Recommendations for future measurement and modelling of particles in GEOTRACES and other ocean biogeochemistry programmes

• Recommendations for the sampling and measurement of water-column particles.
• For use on GEOTRACES and other ocean biogeochemical research cruises.
• Recommendations made for section cruises, process studies, and modelling.
• And for intercalibration of particle measurements.

Particles are a fundamental component of biogeochemical cycling in the ocean. They must be sampled and measured during research cruises if a full understanding of ocean chemical cycles is to be achieved. This paper summarises recommendations for the sampling, measurement, and modelling of particles; recommendations that arise from a workshop held in 2011 as part of the GEOTRACES ocean-chemistry programme. The paper makes specific recommendations for particle measurements on section cruises and during process studies, as well as for intercalibration of particle measurements, and for the incorporation of particles in ocean models.