Winter−spring transition in the subarctic Atlantic: microbial response to deep mixing and pre-bloom production

In temperate, subpolar and polar marine systems, the classical perception is that diatoms initiate the spring bloom and thereby mark the beginning of the productive season. Contrary to this view, we document an active microbial food web dominated by pico- and nanoplankton prior to the diatom bloom, a period with excess nutrients and deep convection of the water column. During repeated visits to stations in the deep Iceland and Norwegian basins and the shallow Shetland Shelf (26 March to 29 April 2012), we investigated the succession and dynamics of photosynthetic and heterotrophic microorganisms. We observed that the early phytoplankton production was followed by a decrease in the carbon:nitrogen ratio of the dissolved organic matter in the deep mixed stations, an increase in heterotrophic prokaryote (bacteria) abundance and activity (indicated by the high nucleic acid:low nucleic acid bacteria ratio), and an increase in abundance and size of heterotrophic protists. The major chl a contribution in the early winter-spring transition was found in the fraction 50 µm) were stimulated by deep mixing later in the period, while picophytoplankton were unaffected by mixing; both physical and biological reasons for this development are discussed herein

Abundance of pico- and nanophytoplankton during the Meteor cruise M87/1

In temperate, subpolar and polar marine systems, the classical perception is that diatoms initiate the spring bloom and thereby mark the beginning of the productive season. Contrary to this view, here we document an pre-bloom of pico- and nanophytoplankton prior to the diatom bloom; a period with excess nutrients and deep convection of the water column. During repeated visits to stations in the deep Icelandic and the Norwegian Basins and the shallow Shetland Shelf (26 March to 29 April 2012), we investigated the succession and dynamics of <10 µm phytoplankton. Water samples were collected from CTD rosette 10 L Niskin bottles and fixed in glutaraldehyde (final conc. 5%), flash frozen in liquid Nitrogen and stored at -80°C until analysis

Abundance of bacteria and virus during the METEOR cruise M87/1

In temperate, subpolar and polar marine systems, the classical perception that bacteria are carbon limited by end of winter and respond in activity and abundance to the production of new carbon during the diatom spring bloom and post bloom. Contrary to this view, we here document an strong increase in bacterial abundance and activity (latter measured by increasing high nuclei acid (HNA) to low nuclei acid (LNA) bacteria ratio) during the winter-spring transition, where phytoplankton smaller than 10 µm dominate. Further DNA-virus were enumerated and revealed the virus to bacteria ratio (VBR) to be decreasing during winter-spring transition, indicating that the virus did not increase in number accordingly to bacteria. During repeated visits to stations in the deep Icelandic and the Norwegian Basins and the shallow Shetland Shelf (26 March to 29 April 2012), we investigated the abundance of bacteria and the succession of HNA:LNA bacteria and VBR. Water samples were collected from CTD rosette .10 L Niskin bottles and fixed in glutaraldehyde (final conc. 5%), flash frozen in liquid Nitrogen and stored at -80°C until analysis

Deliverable 1.2: Collection of national reports on the citizens' future visions

<p>This deliverable presents the 30 national reports on the citizens’ future visions from the National Citizen Vision Workshops (NCVs), held as a part of the CIMULACT project.</p> <p>The main objective of CIMULACT is to add to the relevance and accountability of the European Research & Innovation (R&I) agenda by engaging citizens and multi-actors in the actual formulation of the European Union’s R&I agenda. The NCVs contributed to this process by engaging citizens in formulating their visions for a desirable and sustainable future.</p> <p>Over a three month period (November 2015 until January 2016) 30 NCVs were held in 30 European countries (28 EU member states, as well as Switzerland and Norway).  At each NCV citizens met for a full day to formulate and debate their visions for desirable and sustainable futures. All together 179 visions were formulated during the NCVs by more than 1000 citizens.</p> <p>The national reports on the citizens’ future visions each includes a summary of the NCV process and presents the original and unedited visions (raw visions and six<a href="#_ftn1">[1]</a> final visions) for each country. In addition, all reports include information on participant data. The summaries and the final visions are to be found in the national language and translated into English.</p> <p>The national reports on the citizens’ future visions offer a unique opportunity to identify the European citizens’ wishes, needs and demands for a sustainable and desirable future.  The reports may inspire and give input to experts, policy- and decision makers all over Europe, hereby enhancing Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) in the European Union.</p> <p>In the following, we introduce the necessary background information on how to read the national reports and interpret the visions. In addition we give a resume of the methodology and the NCV process. A deeper analysis of the results is to be found in Deliverable 1.3 –Vision Catalogue and Devliverable 2.1 –First draft of the societal needs research programme scenarios.  </p> <p>CIMULACT is a three-year project funded by the Horizon 2020 Framework Program of the European Union. The project began in June 2015.</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="#_ftnref1">[1]</a> Ireland is an exception, since this country only formulated 5 visions.</p