Biological Oceanography
in a Changing Ocean

El viernes 17 de marzo tuvo lugar en la sede de la Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria la presentación de resultados del proyecto "Investiga en Las Canteras” en el que el GOB participa desde 2020 cuando la iniciativa se puso en marcha entre el Ayuntamiento de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria y la ULPGC. Durante la presentación en el Aula de Piedra nuestra investigadora María Fernanda Montero expuso algunas conclusiones relevantes sobre la evaluación inicial de las comunidades de microorganismos y los parámetros ambientales analizados a lo largo de 8 puntos de muestreo distribuidos en las playas de Las Canteras y El Confital. Las primeras muestras fueron tomadas en la primavera de 2020 coincidiendo con el cierre durante 44 días de las playas, una oportunidad única para tomar datos del medio marino, teniendo continuidad en la actualidad.

On Friday, March 17, the presentation of the results of the project "Investiga en Las Canteras" was held at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The group has participated since 2020, when the initiative was launched between the City Council of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and the University. During the presentation at Aula de Piedra, our researcher María Fernanda Montero presented some relevant conclusions about the initial evaluation of the microorganism communities and the environmental parameters analyzed throughout 8 sampling points distributed in Las Canteras and El Confital beaches. The first samples were taken in the spring of 2020 coinciding with the 44-day closure of the beaches, a unique opportunity to collect data from the marine environment, still continuing today.

Conocer de forma precisa cómo funciona el ciclo del carbono en el océano y evaluar el potencial de las intervenciones humanas en el mismo es el objetivo de Horizon Europe Ocean – ICU (Increasing Carbon Understanding), un proyecto europeo en el que participa la ULPGC a través del Grupo de Oceanografía Biológica (GOB), adscrito al Instituto de Oceanografía y Cambio Global (IOCAG) y el Grupo de Tecnologías, Gestión y Biogeoquímica Ambiental. El proyecto está coordinado por el Norwegian Research Centre (NORCE) y reúne a 23 instituciones académicas europeas y más de 7 instituciones británicas con una duración de 5 años (2022-2027).

Esta semana los estudiantes del Máster en Oceanografía completaron sus prácticas sobre un estudio experimental desarrollado a partir de una comunidad costera de plancton. Analizaron satisfactoriamente la evolución temporal de las poblaciones con equipos de nuestros laboratorios, donde midieron la producción primaria y los diferentes grupos planctónicos.

The first meeting of the Ocean-ICU project took place in Copenhagen last week, in order to present the main work packages, coordinate the upcoming tasks and meet the lead researchers. This project will develop new knowledge on ocean carbon to underpin scenarios and decision-making in global carbon and Climate Change.

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Our PI Javier Arístegui attended the meeting with our PhD Aja Trebec, since he is coleading Work Package 4: Ecosystem Controls on Carbon Sequestration together with Stephanie Henson, and leading the task Impacts of climate stressors on surface production of biogenic matter within Work Package 3: Impacts of abiotic climate stressors (pH, O2& T) on the Biological C pump. Also, our PhD student Aja Trebec will be developing her thesis on the impact of aerosol inputs on surface biogeochemistry and plankton community composition under the influence of multi-stressors (T, pH, O2), which constitutes one of the assignments of the mentioned task.

Newly published research by Jens Hartmann on Ocean Alakilinity Enhacement, where our group collaborated. This research was conducted during the OceanNETs mesocosm experiment carried out during September 2021 in Gran Canaria. Their results indicate that using an alkaline solution instead of reactive alkaline particles can avoid carbonate formation, unless alkalinity addition via solutions shifts the system beyond critical supersaturation levels. To avoid the loss of alkalinity and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) from seawater, the application of reactor techniques can be considered. These techniques produce an equilibrated solution from alkaline solids and CO2 prior to application. Differing behaviours of tested materials suggest that standardized engineered materials for OAE need to be developed to achieve safe and sustainable OAE with solids, if reactors technologies should be avoided.

Last week we had the pleasure of having the researcher Susanne Dunker from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ). During her stay she introduced our team into different techniques and analysis in the ANMIS imaging flow cytometer to develop new experiments and get new data for current and future projects.

