First insight into the data – The 2nd Science Meeting

Today (Sept. 22nd), it was time for our second Science Meeting. To get a first insight on how the experiment is going, we came together to discuss the first preliminary data. It was very interesting for everyone to get an overview over the current developments of all the different parameters. Important information for everybody was […]

Fluorescent people!

Our supervisors call us the fluorescent guys because we are measuring chlorophyll-a fluorescence. And what is that? Chlorophyll-a is a crucial pigment present in photosynthetic organisms. Photosynthesis is the mechanism by which plants and algae use light to obtain energy to make food. During the photosynthesis, CO2 is sequestered from the atmosphere and converted into […]

Let’s do filtration!

It’s sampling day, eight o’clock in the morning. Busy people are running through the PLOCAN floors to get all equipment into the van before bringing it down to the pier where our mesocosms are moored. Finally, all sampling boxes and the three large tubes to take the samples from the mesocosms are loaded and everyone […]

Let’s get down to work!

Our moody Princess and her co-worker (the gas tank) are already working very hard every day to get those dissolved inorganic carbon measurements done as fast as possible to check the progress of the experiments. Everyone is welcome to cheer on them! Julieta Schneider

World premiere!

After three packed days of sampling today the treatment of the mesocosms was done. Treatment means the change of the water alkalinity within the mesocosms. In the end, each of the mesocosms has a different level of alkalinity with the highest level double the natural concentration. This is a world premiere for ocean alkalinity enhancement […]

Starting a mesocosm experiment on ocean alkalinity enhancement

A mesocosm, in our case, is a huge translucent plastic bag anchored in the sea, with the only opening being well above sea level. In these bags, we can simulate, in this experiment, ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) and study its efficiency and possible impacts it would have on a plankton community under natural conditions; but […]

It’s time to clap!

The mesocosms are filled!  The boat PLOCAN uno set anchor outside the harbour of Taliarte. A long tube connects the boat to the mesocosms. Via this tube, sea water gets pumped by a peristaltic pump on the boat to the pier. Here, it is split equally to the nine mesocosms. This year a new equipment was developed […]

Ready to start!

After many months of preparation, uncountable hours of organization, and successfully mastered challenges, finally all researchers and technicians have arrived on the island. During the past weeks, many helpers set up the laboratories and the mesocosms at the pier. Boxes full of equipment from petri dishes to flow cytometers were carried around and unpacked, lots […]

Diving at the mesocosms #1: Jochen & Heavy metal

A KOSMOS study is not meaningful without brain-racking scientists, and not feasible without focused and skilled technicians, but some work can only be done by brave scientific divers. Okay, it’s not super brave to jump into 24°C crystal-clear water surrounded by a bouquet of colorful fish, crabs and nudibranchs – but it´s still hard work […]