IMIS - Marine Research Groups

Ocean biogeochemistry is going through unprecedented changes. Anthropogenic emissions of CO2 since the industrial revolution have led to warming in ocean temperature (>1 °C since pre-industrial) and increase in ocean acidity (100-150% increase in H+ concentration). Our current understanding of biogeochemical processes and carbon cycling in the ocean has so far been based on scarce observations from ship-based repeat hydrography surveys across ocean basins on decadal scales, time-series stations on monthly to seasonal scales and underway surface observations from SOOP. Observing changes in ocean conditions on the spatial and temporal scales required to constrain Ocean CO2 uptake, storage rates and subsequent ecosystem impacts, however, remains a significant challenge due to the lack of technical observing capability. Advances in observing technologies and inter-ERIC harmonisation and coordination could enormously enhance the ability of the European and global observing community to understand ocean processes and monitor human induced changes to ocean biogeochemistry. Recent developments in sensing technologies, robotics and artificial intelligence offer new opportunities and potential for autonomous, wide scale and high-resolution biogeochemical observations. GEORGE will consist of three central work packages (WPs 2 – 4) that will target innovative new technologies in the observational networks of the three RIs, two work packages that will support the RIs in implementation of the results (WP 5, 6) and one WP transferring the results to a higher level of the value chain (WP7).