ALBERT

Description: Nitrogen fixation — the reduction of dinitrogen (N2) gas to biologically available nitrogen (N) — is an important source of N for terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. In terrestrial environments, N2-fixing symbioses involve multicellular plants, but in the marine environment these symbioses occur with unicellular planktonic algae. An unusual symbiosis between an uncultivated unicellular cyanobacterium (UCYN-A) and a haptophyte picoplankton alga was recently discovered in oligotrophic oceans. UCYN-A has a highly reduced genome, and exchanges fixed N for fixed carbon with its host. This symbiosis bears some resemblance to symbioses found in freshwater ecosystems. UCYN-A shares many core genes with the 'spheroid bodies' of Epithemia turgida and the endosymbionts of the amoeba Paulinella chromatophora. UCYN-A is widely distributed, and has diversified into a number of sublineages that could be ecotypes. Many questions remain regarding the physical and genetic mechanisms of the association, but UCYN-A is an intriguing model for contemplating the evolution of N2-fixing organelles.

Description: Poseidon cruise 518 (leg 1 and 2) took place in the framework of the Horizon 2020 project STEMM-CCS of the EU. The project’s main goal is to develop and test strategies and technologies for the monitoring of subseafloor CO2 storage operations. In this context a small research-scale CO2 gas release experiment is planned for 2019 in the vicinity of the Goldeneye platform located in the British EEZ (central North Sea). Cruise POS518 aimed at collecting necessary oceanographic and biogeochemical baseline data for this release experiment. During Leg 1 ROV PHOCA was used to deploy MPI’s tool for high-precision measurements of O2, CO2 and pH in the bottom water at Goldeneye. In addition, ROV push cores and gravity cores were collected in the area for sediment biogeochemical analyses, and video-CTD casts were conducted to study the water column chemistry. The stereo-camera system and a horizontally looking multibeam echosounder, both, for determining gas bubble emissions at the seafloor were deployed at the Figge Maar blowout crater in the German Bight. Investigations were complemented by hydroacoustic surveys detecting gas bubble leakages at several abandoned wells in the North Sea as well as the Figge Maar. Surface water alkalinity as well as CH4, CO2, and water partial pressures in the air above the sea surface were measured continuously during the cruise. During Leg 2 three different benthic lander systems were deployed to obtain baseline data of oceanographic and biogeochemical parameters for a small research-scale CO2 gas release experiment planned for 2019. The first lander was equipped with an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP), a CTD and an O2 optode. It was deployed for 6 days close to Goldeneye to obtain high resolution data which can be linked to the long-term measurements of the NOC-Lander. This lander is equipped with a suite of sensors to monitor temperature, conductivity, pressure, current speed and direction, hydro-acoustic, pH, pCO2, O2 and nutrients over a period of about 10 months with popup telemetry units for data transmission via IRIDIUM satellite telemetry every 3 months. Two short-term deployments of the Biogeochemical Observatory (BIGO) were conducted to study the molar ratio between oxygen and CO2-fluxes at the seafloor. Sediment cores obtained by gravity and multi corer were collected for sediment biogeochemical analyses and video-CTD casts were used to study the chemistry of the water column.

Description: Der Dorschbestand in der westlichen Ostsee befindet sich seit Jahren außerhalb sicherer biologischer Grenzen. Diese Situation hat sich jetzt weiter verschlechtert, so dass im Jahr 2016 die Anzahl der einjährigen Jungdorsche nur 3.5% des durchschnittlichen Nachwuchses betrug. Der Internationale Rat für Meeresforschung (ICES) hat deshalb eine drastische Reduzierung der kommerziellen Fänge im Jahr 2017 angeraten. Leider ist die Politik dieser Empfehlung nicht gefolgt und es sind etwa doppelt so hohe Fänge erlaubt worden. In Deutschland beschlossene finanzielle Hilfsmittel für die Fischer tragen ebenfalls nicht zur Verringerung dieser Fänge bei. Die wenigen einjährigen Dorsche von 2016 werden daher in 2017 stark befischt, bevor sie im Jahr 2018 den Elternbestand stellen. Es ist zu befürchten, dass der Nachwuchs von diesem viel zu kleinen Elternbestand ganz ausbleibt und der westliche Dorschbestand im Jahr 2019 zusammenbricht, mit den entsprechenden drastischen Folgen für Berufs- und Angelfischerei. Um den Fortbestand des westlichen Dorsches zu sichern, schlagen wir vor, die Fischerei und Angelei auf Dorsch in der westlichen Ostsee für zwei Jahre einzustellen, mit Ausgleichszahlungen für Berufsfischer und Angelkutter.

Description: Practical course at sea for students of Biological Oceanography (MNF-bioc-301)

Description: Recognition that evolution operates on the same timescale as ecological processes has motivated growing interest in eco-evolutionary dynamics. Nonetheless, generating sufficient data to test predictions about eco-evolutionary dynamics has proved challenging, particularly in natural contexts. Here we argue that genomic data can be integrated into the study of eco-evolutionary dynamics in ways that deepen our understanding of the interplay between ecology and evolution. Specifically, we outline five major questions in the study of eco-evolutionary dynamics for which genomic data may provide answers. Although genomic data alone will not be sufficient to resolve these challenges, integrating genomic data can provide a more mechanistic understanding of the causes of phenotypic change, help elucidate the mechanisms driving eco-evolutionary dynamics, and lead to more accurate evolutionary predictions of eco-evolutionary dynamics in nature.

