PLOCAN hosts the KOSMOS GC 2019 study within the framework of the Ocean artUp project

PLOCAN hosts the KOSMOS GC 2019, led by GEOMAR (Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel) started on the 3rd of September and will extent until mid October.

In the framework of the Ocean artUp project, an international team of 35 marine scientists will study the feasibility, effectiveness, associated risks and potential side effects of ocean artificial upwelling in fertilizing ocean productivity and enhancing energy transfer to higher trophic levels with the potential of raising fish production. Ocean artUp will further investigate the impacts of artificial upwelling on biogeochemical cycling, including carbon export potential and air-sea gas exchange of climate relevant gases.

For this, eight mesocosm bags were deployed in Taliarte harbour and were filled with natural seawater pumped in from outside Melenara Bay. Upwelling will be simulated through the addition of nutrient-rich deep water collected off-shore and injected into the mesocosm bags every second day. A broad range of upwelling scenarios with different nutrient ratios will be simulated to test its effect on ecological and biogeochemical processes under upwelling conditions. The enclosed water body will be closely monitored for a duration of six weeks. The results of this study are expected to indicate how to optimize artificial upwelling for the purpose of increasing fish production.


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