ALBERT

Description: Landslides are common in aquatic settings worldwide, from lakes and coastal environments to the deep sea. Fast-moving, large-volume landslides can potentially trigger destructive tsunamis. Landslides damage and disrupt global communication links and other critical marine infrastructure. Landslide deposits act as foci for localized, but important, deep-seafloor biological communities. Under burial, landslide deposits play an important role in a successful petroleum system. While the broad importance of understanding subaqueous landslide processes is evident, a number of important scientific questions have yet to receive the needed attention. Collecting quantitative data is a critical step to addressing questions surrounding subaqueous landslides. Quantitative metrics of subaqueous landslides are routinely recorded, but which ones, and how they are defined, depends on the end-user focus. Differences in focus can inhibit communication of knowledge between communities, and complicate comparative analysis. This study outlines an approach specifically for consistent measurement of subaqueous landslide morphometrics to be used in the design of a broader, global open-source, peer-curated database. Examples from different settings illustrate how the approach can be applied, as well as the difficulties encountered when analysing different landslides and data types. Standardizing data collection for subaqueous landslides should result in more accurate geohazard predictions and resource estimation.

Description: The NW African continental margin is well known for the occurrence of large-scale but infrequent submarine landslides. The aim of this paper is to synthesize the current knowledge on submarine mass wasting off NW Africa with a special focus on the distribution and timing of large landslides. The described area reaches from southern Senegal to the Agadir Canyon. The largest landslides from south to north are the Dakar Slide, the Mauritania Slide, the Cap Blanc Slide, the Sahara Slide and the Agadir Slide. Volumes of individual slides reach several hundreds of cubic kilometres; run-outs are up to 900 km. In addition, giant volcanic debris avalanches are widespread on the flanks of the Canary Islands. All headwall areas are complex with clear indications of multiple failures. The most prominent similarity between all investigated landsides is the existence of widespread glide planes that follow the stratigraphy, which points to weak layers as most important preconditioning factor for the failures. Landslides with volumes larger than 100 m3 are close to being evenly distributed over time, contradicting previous suggestions that landslides off NW Africa occur at periods of low or rising sea level. The risk associated with the landslides off NW Africa, however, is relatively low due to their long recurrence rates.

Description: Using a portable gas analyzer system, the geogenic gas regime below and around an ancient gate to hell at Hierapolis/Phrygia was characterized. The site was first described by Strabo and Plinius as a gate to the underworld. During centuries, it attracted even ancient tourists. In a grotto below the temple of Pluto, CO2 was found to be at deadly concentrations of up to 91%. Astonishingly, these vapors are still emitted in concentrations that nowadays kill insects, birds, and mammals. The concentrations of CO2 escaping from the mouth of the grotto to the outside atmosphere are still in the range of 4–53% CO2 depending on the height above ground level. They reach concentrations during the night that would easily kill even a human being within a minute. These emissions are thought to reflect the Hadean breath and/or the breath of the hellhound Kerberos guarding the entrance to hell. The origin of the geogenic CO2 is the still active seismic structure that crosses the old town of ancient Hierapolis as part of the Babadag fracture zone. Our measurements confirm the presence of geogenic CO2 in concentrations that explain ancient stories of killed bulls, rams, and songbirds during religious ceremonies. They also strongly corroborate that at least in the case of Hierapolis, ancient writers like Strabo or Plinius described a mystic phenomenon very exactly without much exaggeration. Two thousand years ago, only supernatural forces could explain these phenomena from Hadean depths whereas nowadays, modern techniques hint to the well-known phenomenon of geogenic CO2 degassing having mantle components with relatively higher helium and radon concentrations.

Description: Polynoidae contains ~900 species within 18 subfamilies, some of them restricted to the deep sea. Macellicephalinae is the most diverse among these deep-sea subfamilies. In the abyssal Equatorial Pacific Ocean, the biodiversity of benthic communities is at stake in the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone (CCFZ) owing to increased industrial interest in polymetallic nodules. The records of polychaetes in this region are scarce. Data gathered during the JPI Oceans cruise SO239 made a significant contribution to fill this gap, with five different localities sampled between 4000 and 5000 m depth. Benthic samples collected using an epibenthic sledge or a remotely operated vehicle resulted in a large collection of polynoids. The aims of this study are as follows: (1) to describe new species of deep-sea polynoids using morphology and molecular data (COI, 16S and 18S); and (2) to evaluate the monophyly of Macellicephalinae. Based on molecular and morphological phylogenetic analyses, ten subfamilies are synonymized with Macellicephalinae in order to create a homogeneous clade determined by the absence of lateral antennae. Within this clade, the Anantennata clade was well supported, being determined by the absence of a median antenna. Furthermore, 17 new species and four new genera are described, highlighting the high diversity hidden in the deep. A taxonomic key for the 37 valid genera of the subfamily Macellicephalinae is provided.

Description: Continental rifting and ocean basin formation can be observed at the present day in the Red Sea, which is used as the modern analogue for the formation of mid-ocean ridges. Competing theories for how spreading begins—either by quasi-instantaneous formation of a whole spreading segment or by initiation of spreading at multiple discrete “nodes” separated by thinned continental lithosphere—have been put forward based, until recently, on the observations that many seafloor features and geophysical anomalies (gravity, magnetics) along the axis of the Red Sea appeared anomalous compared to ancient and modern examples of ocean basins in other parts of the world. The latest research shows, however, that most of the differences between the Red Sea Rift (RSR) and other (ultra)slow-spreading mid-ocean ridges can be related to its relatively young age and the presence and movement of giant submarine salt flows that blanket large portions of the rift valley. In addition, the geophysical data that was previously used to support the presence of continental crust between the axial basins with outcropping oceanic crust (formerly named “spreading nodes”) can be equally well explained by processes related to the sedimentary blanketing and hydrothermal alteration. The observed spreading nodes are not separated from one another by tectonic boundaries but rather represent “windows” onto a continuous spreading axis which is locally inundated and masked by massive slumping of sediments or evaporites from the rift flanks. Volcanic and tectonic morphologies are comparable to those observed along slow and ultra-slow spreading ridges elsewhere and regional systematics of volcanic occurrences are related to variations in volcanic activity and mantle heat flow. Melt-salt interaction due to salt flows, that locally cover the active spreading segments, and the absence of large detachment faults as a result of the nearby Afar plume are unique features of the RSR. The differences and anomalies seen in the Red Sea still may be applicable to all young oceanic rifts, associated with plumes and/or evaporites, which makes the Red Sea a unique but highly relevant type example for the initiation of slow rifting and seafloor spreading and one of the most interesting targets for future ocean research.

