The visitors | Die Besucher

[deutsche Version unten] I am the lucky person within the mesocosm team, with the job to coordinate the interplay between different groups. Logistics and coordination within a mesocosm study require a long preparation time. You have to travel to the experimental site long before the experiment starts and prepare the host institute for the mesocosm […]

Nitrogen fixation in GC 2.0

Before I get you bored with scientific jargons (which I’ll try to avoid as much as possible), I must acknowledge that working at mesocosms is an amazingly pleasant experience. I’ve been on many research vessels but going on a boat on an early morning sampling and seeing mescosms in action is definitely a worth experience […]

Familiar Faces | Bekannte Gesichter

[deutsche Version unten] Coming back to Gran Canaria after almost six months, I did not know what to expect and how it would feel. How will we be welcomed? Will the friends we made back in GC 1.0 even recognize us? But just a few days in, all worries were blown away. This time – […]

Nine little large mesocosms sheltering from a storm

(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, […]

Container Packing

Three mesocosms, tubes, the famous pretzel salt, plankton wheels, filtering racks, carboys, canisters, fenders, survival suits, and boxes, boxes, boxes… Yesterday and today, the KOSMOS 2014 GC team packed their material for the container ship transport to Gran Canaria. We’re almost ready to go! All pictures by Maike Nicolai, GEOMAR

Collecting Saharan dust at Cape Verde

„Why the hell do you go to Cape Verde to collect Saharan dust??“ was the question that Mirja was confronted with several times by the locals at Cape Verde in October. Of course it would be much easier to collect the sand straight from the Sahara desert in one day instead of mounting boxes on […]

Welcome to the KOSMOS 2014 Gran Canaria Blog

Welcome to the KOSMOS 2014 Gran Canaria Blog! On this site, we will report regularly about work and life in Taliarte, Gran Canaria. Right now, everybody is busy packing boxes and bags. A lot of things have to be planned and organised until the experiment can start in the end of January 2014. Even three […]