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Welcome to IMBeR’s newsletter.
This edition highlights the progress of IMBeR Endorsed Projects, AMT, CREPSUM, GoTTs, MEBM-PEG, NUTS&BOLTS, from May 2023 to August 2024.
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List of current endorsed projects | |
Endorsed Projects Progress Reports | |
Atlantic Meridional Transect (AMT) | |
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Project introduction:
The Atlantic Meridional Transect (AMT) undertakes multidisciplinary oceanographic research during an annual voyage between the UK and the South Atlantic. AMT’s 30 research cruises have hosted 289 sea-going scientists (from 77 research institutes representing 29 countries), produced over 350 refereed papers and contributed to 75 PhD studies. It serves as an ideal platform for national and international scientific collaboration, a training arena for the next generation of oceanographers and an ideal facility for validation of novel technology. Since 2012, there have been more than 239,000 downloads of AMT data from the British Oceanographic Data Center (BODC) by users in 34 countries.
Project Duration: 1995 - present
Contact: Andy Rees, Plymouth Marine Laboratory
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Highlights:
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Long-term sample collection: The AMT has collected samples for microbial molecular characterization by research cruises on a passage between the UK and destinations in the South Atlantic since 1995.
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Scientific impact: The extensive AMT data set has enabled scientists in 34 countries to:
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Biodiversity and biogeochemical processes: Improve our understanding of the biodiversity and biogeochemical processes for the basin scale Atlantic Ocean (in line with the IMBeR Grand Challenge I).
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Enhanced scenario models: Sophisticate the existing scenario models for a better understanding of future ocean-human systems at multiple scales (Grand Challenge II).
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Policy and industry support: Provide scientific basis, such as water quality, for industry and deliver policy directives to national and international government regimes (Grand Challenge III).
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Future funding secured: Funding for the continuation of AMT (2024-2029) was approved under the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).
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Collaborative Research and Education Project in Southeast Asia for Sustainable Use of Marine Ecosystems (CREPSUM) | |
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Project introduction:
The CREPSUM project is an initiative funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) under its Core-to-Core Program from April 2020 to March 2024. The project team was developed based on a long-term collaboration of member countries, and more than 200 scientists join the CREPSUM from Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. Goals of CREPSUM are: 1) To Establish an international science and educational network for the Southeast Asia marine ecosystem; 2) To Progress marine ecosystem studies on emergent issues for conservation and sustainable use of marine ecosystem services in Southeast Asia; 3) To Contribute to UN Decade of Ocean Sciences and UN SDG 14 “Life below water” by preparing the best scientific knowledge.
Project Duration: April 2020 - March 2024
Contact: Hiroaki Saito, the Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo
Highlights:
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Subprojects on multiple stressors: CREPSUM carried out six subprojects directly contributing to the IMBeR Grand Challenge I (cumulative effect of multiple stressors - temperature) for coral, Raphidophyte, dinoflagellate, Platycephalidae and Soleidae, emperor fishes, and sea cucumbers in the tropical Northwest Pacific.
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Global survey on ocean perception: It conducted a global survey in Australia, France, Japan, and the USA on "the Ocean We Want" to elaborate on the relationship between personal beliefs and environmental norms using the Value-Belief-Norm framework.
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Marine sanctuary groundwork: Scientists at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and colleagues were tasked by the Penang State Government to undertake studies and prepare the groundwork for the gazettement of the Middle Bank area as a marine sanctuary to be named the Middle Bank Marine Sanctuary (MBMS). Studies revealed crucial ecosystems, such as seagrass meadows, important feeding grounds, and nursery areas for marine animals, and are a part of the Penang Green Agenda 2030.
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Policy support for marine pollution reduction: The project also assisted in formulating Indonesian policy and research toward a 70% reduction of marine plastic pollution by 2025.
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Biodiversity seminar: The project held the CREPSUM Seminar on Biodiversity of Marine Benthic Invertebrates in January 2024 at the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba, Japan.
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Gulf of Trieste – Time-series (GoTTs) | |
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Project introduction:
GoTTs is designed for long-term monitoring of ecological and oceanographic processes in the northernmost part of the Adriatic Sea at the border of Area Marina Protetta di Miramare. The coastal marine observatory site Gulf of Trieste lies within the Marine Protected Area (MPA) of Miramare and includes the biological time-series station and the in situ continuous MAMBO meteo-oceanographic buoy. The studies on a local scale regard coastal and transition waters and address problems related to their sustainable management.
Project Duration: 1970 - present
Contact: Bruno Cataletto, Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale - OGS
Highlights:
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Monthly observations and sampling: OGS (Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale) observes and samples for biological studies monthly.
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Time series analyses: The project reported time series multivariate analyses on 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing data.
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Eutrophication assessment, invasive species research, and mycobiome functions: The project set common methods for assessment of eutrophication in the Eastern Mediterranean, molecular insight into the invasive ctenophore, and functions of the mycobiome of coastal waters.
