Periodic Reporting for period 2 - AQUACOSM-plus (Network of Leading Ecosystem Scale Experimental AQUAtic MesoCOSM Facilities Connecting Rivers, Lakes, Estuaries and Oceans in Europe and beyond)
Reporting period: 2021-10-01 to 2023-03-31
Water is a fundamental resource for all lifeforms on Earth and is under increasing pressure as a result of the growing human population. In addition, aquatic ecosystems are subject to climate change. The multiple stressors on aquatic ecosystems result in loss of biodiversity and basic ecosystem functions at a dramatic rate compared to other ecosystems, representing one of the present societal Grand Challenges. With human populations continuing to grow, demands for aquatic ecosystem services will continue to increase. The sustainable provision of aquatic ecosystem services and well-being of society, critically depends on addressing these environmental challenges.
It is, hence, important to identify and quantitatively understand the mechanisms behind observed aquatic ecosystem changes, despite the difficulty of working with complex natural systems subject to multiple stressors. Mesocosm-based science is a powerful tool to investigate these environments, because it combines realistic scale and complexity close to natural systems, with multiple experimental units allowing replicated manipulations. Moreover, mesocosms can be used to test scenarios that are predicted to occur in the future, mitigation and rehabilitation measures, and to identify tipping points in these complex natural systems. The mesocosm approach becomes even more powerful when integrated in collaborative studies using long term data observational RI networks (e.g. LTER, JERICO), to guide experimental design for model and scenario-testing.
AQUACOSM-plus is bringing together a research community specialised in experimental mesocosm-based research, covering the full range of freshwater to marine ecosystems representing all EU-climatic zones from the Arctic to the Mediterranean. Exploring this advantage, AQUACOSM-plus aims to address the present challenges aquatic ecosystems are facing, by offering access to a high quality, innovative European mesocosm research infrastructure, to the international research community.
Compared to the previous related EU- projects MESOAQUA and AQUACOSM, AQUACOSM-plus has an increased focus on user needs for easy, wide and efficient access to standardized and harmonized experimental facilities. This includes focus on training of TA participants and early career scientists to ensure that a new generation of researchers receives essential skills.
Overall, AQUACOSM-plus is:
• Expanding and integrating leading aquatic mesocosm RIs in and outside Europe.
• Foster collaboration with other RIs (LTER, ICOS, DANUBIUS, JERICO) in order to jointly tackle the current and future Grand Challenges.
• Advance Open Mesocosm Science.
• Engage in new approaches towards standardised and spatially flexible mesocosm facilities, as well as approachable ways of obtaining high-frequency data, greenhouse gas fluxes and automated imaging technology.
• Widen the user base and strengthen the offered services by: 1) increasing the numbers of partner facilities to over 31, 2) doubling the involvement of SMEs, 3) expanding the societal environmental communication base by including an NGO, 4) increasing the competence in mesocosm science in new EU member states.
It is, hence, important to identify and quantitatively understand the mechanisms behind observed aquatic ecosystem changes, despite the difficulty of working with complex natural systems subject to multiple stressors. Mesocosm-based science is a powerful tool to investigate these environments, because it combines realistic scale and complexity close to natural systems, with multiple experimental units allowing replicated manipulations. Moreover, mesocosms can be used to test scenarios that are predicted to occur in the future, mitigation and rehabilitation measures, and to identify tipping points in these complex natural systems. The mesocosm approach becomes even more powerful when integrated in collaborative studies using long term data observational RI networks (e.g. LTER, JERICO), to guide experimental design for model and scenario-testing.
AQUACOSM-plus is bringing together a research community specialised in experimental mesocosm-based research, covering the full range of freshwater to marine ecosystems representing all EU-climatic zones from the Arctic to the Mediterranean. Exploring this advantage, AQUACOSM-plus aims to address the present challenges aquatic ecosystems are facing, by offering access to a high quality, innovative European mesocosm research infrastructure, to the international research community.
Compared to the previous related EU- projects MESOAQUA and AQUACOSM, AQUACOSM-plus has an increased focus on user needs for easy, wide and efficient access to standardized and harmonized experimental facilities. This includes focus on training of TA participants and early career scientists to ensure that a new generation of researchers receives essential skills.
Overall, AQUACOSM-plus is:
• Expanding and integrating leading aquatic mesocosm RIs in and outside Europe.
• Foster collaboration with other RIs (LTER, ICOS, DANUBIUS, JERICO) in order to jointly tackle the current and future Grand Challenges.
• Advance Open Mesocosm Science.
• Engage in new approaches towards standardised and spatially flexible mesocosm facilities, as well as approachable ways of obtaining high-frequency data, greenhouse gas fluxes and automated imaging technology.
• Widen the user base and strengthen the offered services by: 1) increasing the numbers of partner facilities to over 31, 2) doubling the involvement of SMEs, 3) expanding the societal environmental communication base by including an NGO, 4) increasing the competence in mesocosm science in new EU member states.
During the first 36 months, AQUACOSM-plus has successfully:
• established contact with industries and SMEs
• Comprehensively analysed the European RI landscape outlining ways for collaboration with several RIs.
• Redeveloped the website, aquacosm.eu to better reflect the objectives of AQUACOSM-plus, making the services available in a sustainable and user-friendly way.
• Integrated the specifically developed Project Tracker into the TA programme for more exchange and collaboration.
• Provided a future-proof WikiBook now ready for expansion of information collected throughout the AQUACOSM-plus project.
