Europole Mer : research consortium on marine science and technology in Brittany

Climate change is unambiguous and its effects are clearly detected in all functional units of the Earth System, and especially the oceans. Changes in water mass properties and in ocean circulation are occurring, but it is still a challenge to distinguish the variability driven by anthropogenic influences from the huge natural variability of the ocean, on times scales ranging from inter-annual to multi-decadal. The continuous uptake of atmospheric CO₂ by the ocean drives changes in ocean chemistry ("ocean acidification"). Key species of marine ecosystems secrete structures made of carbonate, and are put at risk by warming and ocean acidification together. In fact, impacts of climate change on marine biological systems are seen from phytoplankton to zooplankton to fish and are modifying the dominance of species and the structure, the diversity and the functioning of marine ecosystems. For example, alterations of plankton biodiversity may affect pelagic ecosystems and in turn modify the ability of the oceans to remove atmospheric CO₂.

Three lectures on these questions will lead to a discussion: how can different disciplines work together to meet these challenges? The afternoon and evening will be devoted to contributed talks and posters. The program will reflect the diversity of the research projects pursued by the school participants.

Confirmed speakers:
Martin Visbeck (Germany): Understanding the Future Ocean: Observations, Models and their Synthesis
Gregory Beaugrand (France): Influences of hydro-climatic changes on marine ecosystems
Marion Gehlen (France): Ocean acidification: the other CO₂ problem