GoTTs Annual Report 2024
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Marine Ecosystem-based Management Progress Evaluation Group: tracking the global progress of EBM (MEBM-PEG)
Project introduction:
Ecosystem-based management (EBM) is now clearly recognized as the international best practice to manage multiple ocean uses, mitigate multiple ocean stressors, achieve reasonable outcomes across multiple- often conflicting- objectives, obtain suitable ecosystem goods and services, and ultimately support a blue economy. This translates into developing shared visions for global oceans that are healthy, resilient, safe, productive, understood and valued so as to promote the well-being, prosperity and security of the present and future generations.
MEBM-PEG is an international group of EBM experts that systematically tracks progress towards EBM, communicates its benefits, and identifies where remaining impediments to implementing EBM persist, with suggested solutions for achieving further implementation of EBM.
Project Duration: September 2022 - March 2026
Contact: Mark Dickey-Collas, International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and Danish Technical University National Institute of Aquatic Resources (DTU-AQUA), Copenhagen, Denmark
Highlights:
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Development of EBM poll: MEBM-PEG and an international group of ecosystem-based management (EBM) experts developed a poll consisting of 23 multiple-choice and open-ended questions to assess the global progress on EBM (Haugen et al., 2024).
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Guided workshop discussions: The preliminary poll results were used to guide discussions at an online workshop convened in late 2022. The workshop included over 40 invited EBM experts representing different countries and various ocean-use sectors.
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Comprehensive results synthesis: The results represent a culmination of the poll, workshop discussions, and author expertise, supported by substantial literature where applicable.
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Identification of EBM challenges and solutions: Based on this, the authors identified the global status of EBM, the top six challenges to EBM implementation, the solutions to overcome them, and the probable direction of marine EBM in the coming years.
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Importance of Physico-Chemical cycling of nutrients and carbon in Marine Transitional Zones (NUTS&BOLTS)
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Project introduction:
NUTS&BOLTS is a 5-year project funded by the Irish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Marine Institute. NUTS&BOLTS addresses knowledge gaps with regard to the impact of multiple environmental stressors on the cycling of nutrients and carbon in Ireland’s marine transitional zones (MTZs). Our overall goal is to improve our understanding, both qualitatively and quantitatively, of the physical and chemical processes, and their fluxes, that impact biological activity in Irish coastal marine and transitional waters. Our overall approach has a number of novel applications to Irish waters, most notably through the use of Membrane Inlet Mass Spectrometry (MIMS) to assess O2/Ar ratios for productivity and climate relevant gases, assessing pico and nanoplankton abundance by flow cytometry, estimating the supply of trace elements via riverine fluxes and evaluation of nutrient controls on primary productivity through the use of bioassays. The data linked to this project will be submitted to the EPA geoportal and the Marine Institute of Ireland data portal.
Project Duration: 2019 - 2024
Contact: Peter Croot, Earth and Ocean Sciences School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway
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Focus on environmental stressors in Irish MTZs: NUTS&BOLTS focused on unraveling the impact of multiple environmental stressors on ecosystems in Irish marine transitional zones (MTZs) and is strongly aligned with several of IMBeR’s stated goals connected to Grand Challenge I.
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Workshop on “Sustainability of Marine Transitional Zones in Ireland”: The project hosted a workshop on “Sustainability of Marine Transitional Zones in Ireland” on 19 January 2024 in the Aula Maxima.
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Project duration and funding: NUTS&BOLTS was a 4-year project (2019-2023) funded by the EPA and Marine Institute Ireland, focusing on the biogeochemical cycling of nutrients and elements in Irish MTZs and fluxes of bio-relevant elements from Irish surface and groundwaters to the MTZ and continental shelf. In 2023, NUTS&BOLTS received a 1-year no-cost extension to complete work disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Call for New Endorsed Projects in 2024
We invite researchers and organizations to apply for project endorsement and become part of our global marine research community. Endorsement offers the opportunity to align your work with the IMBeR Science Plan and Implementation Strategy and fosters national, regional, and international collaboration. We accept applications throughout 2024 and welcome submissions from interested teams.
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IMBeR IPO Host's Announcements | | |
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Anthropocene Coasts Recruiting Position:
Associate Editors
Anthropocene Coasts is a Golden Open Access journal hosted by East China Normal University, and published by Springer. The journal publishes multidisciplinary research addressing the interaction of human activities with our estuaries and coasts.
To help build on the success of Anthropocene Coasts and to expand the opportunities for international collaboration and contributions to the work of the journal, the journal is seeking more international Associate Editors.
Apply now!
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Information shared by our contacts | |
IMBeR is a Large-Scale Ocean Research Project under SCOR and a Global Research Network under Future Earth. | |
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Contact Us
IMBeR International Project Office
State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University
500 Dongchuan Rd., Shanghai 200241, China
Editors
Suhui QIAN, GiHoon HONG, Fang ZUO, Kai QIN
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All photographs are © Copyright according Project. | | | | |
