, Melinda; Novak, Gordon; Saiz-Lopez, Alfonso; et al (January 2023, Elem Sci Anth)

   Ocean biogeochemistry involves the production and consumption of an array of organic compounds and halogenated trace gases that influence the composition and reactivity of the atmosphere, air quality, and the climate system. Some of these molecules affect tropospheric ozone and secondary aerosol formation and impact the atmospheric oxidation capacity on both regional and global scales. Other emissions undergo transport to the stratosphere, where they contribute to the halogen burden and influence ozone. The oceans also comprise a major sink for highly soluble or reactive atmospheric gases. These issues are an active area of research by the SOLAS (Surface Ocean Lower Atmosphere) community. This article provides a status report on progress over the past decade, unresolved issues, and future research directions to understand the influence of ocean biogeochemistry on gas-phase atmospheric chemistry. Common challenges across the subject area involve establishing the role that biology plays in controlling the emissions of gases to the atmosphere and the inclusion of such complex processes, for example involving the sea surface microlayer, in large-scale global models. 

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4. A Decade of Incorporating Social Sciences in the Integrated Marine Biosphere Research Project (IMBeR): Much Done, Much to Do?

   https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.662350  

   van Putten, Ingrid; Kelly, Rachel; Cavanagh, Rachel D.; Murphy, Eugene J.; Breckwoldt, Annette; Brodie, Stephanie; Cvitanovic, Christopher; Dickey-Collas, Mark; Maddison, Lisa; Melbourne-Thomas, Jess; et al (June 2021, Frontiers in Marine Science)

   null (Ed.)

   Successful management and mitigation of marine challenges depends on cooperation and knowledge sharing which often occurs across culturally diverse geographic regions. Global ocean science collaboration is therefore essential for developing global solutions. Building effective global research networks that can enable collaboration also need to ensure inter- and transdisciplinary research approaches to tackle complex marine socio-ecological challenges. To understand the contribution of interdisciplinary global research networks to solving these complex challenges, we use the Integrated Marine Biosphere Research (IMBeR) project as a case study. We investigated the diversity and characteristics of 1,827 scientists from 11 global regions who were attendees at different IMBeR global science engagement opportunities since 2009. We also determined the role of social science engagement in natural science based regional programmes (using key informants) and identified the potential for enhanced collaboration in the future. Event attendees were predominantly from western Europe, North America, and East Asia. But overall, in the global network, there was growing participation by females, students and early career researchers, and social scientists, thus assisting in moving toward interdisciplinarity in IMBeR research. The mainly natural science oriented regional programmes showed mixed success in engaging and collaborating with social scientists. This was mostly attributed to the largely natural science (i.e., biological, physical) goals and agendas of the programmes, and the lack of institutional support and push to initiate connections with social science. Recognising that social science research may not be relevant to all the aims and activities of all regional programmes, all researchers however, recognised the (potential) benefits of interdisciplinarity, which included broadening scientists’ understanding and perspectives, developing connections and interlinkages, and making science more useful. Pathways to achieve progress in regional programmes fell into four groups: specific funding, events to come together, within-programme-reflections, and social science champions. Future research programmes should have a strategic plan to be truly interdisciplinary, engaging natural and social sciences, as well as aiding early career professionals to actively engage in such programmes. 

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5. Polar oceans and sea ice in a changing climate

   https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2023.00056  

   Willis, Megan D; Lannuzel, Delphine; Else, Brent; Angot, Hélène; Campbell, Karley; Crabeck, Odile; Delille, Bruno; Hayashida, Hakase; Lizotte, Martine; Loose, Brice; et al (January 2023, Elem Sci Anth)

   Polar oceans and sea ice cover 15% of the Earth’s ocean surface, and the environment is changing rapidly at both poles. Improving knowledge on the interactions between the atmospheric and oceanic realms in the polar regions, a Surface Ocean–Lower Atmosphere Study (SOLAS) project key focus, is essential to understanding the Earth system in the context of climate change. However, our ability to monitor the pace and magnitude of changes in the polar regions and evaluate their impacts for the rest of the globe is limited by both remoteness and sea-ice coverage. Sea ice not only supports biological activity and mediates gas and aerosol exchange but can also hinder some in-situ and remote sensing observations. While satellite remote sensing provides the baseline climate record for sea-ice properties and extent, these techniques cannot provide key variables within and below sea ice. Recent robotics, modeling, and in-situ measurement advances have opened new possibilities for understanding the ocean–sea ice–atmosphere system, but critical knowledge gaps remain. Seasonal and long-term observations are clearly lacking across all variables and phases. Observational and modeling efforts across the sea-ice, ocean, and atmospheric domains must be better linked to achieve a system-level understanding of polar ocean and sea-ice environments. As polar oceans are warming and sea ice is becoming thinner and more ephemeral than before, dramatic changes over a suite of physicochemical and biogeochemical processes are expected, if not already underway. These changes in sea-ice and ocean conditions will affect atmospheric processes by modifying the production of aerosols, aerosol precursors, reactive halogens and oxidants, and the exchange of greenhouse gases. Quantifying which processes will be enhanced or reduced by climate change calls for tailored monitoring programs for high-latitude ocean environments. Open questions in this coupled system will be best resolved by leveraging ongoing international and multidisciplinary programs, such as efforts led by SOLAS, to link research across the ocean–sea ice–atmosphere interface. 

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