Postponed to 16th-17th June 2022.

ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION

Climate change is arguably the most intractable but pressing challenge of the 21st Century. Geological records suggest that the current rapid increase in global temperatures is unusual in the Earth’s history. The ocean plays an acknowledged major role in climate change, is a resource for food and an engine for economic growth. Oceans are home to rich and diverse ecosystems, which supply oxygen to the atmosphere and absorb as much carbon dioxide (CO2) as terrestrial ecosystems.

Microbial activities drive many of the ocean’s ecosystem services, which regulate ocean climate feedbacks and underpin oceanic food resources. Rising atmospheric temperatures and CO2 concentrations pose three key environmental threats to the Ocean. Increased temperature and stratification, expansion of hypoxic zones and increased ocean acidification. All three will affect microbial activities, trace metal supply to and trace metal chemistry within the ocean.

KEY OBJECTIVES

• Synthesize present knowledge and identify major gaps on the interactions between trace metals and marine microbes.
• Build/foster a community for the coordination of future Biogeoscapes activities at the European level. Outcomes for this objective would be to identify and schedule further activities at local, national and European level, including identification of proposal opportunities at national and European level, setting milestones and identifying national representatives/participants of steering committees.
• Further develop our plan for a COST Action proposal, including determination of the scope, objectives and expected outcomes of the Action with a view to submission.