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Titel |
Technical Note: A mobile sea-going mesocosm system – new opportunities for ocean change research |
VerfasserIn |
U. Riebesell, J. Czerny, K. Bröckel, T. Boxhammer, J. Büdenbender, M. Deckelnick, M. Fischer, D. Hoffmann, S. A. Krug, U. Lentz, A. Ludwig, R. Muche, K. G. Schulz |
Medientyp |
Artikel
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Sprache |
Englisch
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ISSN |
1726-4170
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Digitales Dokument |
URL |
Erschienen |
In: Biogeosciences ; 10, no. 3 ; Nr. 10, no. 3 (2013-03-19), S.1835-1847 |
Datensatznummer |
250018158
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Publikation (Nr.) |
copernicus.org/bg-10-1835-2013.pdf |
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Zusammenfassung |
One of the great challenges in ocean change research is to understand and
forecast the effects of environmental changes on pelagic communities and the
associated impacts on biogeochemical cycling. Mesocosms, experimental
enclosures designed to approximate natural conditions, and in which
environmental factors can be manipulated and closely monitored, provide a
powerful tool to close the gap between small-scale laboratory experiments and
observational and correlative approaches applied in field surveys. Existing
pelagic mesocosm systems are stationary and/or restricted to well-protected
waters. To allow mesocosm experimentation in a range of hydrographic
conditions and in areas considered most sensitive to ocean change, we
developed a mobile sea-going mesocosm facility, the Kiel Off-Shore Mesocosms
for Future Ocean Simulations (KOSMOS). The KOSMOS platform, which can be
transported and deployed by mid-sized research vessels, is designed for
operation in moored and free-floating mode under low to moderate wave
conditions (up to 2.5 m wave heights). It encloses a water column 2 m in
diameter and 15 to 25 m deep (∼50–75 m3 in volume) without
disrupting the vertical structure or disturbing the enclosed plankton
community. Several new developments in mesocosm design and operation were
implemented to (i) minimize differences in starting conditions between
mesocosms, (ii) allow for extended experimental duration, (iii) precisely
determine the mesocosm volume, (iv) determine air–sea gas exchange, and (v)
perform mass balance calculations. After multiple test runs in the Baltic
Sea, which resulted in continuous improvement of the design and handling, the
KOSMOS platform successfully completed its first full-scale experiment in the
high Arctic off Svalbard (78°56.2′ N, 11°53.6′ E) in
June/July 2010. The study, which was conducted in the framework of the
European Project on Ocean Acidification (EPOCA), focused on the effects of
ocean acidification on a natural plankton community and its impacts on
biogeochemical cycling and air–sea exchange of climate-relevant gases. This
manuscript describes the mesocosm hardware, its deployment and handling,
CO2 manipulation, sampling and cleaning, including some further
modifications conducted based on the experiences gained during this study. |
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