Convenors
Marcel du Plessis, Veronica Tamsitt, Luciano Pezzi
Session description
Air-sea interactions in both the open and ice-covered regions of the Southern Ocean modulate the climate response to anthropogenic forcing and internal variability across a range of timescales. Long-term trends from satellites, coupled modelling efforts, and extensive coordinated in-situ observations show that the Southern Ocean is vital for the uptake of anthropogenic heat and carbon. Coupled ocean-atmosphere dynamics also play a critical role in linking climate variability with the ocean interior through processes important for ocean ventilation, such as the modification and formation of mode and dense waters, as well as through marine boundary layer dynamics and cloud-formation processes. We have come a long way in understanding air-sea interaction physics. However, owing to the inaccessibility of the Southern Ocean, the region has remained critically undersampled. To understand the intricate coupling between the ocean, atmosphere, and cryosphere, we require developments in global satellite missions, finer-scale coupled models, autonomous observations, mooring systems, and targeted field campaigns. This session will provide a forum for discussing air-sea interactions of heat, freshwater, momentum, and carbon (and other gases) from a diverse array of perspectives, including observations and modelling. We welcome discussions of the challenges faced in making air-sea observations in the open and ice-covered Southern Ocean and exploration of the future of high-quality and sustainable observations from both oceanographic and atmospheric communities.
Convenors
Andrew Meijers, Markus Janout, Felicity McCormack, Sue Cook, and Pierre Dutrieux
Session description
There is a pressing need for improved observation and understanding of the oceanic processes driving mass loss of the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS). This includes sub ice shelf circulation and small scale processes such as vertical mixing and turbulence, as well as the larger scale oceanic circulation and processes that ultimately provides heat to the base of ice shelves and advect away meltwater. However, due to both the logistical constraints of individual national programmes, and the importance of regional ice and topographic geometries, efforts to study these processes are often very regional in nature. Furthermore, there is often greater focus placed on regions of intense melt or water mass transformation, and less on how these key sites are supplied by ‘gateways’ either from off the continental shelf, or as is increasingly apparent in some regions, along the shelf from other regions of high melt.
This session aims to bring together researchers looking at more circumpolar views of the Antarctic Ice Sheet-ocean interaction to discuss how the regional views revealed by individual observation programmes or platforms may be integrated into holistic interpretations of ice sheet-ocean interaction and compiled into coherent large scale, open-access datasets. It will also seek to discuss the integration of and reconciliation between such point data and datasets with Earth Observation platform outputs, as well as discuss what key observations are needed to fill gaps and support the modelling of the AIS, particularly feedbacks with the ocean, as it is integrated into global coupled climate models.
Convenors
Christina Schallenberg, Bea Pena-Molino, Annie Foppert, Laura Herraiz-Borreguero, Veronica Tamsitt
Session description
The global Argo array, coming together under the One Argo umbrella, is incorporating increased capabilities, such as biogeochemical sensors and deep profiling. This new data set provides a clearer lens through which to observe the ocean and address many outstanding scientific questions. The Southern Ocean is notoriously under-sampled, and One Argo holds particular promise to fill gaps in our understanding of climate-relevant Southern Ocean processes. Some of these include ventilation, the carbon pump, meridional overturning circulation, the role of eddies in heat flux and biogeochemistry, and many others. The Southern Ocean is also a region where changes in the wind field, as predicted by climate models, will be felt most acutely. This makes the continuous monitoring of Argo particularly important in determining the ocean’s response to changes in future forcing. This session invites posters and talks on topics relating to Southern Ocean science, with a focus on the advances that have been and/or can be achieved with Argo float data, including how these observations can improve modelling capabilities. We propose a session that includes all aspects of oceanography, including biogeochemistry, and emphasizes the significance of the Southern Ocean in the global climate.
Convenors
Stuart Corney, Eileen Hofmann, David Green, Eugene Murphy, Nadine Johnston, Zephyr Sylvester
Session description
The Southern Ocean Action Plan (https://www.sodecade.org/action-plan/), written in support of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, was written to bring to the fore the unique challenges facing the Southern Ocean and the disproportionate role that this region has in regulating the Earth system. One of the seven Ocean Decade Outcomes is ‘A Predicted Ocean, where society understands and can respond to changing ocean conditions’. Given the global connectivity of the Southern Ocean and its ecosystem, a predicted Southern Ocean is crucial to maintain the ecosystem so it may continue to provide the services and benefits that support life on earth. This session builds on the challenges identified in the Action Plan to achieve a predicted Southern Ocean: improving understanding of fundamental processes and response to change; enhancing and expanding observational capability to support predictions; and improving and enhancing modelling capability. The session is a collaborative initiative between the Integrating Climate and Ecosystem Dynamics (ICED) Programme and SOOS.
