Human-induced climate change is altering the ocean on a previously unimaginable scale. One of the most obvious changes is the rapid decline in Arctic sea ice over the last two decades. This has a direct impact on Arctic microorganisms as more light is available and net primary productivity (NPP) increases in some areas. However, even in an ice-free Arctic, NPP will not increase indefinitely. The amount of nutrients available in the euphotic zone at the beginning of spring largely determines the total amount of annual new production. In addition, ocean warming is leading to changes in the winter mixed layer in the North Atlantic, which has reduced the amount of silica entering the Arctic Ocean in recent decades. This will affect the carbon uptake capacity of primary producers and the composition of their communities, which in turn will have cascading effects on zooplankton composition, fisheries and carbon export.

The aim of the SiDe-EFFECT project is to understand the consequences of silica decline for the Arctic marine ecosystem and the mechanisms responsible.
 

To understand how climate change affects the Arctic Ocean, we will combine novel and classical approaches to study phytoplankton physiology, biodiversity, and zooplankton interactions and improve the accuracy of current model projections in our SiDe-EFFECT Hemholtz Young Investigator Group. Our university partner is the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, and we also collaborate with international and national institutions.