Description: Although nearly all 2 °C scenarios use negative CO2 emission technologies, only relatively small investments are being made in them, and concerns are being raised regarding their large-scale use. If no explicit policy decisions are taken soon, however, their use will simply be forced on us to meet the Paris climate targets.

Description: At present, investigations of submarine massive sulfides (SMS) are mostly limited to active systems due to the available methods and technologies, which rely on the detection of water column anomalies (tempera - ture or chemical tracers) and the study of seafloor's morphology. They fail to detect sites where hydrothermal activity has ceased and former landmarks such as black smokers have been eroded or are covered by sediments. During RV Poseidon cruises POS483 (“ElectroPal”) and POS484 (”MARSITE”) we have successfully collected EM and airgun seismic data over an inactive and sediment covered SMS site at Palinuro, which had previously been found by chance in 1986 and was drilled to 5m depth during research cruise M73/2. EM measurements, carried out with the novel system MARTEMIS1, not only showed high conductivities in the vicinity of the SMS deposit, but also revealed a second anomaly, possibly a zone of buried mineralization at greater depth. During cruise POS509 previous measurements were continued and extended to get a full areal coverage of the structure to fully delineate and characterize the SMS sites. EM investigations were accompanied by measurements of the ambient electrical field (→ selfpotential (SP)) and additional geophysical (heat probe) and geological (gravity core) measurements for ground truthing and further structural insight. The combination of experiments proved to be convenient in terms of handling on the ship, as EM experiments on the one hand and measurements with heat probe and gravity coring on the other hand were performed in an alternating manner each other day. This alternating style of experiments gave each method time for adjust - ments and repairs as well as time to take a first look at results so that following investigations could be directly aimed at a specific target. As an example, an anomaly detected in the SP measurements in the NNW was used to guide the last gravity coring, which then found sulfide muds in an area where sulfides were previously not expected.

Description: Expedition M143 is a replacement for the originally scheduled expedition to the Marmara Sea to retrieve long term monitoring geodetic equipment. A short proposal to extend bathymetric mapping and imaging of active gas seepage in the Danube Delta region was approved and permission to operate in Romanian waters was successfully secured. Based on the results of mapping completed during the previous expedition M142 and other earlier missions to the same region, a set of survey lines and imaging targets were defined for M143. Objectives for expedition M143 were twofold and include the of use a dedicated 38 kHz single beam echo sounder installed in the moonpool of the research vessel METEOR for gas emission quantification and to complete bathymetric mapping for the detection of sub marine slope failures and mass transport deposits in associated with gas seepage and the occurrence of gas hydrates. During the active data acquisition phase of expedition M143 (December 12 to December 17, 2017) three sub-regions for gas flare imaging were visited (Lander Site from M142, S2 channel eastern flank, and shallow shelf region). A total of 1,189 line kilometers (642 nautical miles) of data were acquired. Out of these, a total of 238 km were acquired using the 38 kHz EK80 and EM710 (and partially EM122) multibeam data. Also, a full calibration of the 38 kHz echo sounder was accomplished and sound velocity data were recorded at the Lander and shallow shelf region survey sites. Bathymetric mapping using both EM systems EM122 and EM710 combined with the PARASOUND sub bottom profiler was completed in two main regions filling in data gaps in the existing multibeam coverage prior to M143. The first region was visited during the initial transit to the study region (December 14) around the region of the S2 channel head in water depths ~120 m. Here, a set of six parallel lines were acquired, totaling 70 km line lengths and covering an area of 11.5 square kilometers. The second region was in the eastern part of the Danube delta region, close to the Ukrainian border. In total 805 line kilometers and 472 square kilometers of multibeam data were acquired.

Description: The majority of M〉8.5 active plate boundary earthquakes has hypocenters located beneath the oceans in subduction zones. Post-hoc analysis shows that most of the surface deformation related to co-seismic stress release takes place on the seafloor, in many cases unleashing major tsunamis. The structure and morphology of the seafloor and shallow subbottom thus stores crucial information on sub-seafloor processes, such as permanent deformation by seismic slip or aseismic creep within the overriding plate and earthquake and tsunami generation. We have mapped the seafloor seaward of the Northern Chilean coast between about 19°S and 22°S down to the Northern Chile deep sea trench, using the ship-based Multibeam Echosounder EM122, Parasound, and AUV (autonomous underwater vehicle) – in selected subareas - at sufficient resolution to identify active tectonic fault structures and submarine mass wasting structures, to quantitatively assess young and active deformation of the overriding plate in the area, and quantify the extent of recent catastrophic downslope mass movements of sediment. Furthermore, the investigations serve as a site survey for the deployment of the GeoSEA seafloor geodetic array, to be installed immediately after completion of this cruise. The investigations were made timely by the 1st April 2014 Pisagua M=8.2 earthquake, that ruptured the plate interface in the northern part of the area of investigation. The central and southern parts are located in the last remaining locked seimotectonic segment along the Chilean active margin. In addition to providing the first data base for geomorphological and tectonic interpretation of geo-processes at the seafloor, the bathymetric mapping done during SO244 Leg 1 will provide an important data reference for possible post-earthquake surveys once this seismotectonic segment will have broken in the future.