Description: Coral reefs in the Red Sea belong to the most diverse and productive reef ecosystems worldwide, although they are exposed to strong seasonal variability, high temperature, and high salinity. These factors are considered stressful for coral reef biota and challenge reef growth in other oceans, but coral reefs in the Red Sea thrive despite these challenges. In the central Red Sea high temperatures, high salinities, and low dissolved oxygen on the one hand reflect conditions that are predicted for ‘future oceans’ under global warming. On the other hand, alkalinity and other carbonate chemistry parameters are considered favourable for coral growth. In coral reefs of the central Red Sea, temperature and salinity follow a seasonal cycle, while chlorophyll and inorganic nutrients mostly vary spatially, and dissolved oxygen and pH fluctuate on the scale of hours to days. Within these strong environmental gradients micro- and macroscopic reef communities are dynamic and demonstrate plasticity and acclimatisation potential. Epilithic biofilm communities of bacteria and algae, crucial for the recruitment of reef-builders, undergo seasonal community shifts that are mainly driven by changes in temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen. These variables are predicted to change with the progression of global environmental change and suggest an immediate effect of climate change on the microbial community composition of biofilms. Corals are so-called holobionts and associate with a variety of microbial organisms that fulfill important functions in coral health and productivity. For instance, coral-associated bacterial communities are more specific and less diverse than those of marine biofilms, and in many coral species in the central Red Sea they are dominated by bacteria from the genus Endozoicomonas. Generally, coral microbiomes align with ecological differences between reef sites. They are similar at sites where these corals are abundant and successful. Coral microbiomes reveal a measurable footprint of anthropogenic influence at polluted sites. Coral-associated communities of endosymbiotic dinoflagellates in central Red Sea corals are dominated by Symbiodinium from clade C. Some corals harbour the same specific symbiont with a high physiological plasticity throughout their distribution range, while others maintain a more flexible association with varying symbionts of high physiological specificity over depths, seasons, or reef locations. The coral-Symbiodinium endosymbiosis drives calcification of the coral skeleton, which is a key process that provides maintenance and formation of the reef framework. Calcification rates and reef growth are not higher than in other coral reef regions, despite the beneficial carbonate chemistry in the central Red Sea. This may be related to the comparatively high temperatures, as indicated by reduced summer calcification and long-term slowing of growth rates that correlate with ocean warming trends. Indeed, thermal limits of abundant coral species in the central Red Sea may have been exceeded, as evidenced by repeated mass bleaching events during previous years. Recent comprehensive baseline data from central Red Sea reefs allow for insight into coral reef functioning and for quantification of the impacts of environmental change in the region.

Description: 06.01.2019 12°00‘S 077°20‘W bei Isla San Lorenzo wenige Meilen vor der Küste der peruanischen Hauptstadt Lima MSM80 CUSCO Dritter Wochenbericht für die Zeit vom 30.12.2018 bis 06.01.2019

Description: 20.01.2019 15°12‘S 076°30‘W 65 nautische Meilen vor der peruanischen Küste MSM80 CUSCO Fünfter Wochenbericht für die Zeit vom 14.01. bis 20.01.2019

Description: 27.01.2019 22°35.7‘S 074°01.5‘W auf dem Weg nach Valparaiso MSM80 CUSCO Sechster Wochenbericht für die Zeit vom 21.01. bis 27.01.2019

Description: (21. bis 26. Januar 2019)

Description: Assessment of the impact of AtlantOS in situ observing system for Copernicus Marine Service and seasonal prediction

Description: OBS data are exposed to additional noise sources like tilt and compliance. We show that the data can be enhanced prior to the usage of standardised land seismology techniques, such as ambient noise tomography. We do this by estimating group velocities before and after enhancing the signal. This project is part of AlpArray and aims to improve the understanding of the proposed subduction polarity change between the Alpine and Apennine subduction.

Description: The Laptev and Eastern Siberian shelves are the world’s broadest shallow shelf systems. Large Siberian rivers and coastal erosion of up to meters per summer deliver large volumes of terrestrial matter into the Arctic shelf seas. In this chapter we investigate the applicability of Ocean Colour Remote Sensing during the ice-free summer season in the Siberian Laptev Sea region. We show that the early summer river peak discharge may be traced using remote sensing in years characterized by early sea-ice retreat. In the summer time after the peak discharge, the spreading of the main Lena River plume east and north-east of the Lena River Delta into the shelf system becomes hardly traceable using optical remote sensing methods. Measurements of suspended particulate matter (SPM) and coloured dissolved organic matter (cDOM) are of the same magnitude in the coastal waters of Buor Khaya Bay as in the Lena River. Match-up analyses of in situ chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) show that standard Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite-derived Chl-a is not a valid remote sensing product for the coastal waters and the inner shelf region of the Laptev Sea. All MERIS and MODIS-derived Chl-a products are overestimated by at least a factor of ten, probably due to absorption by the extraordinarily high amount of non-algal particles and cDOM in these coastal and inner-shelf waters. Instead, Ocean Colour remote sensing provides information on wide-spread resuspension over shallows and lateral advection visible in satellite-derived turbidity. Satellite Sea Surface Temperature (SST) data clearly show hydrodynamics and delineate the outflow of the Lena River for hundreds of kilometres out into the shelf seas.

Description: The size of current plankton image datasets renders manual classification virtually infeasible. The training of models for machine classification is complicated by the fact that a large number of classes consist of only a few examples. We employ the recently introduced weight imprinting technique in order to use the available training data to train accurate classifiers in absence of enough examples for some classes. The model architecture used in this work succeeds in the identification of plankton using machine learning with its unique challenges, i.e. a limited number of training examples and a severely skewed class size distribution. Weight imprinting enables a neural network to recognize small classes immediately without re-training. This permits the mining of examples for novel classes.

Description: 30.März ‐ 6.April 2019

Description: Mindelo-Point a Pitre 03.-07.04.2019

Description: On April 2014 the Iquique Mw 8.1 earthquake ruptured the interpolate contact between the oceanic Nazca and continental South American plates offshore northern Chile between 19.5◦S to 21◦S in April 2014. This earthquake did not fully release the strain accumulated since the last great megathrust (Mw 8.8) in 1877 and had left an unbroken segment in the south. From December 2014 to November 2016, we deployed an offshore network of 15 Ocean Bottom Seismometers (OBS) that covered the rupture area and the unbroken southern segment using the Chilean Navy ship OPV Toro and R/V Sonne. That data set is supplemented by five weeks of data from 67 OBS installed for a controlled source seismic experiment during cruise MGL1610 of the R/V Marcus Langseth in late 2016. Data acquired onshore by stations from of the IPOC (Integrated Plate Boundary Observatory Chile) and CSN (Chilean Seismological Service) networks are also included. We present first results of this ongoing project, which include double-difference hypocenter relocations based on waveform cross-correlation. Most of the seismicity occurs between 19.5 and 21◦S up-dip of the patch of maximum coseismic slip during the 2014 earthquake, while the seismicity in seismogenic depths is highly concentrated forming well-defined clusters. The observed seismicity provides constraints on the structure of the marine forearc and enables us to relate the seismicity distribution to the background seismicity, seafloor morphology, and regional tectonics.

