Eastern Boundaries Upwelling Systems. The coastal upwelling areas on the eastern edges of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans are among the most biologically productive regions of the ocean. These ecosystems are defined by ocean currents that bring nutrient-rich but oxygen-poor water to coasts that line the eastern edges of the world's ocean basins. These regions generate more than 10% of primary marine production on less than 1% of the ocean's surface and contribute 20-30% of global fisheries production.
Overview of processes and research topics of Tropical Atlantic Ocean Upwelling
Tropical upwelling regions play an active role in climate and oceanic biogeochemical cycles and they host the most productive ocean food chains. They support the largest fisheries of the world and are home to a biodiverse marine environment. In the upwelling region, anthropogenic impacts will therefore have disproportionately large consequences for human society. Ocean warming, ocean acidification, and oxygen depletion converge and may lead to synergistic effects with negative impacts on ecosystem function. Reliable future scenarios on changes in ecosystem services, which are extremely important for humanity, are lacking.
Multidisciplinary research on natural and societal systems in tropical upwelling regimes enables assessment of future fisheries and economic potential, conservation strategies and climate connections.
FUTURO region
The particularly species-rich and productive coastal upwelling area off West Africa provides employment for around 1 million people, including 150,000 artisanal fishers. This region supports a West African population of 450 million people and generates revenues of approximately 3 billion US dollars. It plays an integral role in the climate system and is subject to strong, overlapping anthropogenic influences. FUTURO will focus on the Mauritania-Senegal upwelling region (12-12°N) and reach out to the Cabo Verde archipelago.
Concerted Ocean Observation
FUTURO is based on the following values and practices:
- Active partnership with West African researchers, stakeholders & marine research institutes: West African experts will be essential partners in the co-design. They are invited to become partners of the FUTURO experiment.
- Involvement of all interested parties in the German research landscape: The experiment is a major joint project initiated by leading national research institutes in Germany.
- Coordination with international research communities: The experiment is to be widely presented and promoted internationally. Scientific co-operations are explicitly desired.
The aim of FUTURO is to develop a significantly improved system understanding and robust predictive capability for the future development of this coastal upwelling region, which is of extremely high socio-economic importance. Fishery yields from this region, which is particularly affected by anthropogenic influences, are of great importance for the economy of almost all West African countries and thus have a concrete impact on the living conditions of people in the Sahel. The focus in the final FUTURO phase is synthesis and transdisciplinary transfer of knowledge to guide sustainable ecosystem management actions benefiting the local population.
FUTURO – Co-designing Ocean Observation
We invite you to establish alliances and working groups with all stakeholders and a growing framework of international collaboration.
Interested? Contact us!
Scientific Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Arne Körtzinger, futuro@geomar.de .
Wischhofstr. 1-3
24148 Kiel, Germany
E-Mail: futuro@geomar.de
Phone: +49 (0) 431 600 1952
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