Analysis of relevant technical issues and deficiencies of the existing sensors and related initiatives currently set and working in marine environment. New generation technologies for cost-effective sensors

The last decade has seen significant growth in the field of sensor networks, which are currently collecting large amounts of environmental data. This data needs to be collected, processed, stored and made available for analysis and interpretation in a manner which is meaningful and accessible to end users and stakeholders with a range of requirements, including government agencies, environmental agencies, the research community, industry users and the public. The COMMONSENSE project aims to develop and provide cost-effective, multi-functional innovative sensors to perform reliable in-situ measurements in the marine environment. The sensors will be easily usable across several platforms, and will focus on key parameters including eutrophication, heavy metal contaminants, marine litter (microplastics) and underwater noise descriptors of the MSFD. The aims of Tasks 2.1 and 2.2 which comprise the work of this deliverable are: • To obtain a comprehensive understanding and an up-to-date state of the art of existing sensors. • To provide a working basis on “new generation” technologies in order to develop cost-effective sensors suitable for large-scale production. This deliverable will consist of an analysis of state-of-the-art solutions for the different sensors and data platforms related with COMMONSENSE project. An analysis of relevant technical issues and deficiencies of existing sensors and related initiatives currently set and working in marine environment will be performed. Existing solutions will be studied to determine the main limitations to be considered during novel sensor developments in further WP’s. Objectives & Rationale The objectives of deliverable 2.1 are: • To create a solid and robust basis for finding cheaper and innovative ways of gathering data. This is preparatory for the activities in other WPs: for WP4 (Transversal Sensor development and Sensor Integration), for WP(5-8) (Novel Sensors) to develop cost-effective sensors suitable for large-scale production, reducing costs of data collection (compared to commercially available sensors), increasing data access availability for WP9 (Field testing) when the deployment of new sensors will be drawn and then realized

Satellite-derived fluorescence quantum yields as indicators of phytoplankton photophysiology

Understanding and quantifying phytoplankton physiological variability is essential for analyses of biogeochemical cycling, climate change and ecosystem processes. Satellite measurements of chlorophyll indicate phytoplankton biomass but hold minimal direct information about the organisms\u27 photosynthetic capabilities: however, remote sensing-derived fluorescence quantum yields have the potential for monitoring phytoplankton photophysiological states on a global scale. Recent research has demonstrated the effects of both nutrient stress and photoacclimation on fluorescence yield. Here, a novel satellite product comprising seven years of fluorescence quantum yields, derived from MODIS/Aqua normalized fluorescence line heights and corrected for pigment packaging effects, is evaluated and explored. Fluorescence yields are highest during winter, decline to mid-summer minima and increase again during autumn; winter-spring and summer-autumn transitions exhibit different slopes at most locations. Seasonal patterns respond primarily to changes in growth irradiance, forming a closed annual cycle. Monthly climatologies show spatial patterns associated with the annual cycle and the timing of seasonal transitions are modulated by latitude. Across the northwest and northeast Atlantic shelf sea regions, fluorescence yields are lower throughout the year than in the open ocean. Interannual variability is greatest during late autumn and winter months, aligned with times of dynamic water column mixing. An empirical orthogonal function analysis of the seven year time series finds strong seasonally-variable influences with a high degree of geographic complexity. Beyond large spatial and temporal patterns, this new satellite product effectively captures short-term photoacclimation events. Increases in fluorescence quantum yield coincident with the sharp increase in water column stratification but prior to the spring chlorophyll peak were ubiquitous throughout the northern North Atlantic. During such events, phytoplankton are first acclimating to increased growth irradiance before the population bloom. At all scales, fluorescence yield trends compare well with an established conceptual model and are most strongly associated with growth irradiance dynamics rather than other forcing factors (i.e., macro- and micro-nutrient stress and phytoplankton community composition). This thesis provides the first synoptic quantification of seasonal and interannual phytoplankton photophysiological variability in the northern North Atlantic and demonstrates the potential of this new product for global investigations

YOUMARES 8 – Oceans Across Boundaries: Learning from each other

This open access book presents the proceedings volume of the YOUMARES 8 conference, which took place in Kiel, Germany, in September 2017, supported by the German Association for Marine Sciences (DGM). The YOUMARES conference series is entirely bottom-up organized by and for YOUng MARine RESearchers. Qualified early career scientists moderated the scientific sessions during the conference and provided literature reviews on aspects of their research field. These reviews and the presenters’ conference abstracts are compiled here. Thus, this book discusses highly topical fields of marine research and aims to act as a source of knowledge and inspiration for further reading and research