Description: Laser reflectometry (BOTDR), commonly used for structural health monitoring (bridges, dams, etc.), will for the first time be applied to study movements of an active fault on the seafloor, 25 km offshore Catania Sicily (an urban area of 1 million people). This technique can measure and locate micro-strains (〈 1 mm) across very large distances (10 - 200 km). The goal of the European funded FOCUS project (ERC Advanced Grant) is to connect a dedicated 6-km long strain cable to the EMSO (European Multidisciplinary water-column and Seafloor Observatory) seafloor observatory in 2100 m water depth. Here, in May 2017, between the onshore fault system on the SE flank of Mount Etna and the deeper offshore Alfeo fault system, 4 cm of dextral strike-slip movement was documented as a slow slip event by seafloor acoustic ranging. For the planned seafloor operations, a detailed site survey of the seafloor will first be performed to determine the best path for deployment of the new strain cable. The next step will be to connect this 6-km long fiber optic cable to the EMSO station TSS (Test Site South) using a deep-water cable-laying system with an integrated plow to bury the cable 20 cm in the soft sediments in order to increase coupling between the cable and the seafloor. The targeted track for the cable will cross the North Alfeo Fault at three locations. Laser reflectometry measurements will be calibrated by a three-year deployment of seafloor geodetic instruments to quantify relative displacement across the fault. During the implementation of the laser reflectometry, a passive seismological experiment is planned to record regional seismicity. This will involve deployment of a temporary network of OBS (Ocean Bottom Seismometers) on the seafloor and seismic stations on land, supplemented by INGV permanent land stations. The simultaneous use of laser reflectometry, seafloor geodetic stations as well as seismological land and sea stations will provide an integrated system for monitoring a wide range of types of slipping events along the North Alfeo Fault. A long-term goal is the development of dual-use telecom cables with industry partners.

Description: Fouling organisms in bivalve aquaculture cause significant economic losses for the industry. Husbandry strategies to reduce biofouling can involve avoidance, prevention, and treatment. In this way, the type of rope used to collect spat or grow bivalves may prevent or reduce fouling by particularly harmful species but remains largely untested. Further, while a range of eco-friendly control methods exist, their effect on widespread, common biofoulers is poorly known. We tested biofouling accumulation and spat collection for seven commercially used ropes, and evaluated treatments of ambient and heated seawater, acetic and citric acid, and combinations of both applied across a range of exposure times to two commercially grown shellfish (Mytilus galloprovincialis and Ostrea angasi) and three biofouling species (Ectopleura crocea, Ciona intestinalis and Styela clava). Rope types differed significantly in terms of fouling rates and spat collection, with specific rope types clearly advantageous, despite not being used commercially in our study area. Treatments proved variably successful, with E. crocea highly susceptible to all treatments, Ciona intestinalis moderately susceptible, and Styela clava relatively resistant. Excluding S. clava, efficacious treatments were attainable that did not adversely affect shellfish. Combining heat and acid treatments were more successful than individual treatments and provide a useful avenue for further trials. This study provides baseline evidence for treatment efficacy that will tailor longer-term, field trials to validate and streamline biofouling treatments in shellfish aquaculture.

Description: 14.‐20. April 2019

Description: Mindelo - Point a Pitre 15.4.-21.04.2019

Description: A report on additional and add-on enhancements for the Continuous Plankton Recorder Survey programme including add-on variables and molecular analysis

Description: DoA: Task 4.4 Transatlantic cooperation and sustainability This task will enhance the European Forum for Coastal Technologies and establish a formal link between the US Alliance for Coastal Technologies and the European Forum for Coastal Technologies. We will strengthen links with coastal observing initiatives around the Atlantic basin including links between EuroGOOS ROOSes, and the regional operational oceanographic systems in the US and Canada. In doing so, we will create a forum for interaction between US IOOS, GOOS regional alliances, and EuroGOOS. The task will develop a strategy for transatlantic sustained measurements in the coastal ocean, building on developments such as OceanObs, Coastal GOOS and JERICO FP7 project, to deliver data for social and economic benefit

Description: A report providing an assessment of the adequacy of the cur-rent observing and information system (with results from five pilot countries) will be determined and properly documented. Key findings, experiences and recommendations will be for-mulated to evolve the Integrated Atlantic Ocean Observing System (AtlantOS).

Description: Laser reflectometry (BOTDR), commonly used for structural health monitoring (bridges, dams, etc.), will for the first time be applied to study movements of an active fault on the seafloor 25 km offshore Catania Sicily. The goal of the European funded FOCUS project (ERC Advanced Grant) is to connect a 6-km long strain cable to the EMSO seafloor observatory in 2100 m water depth. Laser observations will be calibrated by seafloor geodetic instruments and seismological stations. A long-term goal is the development of dual-use telecom cables with industry partners.

Description: High-resolution 4D (HR4D) seismic data have the potential for improving the current state-of-the-art in detecting shallow (≤500−1000  m below seafloor) subsurface changes on a very fine scale (approximately 3–6 m). Time-lapse seismic investigations commonly use conventional broadband seismic data, considered low to moderate resolution in our context. We have developed the first comprehensive time -lapse analysis of high-resolution seismic data by assessing the repeatability of P-cable 3D seismic data (approximately 30–350 Hz) with short offsets and a high density of receivers. P-cable 3D seismic data sets have for decades been used to investigate shallow fluid flow and gas-hydrate systems. We analyze P-cable high-resolution 4D (HR4D) seismic data from three different geologic settings in the Arctic Circle. The first two are test sites with no evidence of shallow subsurface fluid flow, and the third is an active seepage site. Using these sites, we evaluate the reliability of the P-cable 3D seismic technology as a time-lapse tool and establish a 4D acquisition and processing workflow. Weather, waves, tide, and acquisition-parameters such as residual shot noise are factors affecting seismic repeatability. We achieve reasonable quantitative repeatability measures in stratified marine sediments at two test locations. However, repeatability is limited in areas that have poor penetration of seismic energy through the seafloor, such as glacial moraines or rough surface topography. The 4D anomalies in the active seepage site are spatially restricted to areas of focused fluid flow and might likely indicate changes in fluid flow. This approach can thus be applied to detect migration of fluids in active leakage structures, such as gas chimneys.

