Articles | Volume 18, issue 9
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-6207-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-6207-2026
Data description article
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31 Aug 2026
Data description article | Highlight paper |  | 31 Aug 2026

Nitrous oxide and methane concentrations and air-sea fluxes in undersampled areas of the Mediterranean basin

Mercedes de la Paz, Susana Flecha, Fatima Zohra Bouthir, Milad Fahkri, Abed El Rahman Hassoun, Valeria Ibello, Korhan Özkan, Fiz F. Pérez, Adil Chair, and Iris E. Hendriks

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Cited articles

Abboud-Abi Saab, M. and Hassoun, A. E. R.: Effects of organic pollution on environmental conditions and the phytoplankton community in the central Lebanese coastal waters with special attention to toxic algae, Regional Studies in Marine Science, 10, 38–51, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2017.01.003, 2017. 
Bange, H. W., Rapsomanikis, S., and Andreae, M. O.: The Aegean Sea as a source of atmospheric nitrous oxide and methane, Mar. Chem., 53, 41–49, https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-4203(96)00011-4, 1996. 
Bange, H. W., Arévalo-Martínez, D. L., de la Paz, M., Farías, L., Kaiser, J., Kock, A., Law, C. S., Rees, A. P., Rehder, G., Tortell, P. D., Upstill-Goddard, R. C., and Wilson, S. T.: A Harmonized Nitrous Oxide (N2O) Ocean Observation Network for the 21st Century, Front. Mar. Sci., 6, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00157, 2019. 
Bendshneider, K. and Robinson, R.-J.: A new spectrophotometric method for the determination of nitrite in sea water, J. Mar. Res., 11, 87–96, 1952. 
Bianchi, C. N. and Morri, C.: Marine Biodiversity of the Mediterranean Sea: Situation, Problems and Prospects for Future Research, Mar. Pollut. Bull., 40, 367–376, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0025-326X(00)00027-8, 2000. 
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Editorial statement
This data paper presents a particularly valuable dataset on two major greenhouse gases, nitrous oxide (N₂O) and methane (CH₄), whose oceanic sources, sinks, and contributions to the global greenhouse-gas budget remain subject to substantial uncertainties. The compilation of N₂O and CH₄ concentrations and associated air–sea fluxes across undersampled regions of the Mediterranean basin fills an important observational gap.
Short summary
This study provides monthly year-long dataset of nitrous oxide and methane concentrations and their air-sea exchange in understudied coastal areas of the Mediterranean Sea. By using standardized methods across multiple sites, it reveals marked seasonal and regional differences, with methane showing highly variable bursts linked to local sources. The dataset addresses major observational gaps and offers a reliable foundation for future environmental evaluation in this sensitive region.
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