The Southern Ocean has a critical role in global climate, the uptake and sequestration of carbon dioxide, global warming mitigation, and global ocean productivity. We welcome submissions that identify the key observational requirements that will improve our predictive capacity of key components of the Southern Ocean ecosystem.
While the focus of this session will be on the biological realm, spanning from biogeochemistry through zooplankton to top predators, the key observations to inform changes in these trophic levels are broader than biology, and this session will reflect that full range. Submissions are encouraged that highlight the observational and data requirements needed to improve models of key species, food webs and ecosystem dynamics, including current climate but also changes to ecosystem dynamics under future climate scenarios.
Convenors
Helen Phillips, Annie Foppert, Laura Herraiz-Berreguro
Session description
Ocean dynamical processes determine the ocean circulation and establish the water-mass properties of the ocean. They define interior water-mass transformations due to isopycnal and diapycnal mixing, upwelling and subduction from the mixed layer, the interaction of multi-scale eddies and jets in controlling lateral fluxes of heat and other properties and ice-ocean interactions, amongst a multitude of other effects. Most of our knowledge of ocean velocity is based on indirect measurements of subsurface ocean density or sea surface height variations that assume a low-frequency, geostrophic balance. Sparse direct observations of flow reveal a rich spectrum of variability, only part of which is captured by the geostrophic balance. High-resolution models capture the pulsing of currents and their instabilities that lead to water-mass transformation via stirring and mixing across gradients. Direct velocity and mixing observations are rare, limiting our ability to diagnose dynamical processes and validate model simulations. We invite contributions that share new and established approaches to observing ocean velocity and mixing, and modelling studies that help design observational arrays.
Convenors
Friederike Säring, Jan Jansen, Nicole Hill, Marc Eléaume
Session description
Seafloor biota are an important component of Southern Ocean ecosystems; they are highly endemic and diverse, contribute ecosystem functions such as nutrient recycling and carbon sequestration, and provide food and habitat for other organisms. They are susceptible to the impacts of climate change, fisheries, and, in coastal areas, other human impacts and are also key components of established and proposed Marine Protected Areas. However, collecting data on seafloor organisms and the environmental conditions that influence their habitat is time-consuming and expensive, and data collection has therefore usually been either concentrated near stations, opportunistic or during a limited number of targeted research cruises using a wide range of different observing techniques. Thus, there is a critical gap in comprehensive and comparable baseline and monitoring data for biological and abiotic information at the seafloor, particularly over large spatial and temporal scales.
We invite presentations on how recent advances in physical sampling, imagery techniques, artificial intelligence, and modeling can be integrated to fill this gap in coastal and offshore systems at local and circumpolar scales. We also welcome presentations on benthic fauna life history traits (number of generations per year, rate and timing of reproduction, survival, developmental rate, sex ratio, etc.) that are essential to understand the effects of various impacts on benthic communities.
Linking new insights on how to observe, map and monitor the Antarctic seafloor, and improving our knowledge about the spatial distribution of biodiversity will allow a more holistic understanding of the Southern Ocean ecosystem, creating the much needed baselines to predict and anticipate future threats due to climate change.
Convenors
Rajani Mishra, Federico Baltar, A, Anilkumar
In-Person Chairs
Sarat Chandra Tripathy, Ruth Eriksen, Toru Hirawake, Kazuhiro Yoshida, Kerrie Swadling, Kunio Takahashi, Luke Brokensha, Parli V Bhaskar, M. Radhakrishnan
Session description
Marine plankton plays a key role by driving globally critical biogeochemical cycles, including most of the primary and secondary production in the oceans. Cold environments cover a large part of the globe; consequently, cold-adapted organisms have crucial functional roles in global environmental processes. Organisms survive and grow at low temperatures by evolving adaptive strategies necessary to maintain fundamental metabolic functions. In Polar Regions, the composition of plankton communities is influenced by oceanic currents, temperature, nutrient availability, grazing, and seasonal light cycles. This session will cover diversity, trophic relationships, and function in the biogeochemical cycling of Southern Ocean plankton, including microorganisms. We invite studies that have broad applicability to understanding the role of plankton and could include (i) Alternative food web pathways through plankton, (ii) Drivers of community structure, (iii) Diet and energetics, (iv) New technologies such as e DNA, image analysis and sensors, and (v) improvements in representing plankton in models. How environmental changes influence, plankton will be of particular interest, including changes to sea ice, ocean warming, and climate modes (SAM, ENSO).