Description: Physical, chemical, biological research and fishery oceanography This multidisciplinary cruise extended a long-term data series on (eco-)system composition and functioning of the Baltic Sea, with a focus on the deeper basins. The series has been collected in similar form since 1986. A key characteristic of the cruise is the integration of oceanographic and biological information to enhance understanding of environmental and (fish) population fluctuations, and evolutionary processes in this system. The resulting data- and sample sets support ongoing projects in the Research Unit Marine Evolutionary Ecology at GEOMAR, as well as the EU Horizon 2020 project GoJelly and several international collaborations. The spatial focus lay on the Bornholm Basin as most important spawning area of Baltic cod, but also included the Western Baltic Sea, Arkona and Gotland Basin, Gdansk Deep, and Stolpe Trench. Specific investigations included a detailed hydrological survey (oxygen, salinity, temperature) of the cruise area, plankton surveys (zoo- and ichthyplankton including gelatinous plankton, with the goal to determine the composition and the abundance and vertical and horizontal distribution of species, and to take samples for later measurements of nutritional condition), and pelagic fishery hauls. The latter served to determine stock structure, gonadal maturation, stomach contents, and egg production of sprat and cod, and to sample tissue and otolith samples for individual-level genetic and ecological analyses of cod. The abundance and distribution of fishes in the cruise area was also assessed with hydroacoustic methods. Additional cruise components were: (i) cod gonad sampling for fecundity studies and liver sampling for parasite studies, (ii) vertically resolved phytoplankton and zooplankton sampling for studies of plankton phenology (iii) in-depth sampling of planktonic food webs for dietary tracer work, (iv) sampling and experimental work of photosynthesis and respiration rates of different phytoplankton fractions.

Description: The aim of this cruise was to investigate the role of gelatinous zooplankton in the biological carbon pump, i.e. transporting carbon from the surface into the deep sea. In addition, the cruise aimed to better understand the biodiversity, abundance and distribution of pelagic fauna including nekton and macrozooplankton in the Cape Verde region, and to provide one of the first bottom surveys in the coastal deep seas of Cape Verde. The latter resulting in new faunal records and biological observations. We used the manned submersible JAGO (17 dives), the towed camera system PELAGIOS (13 deployments), and two kinds of multinet (midi and maxi) (14 and 7 hauls respectively). Biological specimens were preserved as voucher specimens and samples were obtained for DNA barcoding. CTD sampling was performed to collect hydrographic data. We also collected water samples for environmental DNA and to analyze these samples in the lab for traces of deep-sea organisms such cephalopods. To quantify pelagic biomass and track migration via bioacoustics we used an EK80. Elaborate physical sampling around the islands was performed using CTD and ADCP. In the leeway of the islands Santo Antão and Fogo we performed mesopelagic stations (1000 m) and bathypelagic stations (3000 m) using the mentioned instruments. An offshore mesoscale eddy was sampled with all our oceanographic instruments. Additionally we performed a full oceanographic and biological sampling at the Cape Verde Ocean Observatory, north of Sao Vicente.

Description: Sector collapse kinematics and tsunami implications, 29.04. - 05.05.2019

Description: The ocean is the largest ecosystem on earth, facing dramatic changes like deoxygenation, warming, acidification, and contamination by industrial pollution to name a few. To resolve major changes of the marine realm in space and time a highly cooperating network of robotic and synchronized autonomous multiple sensor systems is needed. In 2018 the Helmholtz Centres DLR, AWI, KIT, and GEOMAR formed a research alliance to investigate how robotic networks can be build to autonomously explore these environments. The vision of this Helmholtz Future Project ARCHES, is a network of heterogeneous, autonomous and interconnected robotic systems. To operate the network we develop an underwater communication framework. The centrepiece of our framework is the middleware Robot Operating System (ROS). ROS provides us interfaces and services to develop a microservice architecture with loosely coupled nodes. This project is designed using a continuous delivery workflow with automatic testing and releasing of software. We containerize the entire framework using Docker. Hence, we easily control all dependencies of our nodes, and by running the nodes in separate sandboxes, they cannot crash the entire robotic system upon failure of a single system component.

Description: Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) are a group of diverse anaerobic microorganisms omnipresent in natural habitats and engineered environments that use sulfur compounds as the electron acceptor for energy metabolism. Dissimilatory sulfate reduction (DSR)-based techniques mediated by SRB have been utilized in many sulfate-containing wastewater treatment systems worldwide, particularly for acid mine drainage, groundwater, sewage and industrial wastewater remediation. However, DSR processes are often operated suboptimally and disturbances are common in practical application. To improve the efficiency and robustness of SRB-based processes, it is necessary to study SRB metabolism and operational conditions. In this review, the mechanisms of DSR processes are reviewed and discussed focusing on intracellular and extracellular electron transfer with different electron donors (hydrogen, organics, methane and electrodes). Based on the understanding of the metabolism of SRB, responses of SRB to environmental stress (pH-, temperature-, and salinity-related stress) are summarized at the species and community levels. Application in these stressed conditions is discussed and future research is proposed. The feasibility of recovering energy and resources such as biohydrogen, hydrocarbons, polyhydroxyalkanoates, magnetite and metal sulfides through the use of SRB were investigated but some long-standing questions remain unanswered. Linking the existing scientific understanding and observations to practical application is the challenge as always for promotion of SRB-based techniques.

