Project description
Understanding phytoplankton microscale interactions and behaviours
Coral reefs are vulnerable to climate change. Phytoplankton, marine microalgae, play a crucial role in carbon sequestration and coral nutrition, supporting climate resilience and coral survival. However, their movement dynamics are not well understood. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the PhytoSwim project will develop a new methodology to study phytoplankton motility in situ at relevant spatio-temporal scales. Initially, it will assess current in situ microfluidics and adapt it to detect phytoplankton interactions. The PhytoSwim team will then apply this method to explore phytoplankton behaviour in the open ocean and coral reefs, marking a first-of-its-kind effort. The outcomes will enhance our understanding of phytoplankton behaviours and their ecological impact.
Objective
Climate change is a global priority, affecting all nations with escalating consequences including temperature increase and extreme weather events. Coral reefs - occurring in EU territories such as Bonaire and New Caledonia - are among the most vulnerable ecosystems. Potential solutions for climate change mitigation may come from phytoplankton, marine microalgae providing critical ecosystem services linked to carbon sequestration and coral reef nutrition. On the one hand, due to their sheer numbers, phytoplankton have a large-scale impact on global CO2 capture, acting as a natural carbon sink. On the other hand, phytoplankton nourish corals, which in turn protect adjacent blue carbon sinks (seagrass meadows, tidal marshes and mangroves), fostering climate resilience.
Carbon sequestration and coral nutrition rely on phytoplankton’s complex sensorimotor capabilities. However, despite their immense ecological roles, the dynamics of phytoplankton motility in-situ remain poorly understood. Current research methods rely on bulk and static analyses which fail to capture the dynamic and fine-scale nature of phytoplankton interactions in their natural environments.
In PhytoSwim, I will overcome these limitations by developing a cutting-edge methodology to study phytoplankton motility in situ, at relevant spatiotemporal microscales. I will first learn the current state-of-the-art of in situ microfluidics, and then adapt it to detect phytoplankton interactions (OBJ1). Next, I will use this new method to study phytoplankton behavior in the open ocean and in coral reefs, never done before (OBJ2).
Expected outcomes: PhytoSwim will deepen our knowledge of phytoplankton microscale behaviors and their ecological impact, while directly contributing to EU’s objectives of advancing climate science. It will also place me at the forefront of the field, securing my path towards a research position in academia.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences marine biology
- natural sciences physical sciences classical mechanics fluid mechanics microfluidics
- medical and health sciences health sciences nutrition
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-GF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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13572 Marseille
France
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