• Trained a new generation of aquatic/ mesocosm scientists by offering 2 training schools, workshops on science communication, metanalysis, grand challenges, open science, AquaSUMMIT writing retreats and forming an Early Career Researcher Network.
• Provided guidance and resources to lower barriers for open science/ data in the field, including
o Produced/ published videos to guide TA users on the submission of metadata to the Mesocosm Metadata Catalogue
o materials on DOI allocation,
o nodes in ZENODODRYAD, PANGAEA, GitHub.
o An open virtual platform for near-real-time data streams
o a primary mesocosm data collection portal (primary data shell).
• Developed & updated the projects DMP.
• engaged with the general public, news media and Universities, and was present in major scientific events including EGU, ASLO, GLEON and SIL conferences
• Held several Symposia on the Grand Challenges in Aquatic Mesocosm Research
• Published 18 well received peer-review manuscripts, e.g. on
o Environmental variability in aquatic ecosystems
o Freshwater salinization
o Metaanalysis of light effects on autotrophs
o CNN based method for plankton recognition
• Provided and developed resources for low cost mesocosm science including:
o video on how to build low cost pelagic mesocosms
o developed, built and improved a light-weight, portable mesocosm raft system
o developed and tested a prototype of a Chlorophyll-a sensor
o constructed a low-cost, version of a self-flushing system for automated measurement of greenhouse gas fluxes
• Investigated Grand Challenges using AQUACOSM-plus developed technology.
• Established a new long term mesocosm facility in Hungary.
• Improved the readiness to conduct full scale pelagic experiments under harsh ice conditions.
• opened its facilities for 62 TA projects with provision of 4294 person-days so far
• established contact with industries and SMEs
• Comprehensively analysed the European RI landscape outlining ways for collaboration with several RIs.
• Redeveloped the website, aquacosm.eu to better reflect the objectives of AQUACOSM-plus, making the services available in a sustainable and user-friendly way.
• Integrated the specifically developed Project Tracker into the TA programme for more exchange and collaboration.
• Provided a future-proof WikiBook now ready for expansion of information collected throughout the AQUACOSM-plus project.
• Trained a new generation of aquatic/ mesocosm scientists by offering 2 training schools, workshops on science communication, metanalysis, grand challenges, open science, AquaSUMMIT writing retreats and forming an Early Career Researcher Network.
• Provided guidance and resources to lower barriers for open science/ data in the field, including
o Produced/ published videos to guide TA users on the submission of metadata to the Mesocosm Metadata Catalogue
o materials on DOI allocation,
o nodes in ZENODODRYAD, PANGAEA, GitHub.
o An open virtual platform for near-real-time data streams
o a primary mesocosm data collection portal (primary data shell).
• Developed & updated the projects DMP.
• engaged with the general public, news media and Universities, and was present in major scientific events including EGU, ASLO, GLEON and SIL conferences
• Held several Symposia on the Grand Challenges in Aquatic Mesocosm Research
• Published 18 well received peer-review manuscripts, e.g. on
o Environmental variability in aquatic ecosystems
o Freshwater salinization
o Metaanalysis of light effects on autotrophs
o CNN based method for plankton recognition
• Provided and developed resources for low cost mesocosm science including:
o video on how to build low cost pelagic mesocosms
o developed, built and improved a light-weight, portable mesocosm raft system
o developed and tested a prototype of a Chlorophyll-a sensor
o constructed a low-cost, version of a self-flushing system for automated measurement of greenhouse gas fluxes
• Investigated Grand Challenges using AQUACOSM-plus developed technology.
• Established a new long term mesocosm facility in Hungary.
• Improved the readiness to conduct full scale pelagic experiments under harsh ice conditions.
• opened its facilities for 62 TA projects with provision of 4294 person-days so far
During the 2nd reporting period the project has continued to advance harmonisation of methods, data collection, technology development and, outreach. The activity of AQUACOSM-plus has increased the use of the mesocosm facilities and generally the user base from within as well as outside the ERA, including direct collaboration with other RIs (JERICO-S3, LTER). Consortium members have also been invited as experts in different panels for e.g. the eLTER ESFRI-preparatory process sharing ideas and approaches developed during the AQUACOSM-project to fertilise the development in other RIs. An example of the impact on the research community is that the AQUACOSM-plus consortium held one of the largest of over 140 different sessions at ASLO 2023, the biggest international marine and freshwater conference. This momentum has also been used to form an Early Career Researcher network of mesocosm professionals, with the aim to be sustainable long after the conclusion of the project. The direct input to societal outreach and NGO activities has been realised through e.g. input to publication series such as Acid News. A focus for the last reporting period is to further increase the interest and participation of SMEs, NGOs as well as widen the collaboration with other RIs.
This wider participation is expected to contribute to: 1) further share competence leading to a more cost-effective use of research funds in the ERA, by enhancing know-how in aquatic experimental ecosystem science across all EU member & associated states as well on a wider global scale e.g. in collaboration through the (mesocosm.org network), and to 2) reduce duplication between RIs and instead effectively translate predictive science into experimental scenario testing and possible environmental engineering in the AQUACOSM-plus facilities.
This wider participation is expected to contribute to: 1) further share competence leading to a more cost-effective use of research funds in the ERA, by enhancing know-how in aquatic experimental ecosystem science across all EU member & associated states as well on a wider global scale e.g. in collaboration through the (mesocosm.org network), and to 2) reduce duplication between RIs and instead effectively translate predictive science into experimental scenario testing and possible environmental engineering in the AQUACOSM-plus facilities.