Description: Immune recognition of molecular patterns from microorganisms or self-altered cells activate effector responses that neutralize and eliminate these potentially harmful agents. In virtually every metazoan group the process is carried out by pattern recognition receptors, typically constituted by immunoglobulin (Ig), leucine rich repeat (LRR), and/or lectin domains. In order to get insights into the ancestral immune recognition repertoire of animals, we have sequenced the transcriptome of bacterially challenged colonies of the model cnidarian Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus using the Illumina platform. Over 116,000 assembled contigs were annotated by sequence similarity, domain architecture, and functionally. From these, a subset of 315 unique transcripts was predicted as the putative immune recognition repertoire of H. symbiolongicarpus. Interestingly, canonical Toll-like receptors (TLR) were not predicted, nor any transmembrane protein with the Toll/interleukine-1 receptor (TIR) domain. Yet, a variety of predicted proteins with transmembrane domains associated with LRR ectodomains were identified, as well as homologs of the key transduction factor NF-kB, and its associated regulatory proteins. This also has been documented in Hydra, and suggests that recognition and signaling initiation has been decoupled in the TLR system of hydrozoans. In contrast, both canonical and non-canonical NOD-like receptors were identified in H. symbiolongicarpus, showing a higher diversity than the TLR system and perhaps a wider functional landscape. The collection of Ig-like containing putative immune recognition molecules was diverse, and included at least 26 unique membrane-bound predicted proteins and 88 cytoplasmic/secreted predicted molecules. In addition, 25 and 5 transcripts encoding the Ig-like containing allorecognition determinants ALR1 and ALR2, respectively, were identified. Sequence and phylogenetic analyses suggested the presence of various transcriptionally active alr loci, and the action of recombination-based mechanisms diversifying them. Transcripts encoding at least six lectin families with putative roles in immune recognition were found, including 19 unique C-type lectins and 21 unique rhamnose-binding lectins. Other predicted immune recognition receptors included scavenger receptors from three families, lipopolysaccharide-binding proteins, cell-adhesion molecules and thioester-bond containing proteins. This analysis demonstrated that the putative immune recognition repertoire of H. symbiolongicarpus is large and diverse.

Description: We evaluated the relationship between interferon-induced transmembrane protein 1 (IFITM1) expression, epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) signature and angiogenesis in lung adenocarcinoma. Additionally, we examined prognostic significance of IFITM1 according to pTNM stage to confirm that IFITM1 can serve as a complement to the pTNM stage. A total of 141 lung adenocarcinoma specimens were evaluated retrospectively by immunohistochemical staining for IFITM1, EMT markers (e-cadherin, β-catenin, and vimentin), and CD31 to measure microvessel density. IFITM1was expressed in 46.8% of the specimens. IFITM1 expression was significantly correlated with increased microvessel density (P = 0.048). However, IFITM1 expression was not associated with three EMT markers. In a multivariate analysis, IFITM1 was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival in a multivariate analysis (hazard ratio: 2.59, P = 0.01). Online database with data from 720 lung adenocarcinoma patients also revealed a negative prognostic significance of IFITM1 (P 〈 0.001). Furthermore, high IFITM1 expression was significantly correlated with decreased OS rates in each pTNM stage. IFITM1 is significantly correlated with angiogenesis and it may be used as a useful additional prognostic marker to aid pTNM classification.

Description: Mindelo – Mindelo, 03. Juli – 1. August 2019

Description: Protein folding is the process by which a polypeptide chain acquires its functional, native 3D structure. Protein misfolding, on the other hand, is a process in which proteins fails to fold into its native functional conformation. This misfolding of proteins may lead to precipitation of number of serious diseases such as Cystic fibrosis (CF), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) etc. Protein quality-control (PQC) systems, consisting of molecular chaperones, proteases and regulatory factors, help in protein folding and prevent its aggregation. At the same time PQC syatems also do sorting and removal of improperly folded polypeptides. Among the major types of PQC systems involved in protein homeostasis are cytosolic, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondrial ones. The cytosol PQC system includes a large number of component chaperones, such as nascent-polypeptide-associated complex (NAC), Hsp40, Hsp70, prefoldin and T Complex Protein-1 (TCP-1) ring complex (TRiC). Protein misfolding diseases caused due to defective cytosolic PQC system includes diseases involving keratin/collagen proteins, cardiomyopathies, phenylketonuria, PD and ALS. The components of PQC system of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) includes Binding immunoglobulin Protein (BiP), calnexin (CNX), calreticulin (CRT), glucose-regulated protein Grp94, the thiol-disulphide oxidoreductases, protein disulphide isomerase (PDI) and ERp57. ER-linked misfolding diseases include CF and familial neurohypophyseal diabetes insipidus (FNDI). The components of mitochondrial PQC system include mitochondrial chaperones such as the Hsp70, the Hsp60/Hsp10 and a set of proteases having AAA+ domains similar to the proteasome that are situated in the matrix or the inner membrane. Protein misfolding diseases caused due to defective mitochondrial PQC system include medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD)/short-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (SCAD) deficiency diseases, hereditary spastic paraplegia. Therapeutic approaches towards the treatment of various protein misfolding diseases using molecular, chemical and pharmacological classes of chaperones are also discussed.

Description: Evidence for gas-hydrate occurrence in the Western Black Sea is found from seismic measurements revealing bottom-simulating reflectors (BSRs) of varying distinctness. From an ocean-bottom seismic data set low-resolution traveltime-tomography models of P-wave velocity vP are constructed. They serve as input for acoustic full-waveform inversion (FWI) which we apply to derive high-resolution parameter models aiding the interpretation of the seismic data for potential hydrate and gas deposits. Synthetic tests show the applicabilityof the FWI approach to robustly reconstruct vP models with a typical hydrate and gas signature. Models of S-wave velocity vS containing a hydrate signature can only be reconstructed when the parameter distribution of vS is already well known. When we add noise to the modeled data to simulate field data conditions, it prevents the reconstruction of vS completely, justifying the application of an acoustic approach. We invert for vP models from field-data of two parallel profiles of 14 km length with a distance of 1 km. Results showa characteristic velocity trend for hydrate and gas occurrence at BSR depth in the first of the analyzed profiles. We find no indications for gas accumulations below the BSR on the second profile and only weak indications for hydrate. These differences in vP signature are consistent with reflectivity behavior of the migrated seismic streamer data of both profiles where a zone of high reflectivity amplitudes is coincident with the potential gas zone derived from the FWI result. Calculating saturation estimates for the potential hydrate and gas zones yields values of up to 30% and 1.2%, respectively.

Description: A first phytochemical investigation of apolar natural products of the seagrass Zostera marina L. (Zosteraceae) yielded cymodienol, a cyclic diarylheptanoid so far only known from the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa (Ucria) Asch. (Cymodoceaceae) and a previously undescribed diaryheptanoid, isotedearene A, which is closely related to tedarene A, a natural product previously described from the neotropic sponge Tedania ignis (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) (Tedaniidae). Structures were established by mass spectrometry and extensive 1D and 2D NMR experiments.

