R10: Ocean Observations

Field Measurements of Surface Water pCO2 and d13C(CO2) in the North Atlantic using Cavity Ringdown Spectroscopy and a Voluntary Observing Ship
read more The stable carbon isotope signature of carbon dioxide (CO2) and dissolved inorganic carbon holds great potential to improve our understanding of processes such as exchange fluxes between the surface ocean and the atmosphere, biological production, CO2 uptake of the ocean and natural carbon sequestration. Until now, this potential has not been fully exploited due to the limitations of the typically utilized mass spectrometric measurement technique. In recent years, cavity ringdown spectroscopy emerged as a new method that enables, for the first time, continuous and autonomous at sea measurements of the stable isotope ratio of carbon dioxide. In this work, the feasibility of autonomous operation of a commercial, state-of-the-art cavity ringdown spectrometer on voluntary observing ships will be investigated. A full annual cycle of carbon dioxide isotopic composition (δ13C(CO2)) and carbon dioxide partial pressure (pCO2) in the North Atlantic Ocean will be recorded. The outcome of the project will be an important improvement step toward to the accessibility of precise carbon isotope measurements in the surface ocean.

Lagrangian analysis of sea turtle ecology and ocean currents
Dr. Rebecca Scott,  read more Tropical marine areas represent rich and diverse ecosystems, however the ecological integrity of these systems are of heightening global concern due to increasing anthropogenic impacts (e.g. Halpern et al., 2008). One of the most direct and pervasive threats facing marine ecosystems is the global decline of large marine vertebrates such as sea turtles, due to the important roles these large consumers play in maintaining the structure and functioning of their habitats (e.g. Jackson et al., 2001). World-wide concern over the status of marine populations and ecosystems (Jackson et al., 2001 Halpern et al. 2008) calls for an urgent need for innovative approaches to guide marine conservation efforts. The complex life cycles of sea turtles are strongly influenced by ocean currents and typically involve various ontogenetic habitat shifts, long distance migrations and transoceanic juvenile dispersal phases. Their life history attributes thus renders turtle populations vulnerable to a range of threats at different life stages and notoriously difficult to study/conserve. Whilst a greater understanding of their complex life cycles has been gained through recent developments in the fields of genetics, biotelemetry and oceanography, the juvenile dispersal phase remains poorly understood.

In situ ocean observations of cape verdean pelagic communities in a changing ocean
Dr. Henk-Jan Hoving,  read more Here I propose to develop a time series program that will investigate the composition of oceanic pelagic communities and their temporal dynamics in abundance and distribution, in and around the oxygen minimum zone in the Eastern tropical Atlantic. The fauna recorded during video transects performed by a towed camera system in waters off the Cape Verde Islands will be coupled with oceanographic data (depth, oxygen concentration, temperature, salinity) resulting in a unique database of oceanic pelagic organisms and their physical and chemical environment. The objectives of my work are: A) to develop, together with German and Cape Verdean researchers, a strategy to easily observe large zooplankton and nekton, from krill to squids B) to characterize the epi- and mesopelagic macrofauna of the Cape Verde Islands, determine the dominant faunal and functional groups, and characterize temporal (seasonal and interannual) dynamics in abundance and composition C) to characterize the distribution of the dominant epi-and mesopelagic faunal and functional groups in relation to the oxygen minimum zone, and track these distributions in time to assess biological change as a result of an expanding OMZ The resulting data set will allow: D) determination of the impact of the macrozooplankton-community (in particular gelatinous zooplankton) on the biological pump through diurnal vertical migrations and fecal pellet generation (relevant to R5 and R11) E) detection of the responses of large zooplankton and nekton to an increase/strengthening of the OMZ (relevant to R11 and R8) F) an assessment of the status of commercial fishing resources and the generation of information that is directly relevant to designing conservation strategies (relevant to R10 and R3)

Measuring and modeling the effect of calcification on seawater carbonate chemistry in Kiel mussel reefs
Dr. Claas Hiebenthal,  read more Ocean acidification caused by human emissions of CO2 rose as a major thread threat to calcifiers like the mussel Mytilus edulis. This species is a key reef builder of the European nearshores and is of paramount commercial importance. However, the fluctuations of the carbonate system in those reefs, induced by the mussel physiology, remain unknown. Filling this gap of knowledge is essential for evaluating the impact of ocean acidification on these crucial ecosystems. To do so, in a synergistic effort between marine chemists, ecologists and physiologists from academic and private sector, we will 1) combine state-of-the-art technologies to create an in-situ high accuracy and precision carbonate sensor 2) deploy it in mussel beds of the western Baltic Sea at key periods of the Baltic CO2 annual cycle 3) explain the variations with a statistical model.

