Users/user groups will further have access to some general laboratory functions in the campus in town, including research level of light microscopy, Turner flurometer, and scintillation counters and a dedicated algae culture facility. At the field station there is offices/lab space enabling users/user groups to set up their own equipment and instrumentation.Together the facilities at BIO and the station offer a set of complementary and closely integrated installations that provide a unique combination of opportunities for laboratory-based and field-based research studies on marine ecosystems. The western coast of Norway is the only location in Europe offering so close access to both coastal and oceanic environments.
 

Click on the picture to download a presentation about the mesocosm facility in Bergen Espegrend

Services currently offered by the infrastructure: User/user groups will have access to the full range of laboratories, instrumentation, dormitory and lodging facilities at the Norwegian National Mesocosm Centre at Espegrend campus, as described above. The unique facilities at the Norwegian National Mesocosm Centre provide opportunities to work on a range of natural pelagic ecosystems in mesocosms that are not possible in many other locations in Europe. Visiting scientists are further encouraged to cooperate with local scientists to learn new techniques and to explore new approaches as well as being given access to facilities that they may not have in their home countries. A particularly important feature is that researchers have the opportunity to standardise and verify their experimental results between laboratory-based and field-based conditions. More information about Marine Biological Station in Espegrend.

Transnational Access in 2012

Mesocosm experiment A: 3-31 March 2012     see CALENDAR 2012

PHAEONIGMA - A novel cross-disciplinary approach to solve an old enigma: the food-web transfer of the mass-blooming phytoplankter Phaeocystis

 

Project description:

Phaeocystis spp. are key primary producers in the world oceans, and seasonally constitute the majority of total pelagic biomass at higher latitudes. The trophodynamics of these algae are therefore of key importance for understanding some of the largest ecosystems on Earth.A recent review concluded that trophic transfer of Phaeocystis blooms to zooplankton has been significantly overestimated, and may be regulated by little studied chemical signalling. This has major implications for understanding food webs that support the world's great fisheries and CO2 cycling. While methods to quantify species-specific trophic interactions involving zooplankton in situ, was not previously available, such tools have now been developed and can be applied in the field. We will utilize such tools to investigate the fate of Phaeocystis in situ and our specific objectives are to 1) Quantify feeding by micro- and mesozooplankton on Phaeocystis spp. as single cells or colonies and in different growth phases, with special emphasis on chemical signalling, and 2) Investigate alternative trophic pathways by molecular gut content analysis and stable isotope (C, N) analysis (bulk, amino acid) of dominating mesozooplankton & seston.

We will address these obectives in a mesocosm experiment in Raunefjord, Norwegian West coast. The mesocosm experiment will be run during a 4-week period in March 2012 (March 3rd to March 31st) at the National Mesocosm Center, University of Bergen (http://mesoaqua.eu/espegrend). 11 m³ in situ enclosures will be filled with natural water from the surrounding fjord after the completion of the natural spring bloom and fertilized with NaNO3 and KH2PO4 to create bloom cycles of P. pouchetii, from single cells to colonies and finally colony breakdown. Additonal treatments will probably be Si- or CO2 additions, but the exact set-up of the mesocosms will be decided at a later stage. The development of the blooms will be studied daily by:
• Basic hydrographic profiling using a SD204 SAIV CTD and phytoplankton pigments.
• Analyses of the phytoplankton and microzooplankton community by microscopy and flow-cytometers
• Analyses of mesozooplankton abundance (microscopy at onset and termination of the mesocosms)
• Chemical profiling of dissolved and particulate matters; and stable isotope composition (δ13C and δ15N) analysis of different food web components and seston size fractions.

We open the experiment for trainees/experts within the following fields (see below for further details):
1. Copepod egg and faecal pellet production: 2-4 pers – specialists and/or trainees.
2. Flow cytometry (Cytosense and FlowCam): 1-2 trainees.
3. Molecular ecology – Individual bacterial cell activity: 1 trainee.
4. Ciliate taxonomy/abundance estimates: 1-2 trainees.

Further details on the opening for MESOAQUA Transnational Access:

1. Copepod egg and fecal pellet production: The main aim of this task is to quantify the egg and faecal pellet production (E/FPR) of a dominant copepod species in relation to a number of biological, physical and chemical factors, during different bloom phases of the algae communities, with and without dominance of Phaeocystis pouchetii. If more participants are included, more copepod species or other metazooplankton types can be investigated. Depending of the interests of the applicants there may also be a possibility of including novel molecular and chemical analysis in this task. The E/FPR measurements will be a central part of the ecosystem analysis of the host project, PHAEONIGMA and will therefore be expected to contribute to both a general overview paper and depending on data and level of participation, also a separate zooplankton publication.

