We are delighted to announce that three more projects have been endorsed as Ocean Decade actions under JETZON.

  1. The ANTICS (Advancing Novel imaging Technologies and data analyses in order to understand Interior ocean Carbon Storage) project led by Sari Giering (NOC) will directly address a major knowledge gap by using an innovative synthesis of cutting-edge in situ imaging, machine learning and novel data analyses to mechanistically understand ocean carbon storage. Photosynthesis in the ocean converts approximately 100Gt of carbon dioxide (CO2) into organic matter every year, of which 5–15% sinks to the deep ocean. The depth to which this organic matter sinks is important in controlling the magnitude of ocean carbon storage, as changes in this flux attenuation depth drive variations in atmospheric pCO2 of up to 200ppm. Efforts to produce global maps of flux attenuation have yielded starkly contrasting global patterns, blocking our understanding of ocean carbon storage and our ability to predict it. The bottleneck is our ignorance of the spatio-temporal variability of the processes that control flux attenuation. ANTICS will address this.

     

  2. The DRIFT project led by Tom Langbehn (U.Bergen) has the goal of systematically rethinking advection and cross-ecosystem subsidies. This is to identify the mechanisms that determine when and where prey from the open ocean become accessible to predators, to map these foraging hotspots throughout the North Atlantic, and to predict how advected biomass structures production, life-history strategies, and species distributions in the receiving ecosystems. Press release here: https://kommunikasjon.ntb.no/pressemelding/18940702/uib-far-fornyet-mandat-som-verdens-havuniversitet?lang=no

     

  3. The MICZOO2 project led by Laurène Merillet (CLS) focuses on improving our understanding and monitoring of low and mid-trophic levels (LMTL), particularly zooplankton and micronekton, which play a crucial role in ocean ecosystems and the global carbon cycle. These organisms transfer energy from primary producers to higher trophic levels and contribute to carbon sequestration through diel vertical migration. Building on the SEAPODYM-LMTL model, which simulates biomass distribution using ocean currents, temperature, and primary productivity, the project ensures the continuity and enhancement of the MICRORYS global reanalysis (1998–2023). MICZOO2 aims to refine model accuracy by developing ensemble simulations, quantifying uncertainties, and improving physical forcings through targeted case studies. By delivering a state-of-the-art, openly accessible dataset of global biomass densities, the project supports knowledge generation and promotes wider use of ocean data. It contributes to the UN Ocean Decade objectives by strengthening scientific capacity and advancing the sustainable management of marine ecosystems.