Automated high-­resoluton imaging system for non-invasive in situ measurements of marine partcles and zooplankton
Dr. Rainer Kiko,  read more Automated underwater imaging systems offer the unique opportunity for non-invasive determination of plankton composition and particle size distribution in the natural environment. In situ imaging systems have a number of advantages over traditional net-based approaches, including high spatial resolution (e.g. to obtain vertical gradients), detection of unperturbed particle size spectra, and automated data analysis. Because existing systems were engineered for deep-water deployment and ship-based operations, their size and weight precludes their use in mesocosm studies and their operation from small boats. Moreover, the rapid development in CCD chip technology makes it possible now to design imaging systems with much higher resolution than presently available. We propose to work jointly with the group of Prof. R. Koch (Multimedia Information Processing) and a local industrial partner (Develogic GmbH, Hamburg) to develop an automated lightweight underwater high-resolution imaging system (KielVision) for in situ determination of zooplankton composition and particle size spectra. During the next three years, the newly developed system will be used during KOSMOS experiments off Sweden, Gran Canary, and Peru, time-series measurements at Boknis Eck and in the Kiel Fjord, and an SFB754 cruise to the tropical Eastern North Atlantic.

Biogeochemistry and Ecology of Oxygen Depleted Eddies in the Eastern Tropical Atlantic
Dr. Johannes Karstensen,  read more The recent discovery of isolated low oxygen (O2) water masses in the generally well ventilated open ocean region near the Cape Verde Archipelago changed our understanding of oceanic processes in this area. The eastern tropical North Atlantic (ETNA) is characterized by a highly productive coastal upwelling system off northwest Africa, enhanced Saharan dust deposition, and a moderate O2 minimum zone (OMZ) with lowest O2 concentrations just under 40 μmol/kg. Current understanding is that the ETNA OMZ has been expanding over the past decades both in terms of vertical extent and intensity . Nevertheless, the recently observed exceptionally low O2 concentrations just below the mixed layer ranging from hypoxic (<20 μmol/kg) to even anoxic (<1 μmol/kg) conditions have never been reported before for the ETNA. These O2 depleted isolated water masses were attributed to mesoscale eddies which originated in the highly productive coastal Mauritanian upwelling and propagated westwards. We propose a multi-facetted interdisciplinary field study in the eastern tropical North Atlantic to investigate biogeochemical and ecological processes in recently discovered eddies that entail unexpected subsurface anoxia and hypoxia in the open ocean.

Invasion of Mediterranean mussels into a warming Baltic Sea: will hybridization with local mussels impact emerging aquaculture enterprises?
read more Recent evidence for the occurence of invasive Mediterranean blue mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) in the Baltic Sea1 indicates that in the future, local mussel communities might become a mixture of hybrids between M. galloprovincialis and the native M. edulis x M. trossulus hybrids, particularly when considering future climate change scenarios. As hybridization can affect many ecologically and economically relevant traits, it is paramount to obtain a deeper understanding of the current genetic composition of Baltic Sea mussel populations. We propose to test for reproductive barriers between the three species and to study, whether emerging aquaculture enterprises might be endangered by extensive hybridization of mussels. Hybridization can lead to mussels with reduced shell strength and growth performance, a significant economical problem for mussel aquacultures. We propose to analyze population genetics of local hybrids using next generation transcriptome sequencing and crossing experiments. Further, we propose to measure fitness of generated hybrid offspring under different abiotic conditions, model larval drift to estimate population connectivity in the Baltic Sea and test for performance of hybrids in a local aquaculture enterprise.

Opti-Acoustic Sensor Fusion for Highly Detailed and Accurate 3D Modeling
read more Acoustic methods are widely used in ocean research for sea oor mapping of rigid sea oor structures, navigation, and for quantification in dynamic scenes like fish swarms or gas bubble plumes. Especially the range data gained that way supports ocean research in many ways, but disadvantages are low resolution and unknown vertical angle. In recent years, the application of optical cameras to underwater scenarios has sparked a lot of research in the area of computer vision. Compared to acoustic approaches, cameras deliver high resolution data at a close range, but loose range information in the imaging process. This range information can be retrieved by methods from the area of computer vision to some extent, however, in the standard case, refraction at underwater housings and light attenuation by the water are neglected. In my previous work, I have modeled refractive and attenuation e ects for underwater vision and developed a new system that allows the computation of highly detailed and accurate 3D models of rigid underwater structures, that allow quantitative measurements. Based on this work, I propose to develop a new system with joint optical and acoustical imaging devices that will allow to combine the advantages of both measuring principles. By investigating principles of direct, geometric sensor fusion, this will allow new possibilities for high resolution measurements with high accuracy of for example geological structures and biomass, but also for quantitative estimation of CH4 and CO2 seeps.