Esta semana el presidente del Cabildo de Gran Canaria, Antonio Morales, y el rector de la Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Lluís Serra, visitaron las instalaciones de ambas entidades ubicadas en el Puerto de Taliarte. Les recibimos en nuestro laboratorio donde pudimos hablar sobre las principales investigaciones que estamos desarrollando tanto a nivel regional, como nacional e internacional. Aprovechamos para destacar la participación en  el proyecto pionero OceanNETs, financiado por el programa Horizon2020 de la Unión Europea  y cuyo objetivo es determinar la potencial contribución de tecnologías de emisión negativas basadas en el océano en las vías para llegar a la neutralidad climática y alcanzar los objetivos del Acuerdo de París. Es reconocido que urge realizar  un esfuerzo mayor para limitar el calentamiento global del planeta a 1,5 ºC.  De ahí la trascendencia de investigar desde el inicio  en los experimentos pioneros de los mesocosmos instalados en la Bahía de Taliarte (noticia recogida en National Geographic). Nuestro grupo ha participado tanto en los experimentos de fertilización como de alcalinización oceánica para remover dióxido de carbono (CDR, por las siglas en inglés) y poder determinar el potencial impacto y beneficio de actuaciones en el océano. Para saber más sobre el proyecto puedes visitar el siguiente enlace: https://www.oceannets.eu/

Today part of our group, together with some students from the ULPGC, will embark on R/V Sarmiento de Gamboa to participate in the first scientific cruise of the e-IMPACT project. This is actually led by our PI Javier Arístegui, and the main goal of this first cruise will be to study the biogeochemical implications of the cyclonic and anticyclonic eddy fields in the "Canary Eddy Corridor", during the generation period (South of the Canary Islands) at high resolution (0,1-10 km). During the cruise we will be sharing the scientists experience on board so you can all learn all the different techniques that we use to obtain our data and you can learn a little bit more about the life onboard a research vessel.

After two months and a half of intense work our researchers come back from the amazing experience this experiment has been, which is part of the European Project OceanNETs. They have been working everyday to get the best samples possible to study the possible effects of ocean alkalinity enhacement (OAE) on the metabolic balance between the respiration and primary production rates to see how the whole ecosystem behaves.⁣ Now it is time to analyze the results and start to discuss them to publish as soon as posible. We are really excited about this project and can't wait for the upcoming papers.

Last week we participated in the VIII International Symposium on Marine Sciences (ISMS 2022) in the iconic Alfredo Kraus Auditorium. The group had the opportunity to share their latest scientific findings and meet with researchers from around the world to discuss their studies. Events like this are always a great opportunity to create new connections and future collaborations, as well as improving communication skills for future conferences.

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At the same time this was a great opportunity to present the UNESCO Chair in Environmental and Marine Resources Management to other researchers around the world. These events are an important part of the UNESCO Chair since scientific communication and capacity development and education are two of the main strategic lines.

The VIII International Symposium on Marine Sciences (ISMS 2022) will be hosted in the Alfredo Kraus Auditorium in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria from July 6th to 8th, 2022, and our researchers will be presenting their work to the sicence community. Here we leave the full list of oral sessions and posters, including the schedule:

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Oral Sessions - Wednesday 7th

• ​12:15-12:30 Pérez-Barrancos et al. PHYTOPLANKTON AND HETEROTROPHIC BACTERIA RESPONSE TO ATMOSPHERIC DUST DEPOSITION IN THE MAURITANIAN-SENEGALESE UPWELLING REGION - SIQUIMAR Session: Chemical Oceanography, global Change and Biogeochemistry (Sala Tenerife)

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• 13:30-13:45 Gómez-Letona et al. ARTIFICIAL UPWELLING INTENSITY AND MODE HAVE A MAJOR IMPRINT IN DISSOLVED ORGANIC MATTER DYNAMICS - ISMS Session: Climate Change and the ocean/Polar Marine Research (Sala Jerónimo Saavedra)

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• 17:00-17:15 Hernández-Hernández et al. SHORT-TERM VARIABILITY IN PICOPLANKTON INDUCED BY A SUBMESOSCALE FRONT SOUTH OF GRAN CANARIA (CANARY ISLANDS) -  ISMS Session: Technologies and data management/The physical bases of Marine Sciences (Sala Jerónimo Saavedra)