Trainees do not need any prior knowledge of zooplankton work. All methods will be taught, but experience of plankton or culture work is an advantage. In case specialists apply for MESOAQUA support, we offer the applicant to discuss the possibility of taking a leading role on this task, and may also apply as a group of up to ca 4 persons. In all cases MESOAQUA strongly recommend all applicants to contact the PI responsible for this task in PHAEONIGMA, Dr. Jens C Nejstgaard (jens.nejstgaard@skio.usg.edu) for full information on this subject prior to submitting an application.

2. Flow cytometry (Cytosense/Flowcam): We offer the opportunity for 1 or maximum 2 trainees to get hands on training in sampling and analysis of the development of phytoplankton and microzooplankton part of the plankton community, using two types of flowcytometric machines: Cytosense flow cytometers (fully equipped including ImageInFlow, http://www.cytobuoy.com/) and FlowCams (http://www.fluidimaging.com/). Please contact Dr. Jens C Nejstgaard (jens.nejstgaard@skio.usg.edu) and/or Dr. Hans H Jakobsen (hhja@dmu.dk) for further info.

3. Molecular ecology – Individual bacterial cell activity: 1 trainee for more information please contact Dr Mark E Frischer (marc.frischer@skio.usg.edu).

4. The project offer 1-2 trainees to get hands on training in sampling, taxonomic evaluation and enumeration of ciliates from the mesocosms, for more info please contact Dr. Diane Stoecker (stoecker@umces.edu).

 

For more information on the scientific aspects of the project please contact the experiment leader and PI:

Dr Aud Larsen
Tel: +47 55 58 35 96
e-mail: : Aud.Larsen@bio.uib.no

 

For more information on practical questions of Transnational Access activities, please contact the local MESOAQUA site coordinator Dr. Paolo Simonelli (paolo.simonelli@bio.uib.no) or Dr. Stella Berger (Stella.Berger@bio.uib.no) at the University of Bergen.

The application deadline for MESOAQUA Transnational Access was 30 September 2011, 12:00 CET. The applications are currently in review process by the independent SAB.

Mesocosm experiment B: 1-30 June 2012   see   CALENDAR 2012  .

PHYTOSTRESS - Interference of iron availability on the effect of increased CO2 and UV radiation related to oxidative stress and cell death processes on a phytoplankton bloom in mesocosm experiments 

Project description:

Under the global change scenario around 40-50% of the CO2 emitted by anthropogenic activities is accumulated in the oceans causing acidification and increasing the availability of dissolved CO2 to primary producers. To understand the regulation of the carbon cycle it is basic to determine the interaction of the main factors controlling primary production in the ocean. The increase of UV radiation due to ozone loss can reduce the oceanic phytoplankton CO2 sinking capacity up to 2%. Concomitantly, the scarcity of micronutrients, such as iron, can affect the composition, functioning and growth of phytoplankton. However, although up to date there are several studies about the effect of UV on iron ocean speciation, there is none about the interaction between CO2, Fe and UV in phytoplankton and the underlying mechanisms has not been elucidated yet. Equally, there is evidence of massive cell death phenomena in phytoplankton communities that can account for a great loss of biomass amount, altering diversity and hence affecting the carbon cycle. The proposed experiments that we summarize here, will lead us to a better understanding about the functions of marine phytoplankton as well as to determine how changes in CO2, UV and Fe availability control the fate of primary production in the ocean, regarding biomass and diversity loss.

Our main hypothesis is that under Fe limitation conditions, the phytoplankton ability to overcome oxidative stress triggered by UV at surface layers will decrease because most of the physiological mechanisms responsible for reactive oxygen species (ROS) are dependent on Fe. On the other hand, ocean acidification, caused by CO2 increase will also decrease Fe availability, provoking iron limitation conditions in the phytoplankton community. Taken together, this situation will drive to severe cell damage; alteration of the cell cycle and cell death mechanisms might be triggered.

The main objective consists on analyzing the effects of CO2 and UV radiation and the interference of Fe availability as a modulator in oxidative stress processes as factors that alter species abundance, leading to loss of biodiversity and primary production.

Experiments will be carried out at the Norwegian National Mesocosm Centre in Bergen, Norway, from 1st to 30th of June 2012. The enclosures will be placed into a raft in the Raunefjorden and filled in with fjord water under the full solar spectrum i.e. PAR, UVA and UVB. We will manipulate pCO2 to achieve two different CO2 concentrations: high pCO2, (1000ppm) simulating the atmospheric CO2 concentration expected in year 2100 (according to IPCC reports) and present pCO2 (390ppm) under iron sufficient and iron limited conditions. Once the desired CO2 and iron conditions are achieved we will promote the development of a phytoplankton bloom by adding nutrients, and the initiated bloom will be monitored over a 21 days period.

