Wanda Gülzow

In the year 2006, ICOS was recognized as an important research infrastructure by the Council of the European Union Research Ministers and it was added to the priority list (“roadmap”) of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI). ICOS aims to create an atmosphere, land and ocean monitoring network, able to reliably quantify sinks and sources of greenhouse gases and its catchment areas throughout Europe, and thus to identify and to document changes in the carbon cycle, for at least 20 years. ICOS allows to monitor and to assess the impact of human activities on the climate as well as the success and efficiency of avoidance and abatement strategies. The german component of ICOS (ICOS-D) is in its pilot phase since 2012. The entire installation of the monitoring network should be completed by 2016. In the framework of ICOS-D, the IOW further expands the required instrumentation installed on a ferry, operating on a regular and direct link between Travemünde and Helsinki (the FINNMAID, owned and operated by the shipping company Finnlines). Currently, hydrographical and biological basic parameters are being collected by the Finnish side (Project ALGALINE) whereas measurements of pCO2, pCH4 and oxygen content in the surface water are being conducted by the IOW. Being the only observation line established in a marginal sea, the „BALTIC-VOS“ line plays an important in connecting land and sea based observations in ICOS-D (VOS = voluntary observing ships). Due to anthropogenic impacts (eutrophication, warming), the already over decades documented changes in the Baltic Sea ecosystem are particularly strong and make this observation line especially suited to examine effects of a change in use or adopted environmental strategies on trace gas fluxes. Furthermore, it plays a key role in the development of a seagoing data acquisition system for the “Big Three” of trace gases relevant for the climate: CO2, CH4, N2O. Involved persons (IOW): Gregor Rehder (PI), Wanda Gülzow (project-funded scientist), Michael Glockzin (project-funded engineer).

BALTIC GAS aims to understand how climate change and long-term eutrophication affect the accumulation of shallow gas and the emission of methane and hydrogen sulfide from the seabed to the water column and atmosphere. The outcome of the project will be a new understanding and quantitative synthesis of the dynamics and budget of methane in the seabed, an important but poorly understood component of the Baltic ecosystem response to natural and human- induced impacts. The project aims to develop a predictive model of gas accumulation and emission under realistic scenarios of climate change and eutrophication, which will improve the knowledge base for necessary future policy actions. The multidisciplinary project will involve 12 partner institutions from 5 nations and will apply modern advanced technology and novel combinations of approaches.