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Poster Sessions - Wednesday 7th & Thursday 8th from 18:30 to 20:00

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• Fernández-Gómez et al. FERTILIZATION OF THE COASTAL WATERS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS BY THE DIAZOTROPHIC CYANOBACTERIUM TRICHODESMIUM

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• De La Guardia et al. MARINE MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES AS A PROXY TO EVALUATE WATER QUALITY: LAS CANTERAS BEACH (GRAN CANARIA ISLAND) AS A CASE STUDY

Part of our team spent the last few days in La Palma sampling in the surroundings of the lave delta originated by the recent volcanic eruption of Cumbre Vieja. The goal of this project is to provide information and data with high spatial and temporal resolution of the environment of the lava delta by observing the essential variables of the maritime area affected by the volcano. As part of this project we are monitoring the state of planktonic communities (from bacteria to zooplankton): their evolution, dynamics, and response to both natural and anthropogenic stressors. On the other hand, it is intended to see the effect of this variability on the flows and sequestration of carbon in the seabed.

Joaquín Ortiz, PhD at GEOMAR, published under Ulf Riebesell and Javier Arístegui coordination his second paper on artificial upwelling, which is the main theme of his thesis. This was part of a mesocosm experiment which had the goal to assess in situ the effects of artificial upwelling on the pelagic community. In this study they focus on the phytoplankton response through size-fractionated 14C primary production rates (PP), Chlorophyll a and biomass.

Our PhD Laura Marín explains her experience in an excursion to the mesocosms at night to videotape the small top predatory species living in the mesocosm bags. Some of these are cod larvae, jellyfish, and the herring larvae raised at the University of Bergen by Greg Börner (University of Hamburg), Dr. Arild Folkvord (Universitet I Bergen), Dra. Marta Moyano (Universitet I Agder), Maria Couret (Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria), and Daniel Bruggermann (GEOMAR), specifically for this experiment.

Durante el fin de semana del 20 al 22 de mayo se celebró la Feria Internacional del Mar en Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, donde la organización nos invitó un año más para poder realizar labores de divulgación científica. Pudimos explicar al público general los diferentes proyectos que llevamos a cabo, dando a conocer también el Observatorio Canario de Algas Nocivas. Además, estuvo presente la Cátedra UNESCO de Gestión Ambiental y de los Recursos Marinos.

La Red de Observadores del Medio Marino en Canarias (RedPROMAR) celebrará el próximo martes 7 de  junio el seminario online "Actuación en playas para personal y agentes de la autoridad, la seguridad, la sanidad y el medio ambiente". Este evento online se desarrollará en horario de mañana, entre las 9:00 y las 11:30 horas. En él se aportará información valiosa y útil sobre cómo actuar correctamente ante diferentes situaciones que se pueden dar en el litoral canario, vinculadas con la biodiversidad marina de las islas, la gestión ambiental y la salud pública. Entre los temas tratados estará el proyecto Trichodesmium del Grupo de Oceanografía Biológica.

Our PhD student Markel Gómez, in collaboration with other researchers, just published this paper where they studied the relationship between fluorescent dissolved organic matter and prokaryotic community composition in meso- and bathypelagic water masses along a surface productivity gradient crossing the subtropical and tropical Atlantic Ocean. 

In this study, Hallstrom et al investigated dinitrogen (N2) fixation activity and diazotroph community composition across the Cape Verde Frontal Zone, from photic epipelagic waters (0-200 m) to aphotic meso- (200–1000 m) and bathypelagic (>1000 m) waters. Results show that cross-frontal advection of cyanobacterial diazotrophs can occur via intrusions of surface water. Salinity, temperature, and mixed layer depth were the main determinants of the diazotroph composition and distribution of the key cyanobacteria. Thus, the front appeared to act as a dynamic barrier controlling the distribution of cyanobacterial diazotrophs.

How can carbon dioxide (CO2) be removed from the atmosphere and stored safely and permanently in the ocean? This question is being investigated by scientists from seven nations, including Javier Arístegui (PI) and Laura Marín (PhD student) from our research group. This experiment, led by GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kielin, just started in the Raunefjord near Bergen, Norway. In mesocosms, free-floating, experimental enclosures, they are exploring whether the ocean can absorb additional CO2 from the atmosphere through the addition of alkaline minerals – known as ocean alkalinisation – and what influence this has on marine communities. The study will last until mid-July and takes place as part of the Ocean-based Negative Emission Technologies (OceanNETs) project funded by the European Union.