3D Big Data Visualization and Analysis of Hydrographic Parameters
Dr. Sascha Flögel,  read more The field of big data processing has become increasingly important for scientific data infrastructures, such as ocean observation systems. Thus, big scientific data analysis is a new focus in science [1]. To gain value from this data, we must find innovative ways to process it. A specific challenge is how to visualize big data sets from the marine realm [2]. In this interdisciplinary project, we intend to invent and apply new advanced 3D big data visualization and analysis techniques to the data produced by the modular multidisciplinary seafloor observatory – MoLab.

Deciphering the Lost Years, novel in‐situ/silico tracking of neonate seaturtles
Dr. Arne Biastoch,  read more The dispersal of juvenile organisms drives the life-history evolution, dynamics and habitats of many endangered marine vertebrate populations. However, the movements/behaviours of small organisms, like hatchling sea turtles, remain enigmatic. We thus propose a novel interdisciplinary campaign to utilise advances in the miniaturisation of animal tracking devices and conduct the first multi-day hatchling tracking study to gain crucial information on their movements/swimming behaviours whilst dispersing offshore. Custom-made “hatchling shaped drifters” will also be released into the ocean to acquire in-situ Lagrangian data on surface currents experienced by hatchlings and to track passive dispersal trajectories. These observations will be analysed in-silico with currents and particle drift simulated using ocean models that resolve current variability down to length scales of c.10 km.

Marine Bio‐Acoustics ‐ cultural noise and whales
PD. Dr. Ingo Grevemeyer,  read more Every human endeavor in the ocean generates some amount of noise and the environmental impact of noise on marine life might be grave, including mass stranding of mammals. Overall, we know reasonably little about the ambient noise (including manmade sounds) in the ocean and its spatial variability. In recent years marine seismologists have sampled the seismic wave field in basically all ocean basins. In addition to earthquakes, ocean-bottom-seismometers record the ambient noise field and characteristic sleuths in the range of 18-20 Hz caused by fin or blue whales. In this project we like to use seismological data to obtain a noise inventory of the oceans, yielding the anthropogenic and natural noise in the ocean and its spatial variability. Further, we like to map the distribution of whale callings in space and time, revealing migration pattern of whales using marine bio-acoustics. This project will build up new expertise and will bridge the fields of geophysics and marine biology.

Submarine groundwater detection using marine geoelectric measurements
Jan Scholten,  read more Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is associated with a significant input of dissolved matter into coastal environments, which may result in eutrophication. To fully understand the overall environmental impacts information on the areal extent of SGD is required. Therefore, spatial mapping techniques are needed. We propose to develop a mobile mapping technique, which is based on the electric resistivity of interstitial waters in sediments. Electric resistivity is higher for freshwater compared to seawater. Simultaneous high-resolution seismic measurements add stratigraphical information for a better understanding of the geological subsurface structures determining the occurrence of SGD. The results will be compared with electric conductivity measurements in-situ and with a GIS flow accumulation model.

Development of a submersible in‐situ N2O sensor for high‐precision and fast water column measurements
Prof. Gernot Friedrichs,  read more Presently, there is no fast and easy to use sensor available which is capable of measuring high resolution depth profiles of dissolved nitrous oxide (N2O) in the water column. Therefore, a trustworthy and time-efficient sensor to measure dissolved N2O in seawater at high resolution is proposed. This sensor will be built upon novel infrared technology (IR) for gas detection using a field-deployable near IR light source, a sensitive photovoltaic detector, a multipass gas absorption cell, and a gas membrane technique for gas separation.

