Nitrous Oxide Dynamic in the Caribbean Sea

Interest in the environmental studies of the nitrous oxide arises from the discovery that this gas catalyzes the destruction of the ozone layer in the stratosphere and that it is responsible for about 5 % of the global warming-greenhouse effect. Recently, interest in the role of marginal seas as sources of nitrous oxide has increased due to the proximity of these systems to coastal antropogenic activity. A potential outcome of this phenomenon is thus an increase in near-surfaces nitrous oxide production due to an increase in nitrogen loading turning marginal and coastal seas into prospective hot spot areas. Thus, is important to establish base-line information that will be useful to monitor alteration in the nitrogen cycle and nitrous oxide production over time in marginal seas such as the Caribbean Sea. In that regard, this book presents evidences of a spatial and temporal distribution of dissolve nitrous oxide, production rates, and sea-air exchange in the Eastern Caribbean Sea. Furthermore, this book provides a review of the nitrous oxide early history, studies performed in the ocean, and methods employed to study the dynamic of nitrous oxide in aquatic marine systems.