To accomplish the mentioned objectives we will analyse de following variables: Optical characterisation of the water column within the enclosures (PAR , UVA and UVB irradiances) , salinity, pH, temperature, alkalinity, the carbonate system, nutrients, elemental CNH analyses, dissolved and particulate organic matter, as well as algal cell density and size, cell morphology, bacterial cell density, cell viability and cell death markers, DNA damage, photoinhibition, pigments, primary production, carbon concentrating mechanisms, reactive oxygen species and antioxidant enzymatic activities, Fe biomineralization and ferritin accumulation, Fe elemental analyses.

A major aim of MESOAQUA is to encourage new cross-discipline fertilisation of ideas and cooperation between the whole range from established experts to young scientists and trainees. Thus this call is open for input of activity that can benefit the overall experiment, and we especillay invite applicants with an interest in:

1. Bacterial production
2. Cell cycle analyses
3. Nutrient dynamics

As a mesocosm experiment is a highly collaborative effort, it success depends on a good match of scientific activities (experts, young scientists) and practical contribution (trainees) between the participants. We invite applicants for Transnational Access (TA), preferably 3 experts (senior scientists/experienced postdocs) and 2 trainees.

For more information on the scientific aspects of the project please contact the experiment leader and PI:

Dr. María Segovia
Assistant Professor
Department of Ecology
Faculty of Sciences
University of Málaga
Bvd. Louis Pasteur s/n
29071-Málaga
Spain
Tel: +34 952 13 6652
Fax: +34 952 13 7386
http://www.fyboa.uma.es

For more information on practical questions of Transnational Access activities, please contact the local MESOAQUA site coordinator Dr. Paolo Simonelli (paolo.simonelli@bio.uib.no) or Dr. Stella Berger (Stella.Berger@bio.uib.no) at the University of Bergen.

The application deadline for MESOAQUA Transnational Access was 30 September 2011, 12:00 CET. The applications are currently in review process by the independent SAB.

The total amount of access provided for this site and call will be 100-200 person-days. Anticipated funding is thus up to 5 INDIVIDUAL applications for the site in total. Expected duration of the activities is between 25 days per activity. See information on Transnational Access and the description of for (GROUP) and INDIVIDUAL applications. Please contact the facility provider Anita Jakobson (Anita.Jacobsen@bio.uib.no) for a confirmation letter stating that your project/partcipation is realistic/practical and fits to already planned mesocosm experiment.

Contact:

Dr. Paolo Simonelli, University of Bergen (Paolo.Simonelli@bio.uib.no)

Dr. Stella Berger, University of Bergen (Stella.Berger@bio.uib.no)

Dr. Anita Jacobsen, University of Bergen (Anita.Jacobsen@bio.uib.no)

Modality of access under MESOAQUA:

Projects of external users will be integrated with the existing schedule of the facility. Depending on the specific ecosystem and level of scientific problem, an absolute minimum of 5-6 persons for a minimum of 10 days, often more, is needed to successfully conduct an independent mesocosm experiment at the UiB facilities, while it is anticipated that up to 20 persons staying for 23-28 days will be granted access in 2011. However, to support increased international cooperation, adaptation of new approaches and techniques, also individual users and smaller groups are encouraged to apply for MESOAQUA support in order to cooperate with other (larger) projects and initiatives at the facility. To further maximise the scientific outcome, efforts will be done to integrate the MESOAQUA activity with other ongoing and planned projects at the facility.

Support offered under MESOAQUA:

All visitors will have access to the full range of laboratories and instrumentation available at the Mesocosm Centre Espegrend. However, user/user groups are strongly encouraged to seek advanced scientific cooperation with the scientists at UiB, and thereby gain further access to a wide range of advanced know-how, techniques and specialized instrumentation that may only run by dedicated local specialists (see description of infrastructure and services above). In order to increase the scientific advancement and output of the TA activity, beyond a mere access to the facility, all user groups will get scientific support in terms of planning of the activity before arrival (typically initiated several months before arrival) and hands on training by the MESOAQUA early career scientist and the scientific team around the facility. The MESOAQUA early career scientist will further assist the users with running scientific supervision throughout the stay. The users will also benefit from the support of the permanently employed staff at the station, including station leader (who can assist with technical advice and purchase of consumables), boat master (assist in boat use and field sampling), caretaker and other service personnel.