(sung to the tune of “Neun kleine Jaegermeister” by Die Toten Hosen)

Nine little mesocosms assembled on a pier,
huddling round and sitting tight for the windy weather to clear.

Nine little mesocosms perched upon a quay,
watching the massive swells roll by with fibre-glassy grins of glee.

Nine little mesocosms sheltering from a storm,
waiting for their time to shine when the weather returns to form.

Mesocosms waiting on the pier in Taliarte Harbour (Photo: A. Paul)

Now that the group and our equipment have arrived, we are just waiting for Mother Nature to also play its part. Stormy weather from the North Atlantic passed through the Canary Islands over the last few days and delayed the start of the campaign, meaning that the mesocosms are currently still stuck on dry land. But fortunately for the KOSMOS group, experiment participants and the 9 little large mesocosms*, the conditions are getting better and better for the mesocosms to be attached to the moorings. The first sampling days are approaching and our filtration racks are ready!
* Little is a bit of an understatement for these very tall mesocosm structures but was used here with an artistic license to fit the tune of the well-known German punk band, “Die Toten Hosen”