Convenors
N Anilkumar, Anoop S Mahajan, Svenja Halfter
Session description
The Southern Ocean is a key link between the other world’s oceans and plays a major role in the global dynamics and climate patterns. The Antarctic Circumpolar Current, a major current system, transports heat and mass and the convergence of different water masses in this regime across well-defined fronts results in sharp gradients in physico-chemical parameters. Over the last few decades, this region is undergoing a transformation due to warming temperatures. Melting of sea ice and ice shelves, air-sea-ice interaction, anthropogenic aerosols, water masses & circulation systems, biogeochemistry, carbon sequestration etc. are the major processes are undergoing changes which are still not well understood. One of the main reasons for this is the sparse availability of observations which help constrain processes that help understand feedbacks of/on the climate system.
In this session we invite contributions exploring sustained observations and the subsequent results related to the above processes, using diverse platforms and methods. We welcome contributions that employ numerical models and satellite, ground-based, and field campaign observations. The focus of this session is new observations, processes and responses of the Southern Ocean to the above processes.
Convenors
Craig Stevens, Minkyoung Kim, Pierpaolo Falco, Zhaomin Wang, Denise Fernandez
Session description
The Ross Sea region extends from the Mertz Coast in East Antarctica to the Hobbs Coast in West Antarctica and as far north as New Zealand’s South Island. The region includes one of the very large cold cavity ice shelves, is the site for production of AABW, for the largest primary productivity in the Southern Ocean, and the location of the world’s largest marine protected area. It is characterised by significant exchange from the surface layer to bottom and massive accumulations of higher trophic levels (e.g., whales, penguins, seals, birds). Moreover, the Ross Sea continental shelf area is an important CO2 sink due to its high biological productivity, intense winds, and high bottom water ventilation rates. Observing and modeling efforts are focused on understanding the complex interactions among physical factors in driving changes in ice distributions, bottom water formation rates, salinity trends, understanding the energy and material transfer within the food web, and the role of trace metals and substances in governing primary production. In addition, it is home to a number of national bases, most of which are supported by various vessels thus providing opportunities for regular ships of opportunity. The sector is served by the Ross Sea Regional Working Group in support of SOOS goals. We welcome abstracts describing any aspects of the Ross Sea observing system, including analysis of historical or recent in situ observations, remote sensing, numerical modelling, synthesis of current understanding, or design of future observing systems. Presentations from all disciplines are encouraged.
Convenors
Petra Heil, Anna MacDonald, Julie McInnes, Louise Emmerson, Colin Southwell, Dana Bergstrom, Jonny Stark
Session description
The Earth system has recently undergone significant change, with large variability observed in both high latitudes, including in the Southern Ocean and on the Antarctic continent. Basic understanding of the physical system, and its role in ecosystem functions and biodiversity pathways under stress are currently less understood. To inform these and enhance human-impact management and conservation strategies, data across disciplines are required. However, systematic and sustained observations of key Earth system variables and processes are sparse and often not consistent across time, regions or disciplines. Observations and derived information are key to understanding environmental changes, to attribute natural versus anthropogenic causes to these, to inform decision makers about the nature of changes, and to propose mitigation strategies. With increasing technical fidelity and low-cost solutions plus the advent of new operating capabilities (i.e., research vessels, field camps) enhancing observations within some components of the system, it is timely to reshape the current fragmented observing approach. A more holistic framework would be advantageous, acknowledging the need for a range of observing strategies that meet the needs of end users. This will support the Southern Ocean Action Plan of the United Nations’ Ocean Decade. This session will provide a touch point for the international community to review outcome, scope, and synergies of high-latitude observing and monitoring networks, and reshape the implementation of national and international observatories for the coming decades. We invite participation around existing, proposed and planned observing networks in the Southern Ocean and its sub-Antarctic and Antarctic neighbours. Observatories may be based on structural observing nodes, dedicated field campaigns, remote sensing or autonomous observations. Contributions should focus either on the marine environment directly or by proxy related, i.e., from nearby Subantartcic or Antarctic environs, to the Southern Ocean, and may include the spectrum of Earth system measurements and processes, as well as end-user needs. We seek outcomes, including (1) Agreement on Essential Climate/Ocean/Biodiversity Variables for the Southern Ocean, Subantarctic, and Antarctica, (2) Development of cross-disciplinary metrics and Best Practices for Earth system observations, (3) Enhancing Australia’s Antarctic and Southern Ocean observatory within the circumpolar setting including coordinated networks, and (4) Effective data-product development, data pathways and communication. These will provide the foundations for an open discussion on common goals and scope the integration of field campaigns, remote and autonomous sensors, long-term observing systems, and modeling efforts. In addition, agreement on appropriate indicators of change to enable comparisons across disciplines or locations will be required to better understand future changes and confront the challenges facing observing and monitoring networks.
