Observation is the most direct and fundamental means for human beings to understand and manage the ocean. During his academic career, Dr. Wang Wei-Lei's research expeditions have covered the Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and South China Sea, and he has embarked on five research expeditions to the Bermuda region (see Figure 1), accumulating over 300 days of fieldwork at sea. These extensive fieldwork experiences have deeply impressed upon him the value and difficulty of each data point on the map. Over the years, Dr. Wang Wei-Lei has been deeply pondering and actively exploring how to more effectively utilize and unearth the accumulated data from predecessors to achieve new breakthroughs in scientific cognition.
Due to limitations in time and space, observations often struggle to comprehensively capture the complex and dynamic processes of the ocean. Additionally, for the vast and expansive oceans, the scope of field observations is relatively limited. Therefore, the emergence of ocean models provides us with the possibility to overcome these limitations. These models can offer multidimensional estimations and forecasts for global or regional oceans. However, due to the limitations in human understanding of the ocean, model parameterizations often lead to errors. Moreover, observational data often cannot fully represent spatiotemporal distributions, resulting in significant discrepancies between models and observations.
Inverse modelers strive to bridge the gap between observations and models, establishing connections between the two and seeking the truth between observation and model. Dr. Wang Wei-Lei, benefiting from his extensive experience in field observations and model development, has focused on ocean inverse modeling for over a decade, with a primary focus on the biogeochemical cycles of ocean carbon and nitrogen. Through his work, he has achieved a series of significant scientific breakthroughs.
1. Marine Nitrogen Cycling: Dr. Wang developed a three-dimensional phosphorus-nitrogen coupled inverse model (BGCIMv0), which delineated the global-scale distribution patterns of nitrogen sources and sinks in the ocean. Dr. Wang’s work revealed spatial decoupling of nitrogen fixation and denitrification/anammox processes, as well as the inhibitory effect of zooplankton grazing on nitrogen fixation. Furthermore, his work accurately quantified the spatial variability of the nitrogen-to-phosphorus stoichiometric ratio in organic matter output, significantly enhanced our understanding of marine nitrogen biogeochemical cycles (see Figure 2).
2. Marine Biological Pump: Dr. Wang developed an three-dimensional phosphorus-carbon-oxygen coupled inverse model (BGCIMv1), which successfully derived the global oceanic biological pump fluxes driven by multiple processes. His work reconciled the contradiction between total carbon output and carbon demand for deep ocean respiration. Additionally, his work quantified the fluxes of the biological pump from the perspective of sequestration time (see Figure 3).
3. Ocean Negative Emissions and Climate Feedback: Dr. Wang’s established a database of surface dimethyl sulfide (DMS) distribution and fluxes with monthly resolution. Dr. Wang’s work provided crucial evidence for the negative feedback relationship between oceanic DMS sources and the climate system. Additionally, he conducted a systematic evaluation of the efficacy and ecological effects of nutrient enrichment and large-scale seaweed cultivation for carbon sequestration. His work enhanced our understanding of the climate-ocean feedback interactions.
Dr. Wang Wei-Lei's current work focuses on three main aspects: a) Large-Scale Biogeochemical Cycles: Using a three-dimensional inverse modeling approach to study the biogeochemical cycles of carbon and nutrients. b) Particle Dynamics of Sedimentation: Employing inverse modeling coupled with multiple tracers to constrain particle aggregation and disaggregation rate constants, investigating how interactions between particles affect the oceanic carbon sink. c) Biogeochemical Cycling of Trace Gases: Using in-situ measurement data and machine learning techniques to study the biogeochemical cycling of trace gases such as dimethyl sulfide (DMS), nitrous oxide (N2O), and methane (CH4).
For more information, please visit Dr. Wei-Lei Wang’s website https://mel2.xmu.edu.cn/faculty/WeileiWang/ or contact him at weilei.wang@xmu.edu.cn
Dr. Wang Wei-Lei joined the College of Ocean and Earth Sciences at Xiamen University and became a member of the State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science in March 2021. He is currently a professor in the Department of Marine Chemistry. Dr. Wang obtained his doctoral degree from the SUNY Stony Brook University in 2015. He conducted postdoctoral research and was promoted to an assistant project scientist position at the University of California, Irvine, before returning to China. Over the past five years, he has published more than 20 papers as the first or corresponding author in top international journals such as Nature (two research articles) and Nature Communications. He also serves as a member of the Scientific Steering Committee for the Northwest Pacific Ocean Circulation and Climate Experiment (NPOCE) and as a youth member of the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) of China. |