Habitat‐specific acoustic monitoring (HAM)
Dr. Peter Feldens,  read more The monitoring of shallow water environments is important for spatial planning of the coastal zone, as reflected in large EU initiatives. However, the efficient monitoring of benthic habitats is difficult and time-consuming. The proposed study investigates new approaches to monitor habitats using acoustic methods. We test the hypotheses that a) different benthic habitats on hard- and soft bottoms have a characteristic surface roughness, b) changing habitat population density and composition affect the surface roughness and c) characteristic roughness and its change over time are detectable by high-frequency acoustic angular backscatter. To test the hypotheses, seafloor roughness at the mm scale and corresponding high-frequency angular backscatter will be measured simultaneously for selected habitats and reference sites over an annual cycle. If the hypotheses are successfully tested, habitat-specific acoustic monitoring methods can be established. Applied from AUV systems, this would allow efficient monitoring of large areas. Efficient monitoring of benthic habitats opens interdisciplinary applications, e.g., within the FONA project to test the correlation between seafloor habitats and the distribution top predators such as birds.

All‐in‐focus: Combining lightfields and shadowgraphs for advanced underwater imaging
Dr. Kevin Köser,  read more Underwater imaging has emerged as a valuable tool in biological oceanography, allowing for non-invasive in situ quantification and classification of organisms and particles at high spatial and temporal resolution. Qualitative and quantitative information encompassing multiple trophic levels is crucial to improve our mechanistic understanding of food-web dynamics and the vertical flux of organic matter to the deep ocean. However, despite significant progress over the last decades, no instrument exists that can obtain high-resolution images of marine organisms over a wide size spectrum (few μm to several cm). We will solve this interdisciplinary problem by constructing the All-In-Focus imaging system (AIF), a single unconventional and novel imaging system that will unify a lightfield camera system and a shadowgraph approach in one single system. The lightfield camera system allows the retrieval of three-dimensional information and greatly enhances the depth of field in comparison to standard cameras whereas the shadowgraph imaging approach allows to image a wide size spectrum of objects in a large image volume. This project is attended with high risk, since lightfield technology is still a novel area subject to research and has never been used before in underwater settings and is therefore unlikely to be funded by 3rd party organization. As a result of our institutional partnership, we will combine our domain specific knowledge, computational camera systems and lightfield imaging at the CAU and the experience in underwater imaging at the GEOMAR, in this solution-oriented project to significantly improve our abilities to image the ocean.

From one‐ to three‐ dimensional thinking in global change research: Adding fluctuations to the usual static treatments may drastically change our understanding of pending environmental shifts.
Dr. Andreas Lehmann,  read more Climate change is projected to not only shift environmental means but to also increase variability around means and the intensity of extreme events. This may exert additional stress to organisms, or, in contrast, provide transient refuges from stress. We hypothesize that (i) fluctuating temperature stress will very differently affect marine organisms as compared to constant stress of the same mean intensity, and that (ii) the two additional dimensions of a stress regime, stress intensity (amplitude) and stress duration (frequency), will determine the biological impact. We will also analyse temperature time series of coastal Baltic Sea habitats with respect to shifts in any of these dimensions. By analysing on-going shifts in fluctuations in the context of sensitivities of organisms, observed from the lab experiments, we will be able to make more realistic predictions of climate change impacts on ecosystems.

Transatlantic sea‐to‐air nitrous oxide fluxes: What we can learn from isotope and eddy covariance techniques
read more We propose to use isotope and 15N site preference techniques, in conjunction with direct eddy covariance trace gas flux measurements, to better constrain the importance of the ocean as a source of nitrous oxide (N2O) to the atmosphere and quantify how various physical and biogeochemical variables regulate sea-to-air N2O fluxes.

Giving the climate community what they need: Continuous, autonomous direct measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) air‐sea flux
Dr. Tobias Steinhoff,  read more Can eddy covariance measurements be used to directly determine open ocean CO2 flux continuously and autonomously? If yes, the key result of this work would be autonomous systems to mount onboard a fleet of voluntary observing ships (VOS) to provide continuous measurements of CO2 air-sea flux, in-situ, over unprecedented temporal/spatial scales. The impacts would be enormous, allowing the climate community to directly characterize the seasonal and interannual variations in the ocean’s uptake of anthropogenic CO2 and better predict future climate impacts.

Autonomous Fish Echosounding – or How Combining High‐Tech Oceanography, Hydroacoustics and Citizen Science
Dr. Jörn Schmidt,  read more Increasing overexploitation of worldwide fish stocks, in particular in developing countries, calls for cost effective fisheries and ecosystem data collection as basis for sustainable stock management strategies. Here, we propose a pilot study that links state-of-the-art oceanographic research with echosounding technology and fishermen citizen science. This study aims to develop autonomous monitoring capabilites for small pelagic fish around Cape Verde Islands that are piggy-backed to oceanographic observations.