Description: Aquatic CO2 tensions may exceed 30–60 Torr (ca. 30,000–79,000 μatm, respectively; hypercarbia) in some environments inducing severe acid-base challenges in fish. Typically, during exposure to hypercarbia blood pH (pHe) is initially reduced and then compensated in association with an increase in plasma HCO3– in exchange for Cl−. Typically, intracellular pH (pHi) is reduced and recovery is to some degree coupled to pHe recovery (coupled pH regulation). However, during acute hypercarbia, pHe recovery has been proposed to be limited by an “apparent upper bicarbonate threshold”, restricting complete pHe recovery to below 15 Torr PCO2. At PCO2 values beyond that which fish can compensate pHe, some fish are able to fully protect pHi despite large sustained reductions in pHe (preferential pHi regulation) and can tolerate PCO2 〉 45 Torr. This review discusses pHe and pHi regulation during exposure to hypercarbia starting with modeling the capacity and theoretical limit to pHe compensation in 19 studies. Next, we discuss how fish compensate severe acute hypercarbia exposures beyond the putative limit of pHe compensation using preferential pHi regulation which has recently been observed to be common among fish subjected to severe hypercarbia. Finally, we consider the evolution of pH regulatory strategies in vertebrates, including how the presence of preferential pHi regulation in embryonic reptiles may indicate that it is an embryonic trait that is either lost or retained in adult vertebrates and may have served as an exaptation for key evolutionary transitions during vertebrate evolution.

Description: All around the world, beneath the seafloor, there are huge volumes of natural gas. But these are not the normal gas reservoirs that we collect to use for cooking, heating our homes, and making electricity in power stations. This gas is locked up in what we call gas hydrates. Gas hydrates are a solid form of water, rather like ice, that contains gas molecules locked up in a “cage” of water molecules. Gas hydrates are found on continental shelves around the world and in permafrost in the arctic. We are interested in gas hydrates because they could be used as a future source of natural gas. They are also important because they can cause large landslides on the seafloor, damaging offshore pipelines and cables and contributing to the formation of tsunami waves.

Description: St. John’s – Longyearbyen, 23. Juli bis 13. August

Description: Cruise Report LITTORINA Wismar Bay L19-06 20th–25th May 2019

Description: Interactions between microorganisms and clay minerals are ubiquitous in nature and are involved in the formation and transformation of clay minerals and the global cycles of many elements. The fungi/actinomyces in microbes are also associated with clay minerals, but bacteria are more widely linked. These interactions are also involved in the adsorption and fixation of heavy metals and the decomposition of organic pollutants in soil. Knowledge of these interactions can be utilised for the refinement and purification of clay minerals in industry. This review provides an overview of recent studies and obtains insights into the interactions between microorganisms and clay minerals. Microorganisms can induce the nucleation and growth of clay minerals. The metabolism of microorganisms can also degrade and transform clay minerals. The interaction between microorganisms and clay minerals promots the transformation of smectite to illite (S-I) and vice versa (I-S). Such interactions significantly contribute to the global cycles of various elements, such as Al, Si, Mg, Fe, P, S, C, and N. Microorganisms and clay minerals can form complexes and composite materials that adsorb heavy metals such as Cu, Cr, Cd, Pb, Zn, Co, Ni, Ag, and Hg. Microorganism adhesion to clay minerals is involved in the synergistic adsorption and decomposition of organic pollutants in soil and water. This literature review indicates that knowledge of the interactions between microorganisms and clay minerals has been significantly deepened over recent years. However, the interaction between microorganisms and clay minerals under natural geological conditions and the inherent mechanisms involved are not yet well understood. Future work on interactions between microorganisms and clay minerals has great implications for handling atmospheric micro/nano particle pollutants, understanding the formation, alteration and diagenesis of clay minerals and other related minerals, tracking primitive life on Earth and exploring extraterrestrial planets.

Description: Here we present new data on the composition of olivine phenocrysts, melt inclusions and inclusions of chromium spinel in olivine from high Mg# basalts of the Eastern Volcanic Front in Kamchatka.

Description: Tissue repair is an adaptive and widespread metazoan response. It is characterised by different cellular mechanisms and complex signalling networks that involve numerous growth factors and cytokines. In higher animals, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signalling plays a fundamental role in wound healing. In order to evaluate the involvement of TGF superfamily members in lower invertebrate tissue regeneration, sequences for putative TGF ligands and receptors were isolated from the transcriptome of the marine sponge Chondrosia reniformis. We identified seven transcripts that coded for TGF superfamily ligands and three for TGF superfamily receptors. Phylogenetically, C. reniformis TGF ligands were not grouped into any TGF superfamily clades and thus presumably evolved independently, whereas the TGF receptors clustered in the Type I receptor group. We performed gene expression profiling of these transcripts in sponge regenerating tissue explants. Data showed that three ligands (TGF1, TGF3 and TGF6) were mainly expressed during early regeneration and seemed to be involved in stem cell maintenance, while other two (TGF4 and TGF5) were strongly upregulated during late regeneration and thus considered pro-differentiating factors. The presence of a strong TGF inhibitor, SB431542, blocked the restoration of the exopinacoderm layer in the sponge explants, confirming the functional involvement of the TGF-pathway in tissue regeneration also in these early evolved animals.

Description: Summary Deep-seated collapses of volcanic islands have generated the largest volume mass flows worldwide. These mass flows might trigger mega-tsunamis. The way in which these collapse events are emplaced is poorly understood, even though this emplacement process determines the scale of associated tsunamis. Key questions such as whether they are emplaced in single or multiple events, how they may incorporate seafloor sediment to increase their volume, and how they are related to volcanic eruption cycles and migration of volcanic centers, remain to be answered. This project forms a part of the comprehensive study of large volcanic island landslide deposits and is directly linked to IODP drilling campaign in the Lesser Antilles (IODP Leg 340). Unfortunately, Leg 340 only recovered material from a single site within the volcanic landslide deposits off Montserrat, and even at this site, recovery was not continuous. This single IODP site is insufficient to document lateral variation in landslide character, which is critical for understanding how it was emplaced. The main scientific goals of this project are to determine where the landslides are sourced from; to understand how these landslides are emplaced; and to understand the relationship between landslides, eruption cycles and initiation of new volcanic centres. Combining 3D seismology (Leg 1) and MeBo cores (Leg 2) provides a unique dataset of the internal structure, composition and source of material throughout a volcanic island landslide. The results will significantly contribute to understanding the emplacement of volcanic island landslides and they will allow us to assess the associated tsunami risk.

