National Oceanography Centre
Prof Stephanie Henson is a Principal Scientist at the National Oceanography Centre and Honorary Professor at the University of Southampton, where she leads a large, active research group in global biogeochemical oceanography. Her particular research interests aim at understanding the natural variability and climate change effects on phytoplankton populations, and subsequent impacts on the biological carbon pump. Her research exploits autonomous vehicles, satellite and in situ data, as well as output from biogeochemical models. In 2024, she received the European Geosciences Union’s Fridtjof Nansen medal for “outstanding research into the ocean’s role in the carbon cycle, built on her extraordinary ability to combine diverse observational data with novel biogeochemical models.” She was a lead author on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 6th Assessment Report, on the chapter “Carbon and other biogeochemical cycles and feedbacks”.
Plenary 2. Thursday 3 July. 9.40-12.00. – The carbon cycle and future climate pathways
The ocean carbon sink: the role of biogeochemistry and ecosystems
The ocean holds 60 times as much CO2 as the atmosphere and acts as a major sink for anthropogenic CO2, absorbing ~30% of emissions annually. The biological component of the ocean carbon sink is thought to be in steady state, and so not contribute to anthropogenic CO2 uptake. However, its magnitude has changed over paleo-timescales and is predicted to change in future in response to climate forcing. In this talk, I will discuss the contemporary functioning and future projected changes in the biological carbon pump and the implications for climate feedbacks. I will also highlight the potential for new observations to inform improved estimates of the ocean carbon sink.