Characterizing trophic links in pelagic ecosystems with stable isotope fingerprinting of amino acids
Dr. Nils Andersen,  read more We propose investigating major trophic pathways within the pelagic system of the Sargasso Sea by applying a novel set of amino acid
13C and
15N markers. These provide a powerful tool for inferring major source of primary production, trophic position of consumers, and potentially also the macromolecular composition of the diets. In contrast to bulk isotopes, the compound specific markers can be used without adjusting for variable isotopic baseline values. Developing sensitive in situ markers for pelagic ecosystems is important in light of anthropogenic disturbance and global change.

LASSO_Lagrangian study of marine trace gas Air-Sea exchange over the Ocean
Dr. Christa Marandino,  read more Air – sea exchange processes of marine-derived trace gases at the land-coastal interface potentially impact climate, air quality, and human health. These processes need to be explored in order to close gaps in the understanding of the effect of concentration variation, emission strengths, and sources. Applying the novel technology of drones, including remote imaging, opens new dimensions of accessibility and flexibility that will address open scientific questions of air-sea exchange along coastal boundaries. We will conduct discrete air sampling with subsequent analysis of >50 trace gases across the surf zone. Concurrent imaging with the sampling will for the first time differentiate between advective and near-coastal processes, such as wave breaking, on the ambient gas concentrations.

Autonomous oceanic turtle drifters
Dr. Rebecca Scott,  read more Dispersal is a key life history trait amongst marine species. However many organisms, like hatchling sea turtles, are too small to be tracked. Here, we plan to develop novel autonomous oceanic turtle drifters that can be tracked via satellite to collect vital data on surface ocean currents and the impacts of active directional swimming on the dispersion of small organisms reliant on ocean currents for their survival and long distance dispersal. These observations will be analysed in-silico with currents and particle drift simulated using ocean models and key biological data.

General Purpose Underwater Spectral Imaging
Dr. Henk-Jan Hoving,  read more We will establish underwater spectral imaging as a new technology for the Kiel marine sciences. Spectral characteristics of samples will be measured in the lab, the technology for recording such data in-situ as well as the related image processing will be developed. Complementary spectral acquisition techniques will be combined for applying these methods to science topics from biology to geology.

MicroZooImager: An integrated optical system for microzooplankton analysis
Dr. Jan Taucher,  read more Microzooplankton, a group of heterotrophic organisms in the size range of 20-200 μm, are major consumers of marine primary production in the world oceans. Data on their taxonomy and biomass is traditionally obtained by microscopy, which is very labor- and time-intensive. This impedes a high spatial and temporal resolution of data, which would be needed to improve our mechanistic understanding of the role of microzooplankton in marine ecosystems and carbon cycling. To solve this problem, we propose to develop a novel imaging system for rapid data acquisition on microzooplankton abundance, biomass, body size and taxonomy. The instrumental design will be based on a high-resolution line-scan camera with telecentric optics and illumination and provide high-quality images of the multitude of microzooplankton specimen contained in natural plankton samples. Acquired images will be analyzed with existing software for image processing and automated classification, thus allowing for a swift workflow and acquisition of final data. Our interdisciplinary project unifies marine ecology, optical engineering, and computer sciences with the ultimate goal of establishing a rapid and efficient method for studying microzooplankton communities.

On the trail of the missing carbon monoxide from the ocean: first global maps
Dr. Damian Leonardo Arévalo Martínez,  read more Carbon monoxide (CO) plays a crucial role for atmospheric chemistry and is a significant component of the marine carbon cycle. The ocean is considered as a relatively minor source of atmospheric CO however, a very high degree of uncertainty is associated with the available emission estimates due to the omission of coastal regions and potentially important biological sources such as production by phytoplankton. In this project, we aim to significantly improve CO emission estimates by reassessing its fluxes based on new measurements with unprecedented, high temporal and spatial coverage. Moreover, we will use a novel approach to estimate the global significance of biological production of CO. For this, we will use a multiyear, multiplatform analysis to (i) create a first global map of CO emissions, (ii) provide a first global estimate of the CO source from marine phytoplankton, and (iii) assess the development of future CO emissions under climate change scenarios.