Description: 25.08.-01.09.2019

Description: Deep-water spills pose a unique challenge for reliable predictions of oil transport and fate, since live oil spewing out under very high hydrostatic pressure has characteristics remarkably distinct from oil spilling in shallow water. It is thus important to describe the complex thermodynamic processes occurring in the near-field, meters above the wellhead, and the hydrodynamic processes in the far field, up to kilometers away. However, these processes are typically modeled separately since they occur at different scales. Here we directly couple two oil prediction applications developed during the Deepwater Horizon blowout operating at different scales: the near-field Texas A&M Oilspill Calculator (TAMOC) and the far field oil application of the Connectivity Modeling System (oil-CMS). To achieve this coupling, new oil-CMS modules were developed to read TAMOC output, which consists of the description of distinct oil droplet “types”, each of specific size and pseudo-component mixture that enters at a given mass flow rate, time and position into the far field. These variables are transformed for use in the individual-based framework of oil-CMS, where each droplet type fits into a droplet size distribution (DSD). Here we used 19 pseudo-components representing a large range of hydrocarbon compounds and their respective thermodynamic properties. Simulation results show that the dispersion pathway for different droplet types varies significantly. Indeed, some droplet types are predicted to remain suspended in the subsea over months, while others accumulate in the surface layers. In addition, the biodegradation and dissolution rates of oil pseudo-components significantly alter the dispersion, denoting the importance of more biodegradation and dissolution studies of dispersed live oil at high pressure, with and without subsea dispersant injection (SSDI). This new modeling tool shows the potential for improved accuracy in predictions of oil partition in the water column, and of advancing impact assessment and response during a deep water spills.

Description: 02.09. bis 06.09.2019

Description: The Arctic Ocean is particularly sensitive to climate change. Its ecosystem structure and function are prone to be disturbed (among others) by fast warming and massive retreat of sea-ice, which in turn, might result in feedbacks on climate. As the third most important greenhouse gas and major ozone-depleting substance in the stratosphere, nitrous oxide (N2O) is a crucial parameter to study in order to monitor ocean’s state and its role in the production and exchange of climate-relevant substances to the atmosphere. Although studies have suggested potential N2O sinks in subpolar-polar waters, little is known about their relevance for regional and global budgets. In this presentation, we show the first results of a study carried out in summer 2018, during which we conducted extensive measurements of N2O at the sea surface and the water column in the Fram Strait between Svalbard and Greenland. We also conducted a detailed survey of functional gene markers of nitrogen cycling and performed incubation experiments for biological nitrogen fixation. Using the combined data set we: provide the first estimate of sea-to-air transfer of N2O in the region, show the contrasting depth distribution between east and -western sides of the Strait, and discuss the dynamic balance between water mass transport, solubility effects and production/consumption. Considering the connectivity between the Strait and the subpolar North Atlantic (through the East Greenland Current), this study represents an important contribution to the understanding of the biogeochemistry of the region and it allows assessing expected changes with further decline in Arctic sea-ice.

Description: In austral summer 2017 (coincidently during a coastal El Nino event) we deployed eight KOSMOS mesocosm units (53 m3 each) about 4.5 nm off-shore the Peruvian coastline (-12.0554667°, -077.2347667°). The aim of the study was to gather mechanistic understanding of processes controlling plankton productivity, organic matter export, and particle stoichiometry in the coastal upwelling system off Peru. We collected subsurface waters at two different locations in the regional oxygen minimum zone and injected them into four replicate mesocosms, to compare how upwelling of water masses with different oxygen minimum signature influence plankton succession patterns. This video is meant as an illustration of activities during this interdisciplinary mesocosm study in close cooperation with the Peruvian marine institute IMARPE.

Description: Umweltsensoren von GEOMAR und HZG wurden offenbar gewaltsam entfernt. 03.09.2019/Kiel. Im Dezember 2016 installierten das GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel und das Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht in einem Sperrgebiet am Ausgang der Eckernförder Bucht ein Observatorium für Umweltmessungen am Meeresboden. Offenbar wurden die zwei, je 550 und 220 Kilogramm schweren Gestelle am 21. August mit großer Kraft von ihrer Position entfernt. Die Forscher fanden nur noch das zerfaserte Landanschlusskabel. Jetzt hoffen GEOMAR und HZG auf Hinweise, um die wertvollen Geräte zurückzuerhalten.

Description: 02.09.-08.09.2019

Description: Velvet shell, Velutina velutina (O. F. Müller, 1776), is a specialist predator of ascidians, like other members of the gastropod family Velutinidae. Globally, invasive ascidians have become problematic, ecologically and economically, yet ecological knowledge of velutinids remains limited. This study outlines the life history and feeding ecology of V. velutina in eastern Canada based on laboratory work complemented by field observations. The life history of V. velutina is closely linked with ascidians, which serve as prey and protection for their egg capsules. Egg capsules were embedded within tunics of Aplidium glabrum (Verrill, 1871) and Ascidia callosa Stimpson, 1852, but the latter was preferred. Seasonal behavioural shifts were consistent annually and corresponded with seawater temperature cycles. Feeding dominated during the coldest months (January – May), growth occurred as water temperature increased to the annual maximum (June and July), transitioned to mating during the warmest period (July/August), and egg capsule deposition dominated as water temperature declined (November – January). Larvae hatched between January and July after 2 – 4 months of development. Velvet shell preyed on all ascidian species presented during this study, including golden star tunicate, Botryllus schlosseri (Pallas, 1766), and vase tunicate, Ciona intestinalis (Linnaeus, 1767), two non-indigenous species, although solitary species were preferred.

Description: Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are an important class of natural products that contain antibiotics and a variety of other bioactive compounds. The existing methods for discovery of RiPPs by combining genome mining and computational mass spectrometry are limited to discovering specific classes of RiPPs from small datasets, and these methods fail to handle unknown post-translational modifications. Here, we present MetaMiner, a software tool for addressing these challenges that is compatible with large-scale screening platforms for natural product discovery. After searching millions of spectra in the Global Natural Products Social (GNPS) molecular networking infrastructure against just eight genomic and metagenomic datasets, MetaMiner discovered 31 known and seven unknown RiPPs from diverse microbial communities, including human microbiome and lichen microbiome, and microorganisms isolated from the International Space Station.

Description: 06. 11. 2019 – 10. 11. 2019, Varna (BG) - Varna (BG), (06.11.2019 - 22.11.2019)

Description: Disinfection byproducts (DBPs) are generated by disinfectants reacting with organic matters. Previous studies have focused on DBPs in drinking water, but they have not paid sufficient attention to DBPs in sewage treatment plants (STPs), where the sources and compositions of DBPs are much more complicated, and there is a likelihood of more toxic DBPs being formed. In this study, the occurrence of DBPs in six STPs in Hong Kong and the potential impact of the effluents from the STPs on the marine environment were investigated. In STPs, the mean concentrations of the total DBPs ranged from 1160 to 17,019 ng/L, 1562 to 20,795 ng/L, and 289 to 1037 ng/L in the influent, effluent, and seawater, respectively. Trihalomethanes, haloacetonitriles, and trihalophenols were the most commonly detected DBPs, whereas hexachloro-1,3-butadiene and halocarbazoles were not detected in the STPs and in the marine environment in Hong Kong. Secondary treatment efficiently removed DBPs and DBP precursors. Regarding disinfection techniques, UV irradiation showed little effect on the concentrations of DBPs, whereas sodium hypochlorite significantly elevated the levels of both traditional and emerging DBPs. The effluents from two selected STPs that use chlorination have an obvious impact on the marine environment. This work presents the potential sources of DBPs in sewage, the influence of the treatment processes and disinfection techniques employed in STPs on the removal/formation of DBPs, and the impact of the effluents from the STPs on the marine environment. This work also highlights the need for investigating the emerging DBPs generated in STPs and their related environmental concerns.