La Feria Internacional del Mar se celebra los días 20, 21 y 22 de mayo en el entorno de la terminal del muelle de cruceros, en Santa Catalina. Como parte de la Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC) estaremos presentes en este evento junto con el Observatorio Canario de Algas Nocivas y muchos otros grupos, dando a conocer las principales investigaciones que desarrollamos. Además, la Feria Internacional del Mar conserva en este 2022 su fuerte convicción divulgativa, ofreciendo al público una completa relación de charlas de libre asistencia, donde nuestra investigadora postdoctoral Beatriz Fernández nos hablará de "Los océanos, nuestros mayores aliados contra el cambio climático".

El periódico Tinerfeño El Día se hace eco del experimento de alcalinización oceánica que se llevó a cabo durante los meses de septiembre y octubre en el muelle de Taliarte, al lado de las instalaciones del Instituto de Oceanografía y Cambio Global. Nuestro grupo de investigación, que pertenece al IOCAG, participó en todo el proceso y en los próximos meses podremos ver los resultados que hemos obtenido.

This newspapper from Tenerife talks about the ocean alkalinization experiment carried out during september and october in the pier of Taliarte (Gran Canaria). Our research group participated in the whole process and, in the following months, we will be able to present the results.

This meeting will bring together PhD students, early career scientists and world experts to understand, review, and synthesize what is known about dynamics, sensitivity, vulnerability and resilience of Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems and their living resources to climate variability, change and extreme events. The event has been developed  by a very diverse organizing committee, from institutions all around the world, including the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, represented by our main researcher Javier Arístegui.

The Conference will take place, from July 6th to 8th, 2022, in the iconic Alfredo Kraus Auditorium. This event is promoted by all the Faculties of Marine Sciences in Spain (Alicante, Barcelona, ​​Cádiz, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Católica de Valencia and Vigo), and it is a consolidated meeting point between marine researchers and professionals and an excellent opportunity for students and recent graduates to present the results of their Degree Final Projects. For this reason, most researchers from our group will assist to present the latest results from the projects we develop.

Nauzet Hernández has been part of the Biological Oceanography Group for more than 8 years now, participating in 12 scientific articles, being the main author for 3 of them. His previous research has focused on the effects of submesoscale processes on primary production and phytoplankton community structure, plus, he has also participated in ocean acidification mesocosm experiments. But today we want to present his thesis:

𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭-𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐡𝐲𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧

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This thesis presents novel results on phytoplankton spatiotemporal distribution and variability at submesoscale range, and on the potential effects of climate change over primary productivity in the oligotrophic waters of the Canary region.

If you want to attend his thesis presentation to learn more about this amazing topic click here.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝟗:𝟑𝟎 𝐚𝐦 (𝐆𝐌𝐓).

Dentro del Convenio de colaboración iniciado en 2020 entre la ULPGC y el Ayuntamiento de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Ciudad del Mar) para desarrollar acciones y estudios multidisciplinares en el litoral Bahía del Confital-Las Canteras nuestro grupo de investigación ha venido participando en un estudio de monitorización mensual a lo largo de la bahía con el objetivo de determinar la calidad del agua marina y conocer el estado de salud ambiental de la playa de Las Canteras. Claudia de la Guardia Hernández, estudiante del grado en Ciencias del Mar, ha desarrollado las prácticas externas durante este estudio y acaba de defender su Trabajo de Fin de Grado (TFG) titulado “Microbial communities in Las Canteras beach: relationship with water quality”.

With the aim of monitoring potential impacts on the beach of Las Canteras, a recent multidisciplinary study was launched in January 2020, in a collaboration agreement between the University of  Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and the City Council of Las Palmas (Ciudad del Mar).  The main aim is to determine the marine water quality and hence the environmental health status of Las Canteras beach. Claudia de la Guardia Hernández, student in the Marine Science degree, has developed her internship during this study and she just presented her Bachelors' Thesis titled “Microbial communities in Las Canteras beach: relationship with water quality”.