The Future Ocean: A spatial audiovisual installation projecting the future of the oceans within an abstract soundscape
Dr. Nicolaas Glock,  read more Science influenced contemporary art and musical composition in many different facets, while the artistic presentation has led to new social and cultural perceptions about science[1]. Varese was inspired by processes like crystal growth, while Xenakis based his music on stochastic events. As a transdisciplinary artistic research project we propose to create an audiovisual installation based on projections about the future ocean focusing on sea level rise. Within the context of the “Wissenschaftsjahr der Ozeane 2016/17” this project acts within a good time frame for public debate. The sonic part of the installation will be based on concrete recorded sounds from the ocean and, respectively, oceanic research. These sounds will be used for asymmetric granular synthesis and other modular sound manipulations to create an abstract spatial soundscape. The whole project will be implemented in two parts: 1.: Development and presentation in the wave field synthesis laboratory at the centre for microtonal music and multimedia in Hamburg (Hochschule für Musik und Theater) and 2.: The creation of a new audio-visual installation in Kiel. Wave field synthesis can create virtual sound sources by producing wave fronts synthesized by a large number of individually controlled loud speakers. These virtual sound sources are independent from the position of the listener, e.g. a listener can walk around or through a virtual sound source. Sea level rise will be simulated by gradual filling of the room with “soundgrains” using granular synthesis, resulting in a gradual sound immersion of the recipient. Ocean acidification might be simulated by representing H3O+ ions with “soundgrains” which are stochastically distributed within the room and raise their concentration according to predicted future pH changes. Temperature changes might be represented by changes in pitch and spatial velocity of the sounds. After the realization of the project and presentation in the wave field synthesis lab the sonic part will be compiled to an installation in Kiel which will create a spatial sound field by the distribution of several loud speakers, using concrete instead of virtual sound sources. The visual part of the installation will support the soundscape and be created by the Muthesius Academy of Arts under supervision of Prof. Tom Duscher. With the use of projection mapping and sensors visual representations of the data will be projected into the special installation. While the visitor enters the installation the projection and sound will react to his movement. The presence of the visitor will interact with the environment as a metaphor of the real life relationship between men and nature. Visual elements can include maps of sea-level rise scenarios at different temporal and spatial scales photographs or movies of ice-sheet melting or graphs and maps of coastal population distribution and its responses to changing sea levels.

Combining deep learning, in situ imaging and citizen science to resolve the distribution of giant protists in major upwelling regions
Dr. Jan Taucher,  read more Recently, a first global in situ imaging survey comprising ~ 1.8 million semiautomatically annotated images obtained with an Underwater Vision Profiler 5 (UVP5) was finalized. This survey revealed that giant protists belonging to the super-group rhizaria contribute significantly to biomass in the mesozooplankton size class in tropical and subtropical regions of the oceans. These giant protists were also found to be especially abundant in the Californian upwelling system. We will analyze further UVP5 image data from the Peruvian, Mauretanian and Benguela upwelling systems to resolve the rhizarian environmental niche and their role in biogeochemical cycles in these regions. To enhance our abilities for high-throughput image annotation needed for an efficient sensor-to-information pathway, we will combine state-of-the-art deep learning image recognition algorithms and a citizen scientist approach to annotate the > 850000 images for this project. Involvement of citizen scientists will lead to a direct dissemination of results to the general public and will contribute to the outreach activities of the Future Ocean during the German Year of the Oceans.

Revealing Cape Verdean marine hotspots: Multidisciplinary, long-term and high-resolution observations with a novel Modular Ecosystem Observatory
Dr. Sascha Flögel,  read more Cape Verde (CV) waters are the habitat of unique populations of pelagic predatory fishes and sharks. A poor understanding of key regions for these predators and their prey prevents proper management and conservation and underlines the need for ecosystem data. We propose to develop an interlinked, multidisciplinary and modular ecosystem observatory that will enable the assessment of temporal dynamics of predators and prey in their biogeochemical and physical environment, using seamounts as testbeds for our proof of concept.

Risks of ballast water treatment by the global Shipping Industry
Dr. Birgit Quack,  read more A new threat to the stratospheric ozone layer is expected from oceanic halocarbons produced by the oxidative treatment of ship ballast water. Given the anticipated drastic increase of such technologies as a consequence of the upcoming IMO Ballast Water Management Convention, a risk assessment is needed for the governance of anthropogenic activities in the ocean. We propose on-board testing of ballast water in order to quantify the amount of halocarbons produced by the oxidative treatment. These measurements will constitute the first essential step of a ballast water risk assessment at the interface of environmental research, shipping industry and stakeholders.