Description: Walvis Bay - Recife, 14.10.-20.10.2019

Description: The ubiquitous presence of microlitter (ML), precisely microplastics (MP) and microfibres (MF) in the global environment is of growing concern for science, and society in general. Reliable methods are urgently needed for the identification and quantification of these emerging environmental pollutants. Recently a rapid Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) imaging pipeline was developed for automated identification and quantification of MP. However, although the usefulness for the quantification of MP could already be shown in several studies, microfibres could not be targeted so far by the developed analysis pipeline. In this study we present a novel approach for the simultaneous identification and quantification of MP and MF. By concentrating the sample on membrane filters and applying a BaF2 window on top of the filter, all objects – including MF – are fixed in the focal plane of the FTIR microscope. Furthermore, the analysis pipeline was augmented with algorithms which take into consideration the filamentous structure of MF. The novel analysis pipeline now allows to separate MP and MF via a preselection of fibres from the dataset by object size and shape. MP and MF are subsequently further investigated for specific polymer types and lengths/sizes. After parameter optimization the newly developed analysis approach was applied to archived samples from previous studies on treated waste water. The results were compared with respect to the original detected polymer types and numbers, but also considered MF detection.

Description: Within the last decade, satellite-based geodetic techniques such as GPS or InSAR have increased our knowledge about tectonic plate motions and crustal deformation. However, the electromagnetic waves used by these techniques do not penetrate into water and therefore geodetic information for the offshore domain is sparse. The GeoSEA (Geodetic Earthquake Observatory on the SEAfloor) array uses acoustic ranging techniques between stations on the seafloor for relative positioning. We use data from 23 autonomous acoustic transponders installed in three deployments located on the outer rise and on the marine forearc of the northern Chile subduction zone (~21°S). The networks are located immediately south of the Iquique 2014 Mw 8.1 rupture zone. Stations were deployed in December 2015 and were mostly recording until June 2018. The geodetic networks monitor crustal deformation of the seafloor with the target to quantify interseismic deformation. Although we achieve a mm-scale precision with our acoustic ranging system, we observe no significant deformation above our resolution limits. We compare our observations with surface strain models estimated using onshore cGPS stations of the Plate Boundary Observatory Chile (IPOC). The predicted strains are of a similar order of magnitude compared to the strain resolution of the network. Furthermore, we show pressure data for all three networks. Although the resolution of the pressure sensors is in the cm-range, the data do not reveal any sudden vertical movements of the seafloor, indicating absence of vertical crustal movement.

Description: M159 (29.10. – 20.11.2019) 2. Wochenbericht vom 10. November 2019

Description: 11.11.2019 – 17.11.2019, Varna (BG) - Varna (BG), (06.11.2019 - 22.11.2019)

Description: The Las Cañadas caldera is one of the best exposed volcanic calderas in the world and one of the few known evolved alkaline volcanoes. It truncates the pre-Teide-Pico Viejo central volcanic edifice, the Las Cañadas edifice, which started to take shape at the end of the formation of a large basaltic shield that forms the main part of island of Tenerife. Historically, the origin of the Las Cañadas caldera has been controversial, as it has been interpreted as the result of either multiple vertical collapses or due to a giant sector collapse. The available stratigraphical, structural, volcanological, geochronological, and geophysical data, as well as its comparison to other well-known collapse calderas should not offer any doubt as to its direct relationship with a long history of phonolitic explosive volcanism. However, the existence of large landslide events on Tenerife, which have significantly modified the flanks of the Las Cañadas volcano, have also been used as a potential explanation for the origin of the Las Cañadas depression. This contribution reviews the available information on the Las Cañadas caldera, the causes of this controversy, and rationalises the most plausible explanation for the origin of Las Cañadas caldera based on the current evidence gathered from all previous studies.

Description: This review article aims to provide an overview and insight into the most relevant aspects of wind energy development and current state-of-the-art. The industry is in a very mature stage, so it seems to be the right time to take stock of the relevant areas of wind energy use for power generation. For this review, the authors considered the essential aspects of the development of wind energy technology: research, modeling, and prediction of wind speed as an energy source, the technology development of the plants divided into the mechanical and electrical systems and the plant control, and finally the optimal plant operation including the maintenance strategies. The focus is on the development in Europe, with a partial focus on Germany. The authors are employees of the Fraunhofer Institutes, Institute for Energy Economics and Energy Systems Technology and Institute for Wind Energy Systems, who have contributed to the development of this technology for decades.

Description: The Lau basin is an active back arc system with several spreading centres and microplates rapidly evolving in time. In the northeast basin, we observe a complex setting of a back arc rifting system and a volcanic arc. The Fonualei Rift and Spreading Center (FRSC) is a part of this complex setting, striking northwest and accommodating eastwest extension between the Niuafo'ou microplate and the Tonga plate. The volcanic arc strikes northeast southwest, in order to this striking direction the Fonualei Rift offset to the volcanic arc decreases to the south. This results in an minimal offset off 10-15km to the active volcanic arc. The interplay of the FRSC and the Tofua volcanic arc are not fully understood. Therefor we want to use the microseismicity as a tool to understand these active tectonics. One goal was to record seismicity data and create an event catalogue. We deployed a network of 16 ocean bottom seismometers (OBS) across the FRSC which recorded approximately 750 local events within a time span of 31 days. The events were located with the NonLinLoc (Non-Linear Location) software package. Further more we determined local and moment magnitudes. The seismicity catalogue shows an average event rate of 24 events per day. The events are focused beneath the network and in a region south of the network. Especially in the southern region we recognised a highly increased event rate depending on time and locality. In a time span of 6 days we observed 600 events resulting in a event rate of up to 100 events per day. This high event rate is an indicator for an earthquake swarm. For the magnitudes frequency distribution we determined a b-value for the entire catalogue of 1.05 with a magnitude of completeness of 1.0. With this microseismicity we were able to create an event catalogue which can be used as a starting point for more investigation within this region. For example we will analyse the focal mechanisms of selected events which will allow insights to the tectonics of the region.