Convenors
Babula Jena, John Turner, N. Anilkumar
In-Person Chairs
Petra Heil, Marcello Vichi
Session description
Southern sea ice cover plays an important role in the dynamics of the Earth’s climate, synoptic weather systems, ocean-atmosphere circulation, the high-latitude marine ecosystem, biogeochemical cycle, and shipping/logistic activities. During the satellite era starting in 1979, the extent of Southern Ocean sea ice increased for the first 37 years, but was followed by a recent record decrease from 2016 to 2022. The climate model-based sea ice extent anomalies for historical and future simulations indicated a systematic decline in Southern Ocean ice extent from 1979 to 2022 with varied CO2 forcing scenarios. The physical processes controlling the sea ice variability may not be represented well in climate models due to complex ocean-ice-atmosphere interactions, complicating the production of reliable sea ice projections in a changing climate. This session invites presentations on all aspects of Southern Ocean sea ice observations, including (i) retrieval, validation, and application of sea ice concentration, area, extent, and thickness from satellite observations, (ii) regional and local change in sea ice during the satellite era, along with longer-term studies based on ice- and sediment-core data. Presentations are welcome on links between Southern Ocean sea ice, atmosphere and ocean dynamics, the atmospheric planetary waves, jet streams, polar cyclones, ozone depletion, and tropical forcing of sea ice via the modes of climate variability, such as the El Niño–Southern Oscillation, the Southern Annular Mode, the Indian Ocean Dipole, the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation, and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation. Presentations are invited for both observational and modelling studies of Southern Ocean sea ice cover.
Convenors
Xiang Yang, Cathryn Wynn-Edwards, Elizabeth Shadwick
Session description
The Southern Ocean is Earth’s largest oceanic sink for natural and anthropogenic CO2 and exerts a strong control on global climate through the solubility and biological carbon pump. The strength/magnitude of the Southern Ocean carbon sink has responded to climate change, so understanding and quantifying trends is important. Determining the drivers of carbon uptake and export variability is an active field of research for different regions and seasons. State of the art observations such as ship-based measurements have low spatial and temporal coverage; mooring stations can provide high accuracy long-term observations but of limited spatial coverage; floats provide greater spatial coverage but at lower temporal resolution due to their 10-day cycles and thus may miss short-duration events. All of these introduce errors into an overall Southern Ocean carbon flux estimate. Therefore, we welcome a wide breadth of work to refine the understanding of the Southern Ocean carbon cycle. We invite research that combines data from different platforms and explores the recent advances in our understanding and observation of the ocean carbon cycle, including but not limited to estimation of carbon uptake in the Southern Ocean as a whole by combining multiple observations and/or models; evaluating biological and physical interactions and the impact of mesoscale structures on local ocean carbon absorption/export; understanding changing processes through time series; carbon export efficiency from the sea surface to the deep sea.
Advance in Marine Autonomy for Southern Ocean Observations
Convenors
Andreas Marouchos, Hui Sheng Lim, Pat Lewis & Christopher Moony
Session description
Autonomous technologies, such as autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs) and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), offer the potential to substantially increase the scale of future marine observations in the Southern Ocean. Autonomous technologies can be a force multiplier for marine observation, collecting ocean data over extensive spatial and temporal scales while requiring fewer human operators. Given the cost of operating ship-based research platforms in the Southern Ocean, autonomous systems can provide a cost-effective means of rapidly scaling observation systems over a broad geographical area. Autonomy promises to deliver greater manoeuvrability, longer endurance and reduced operational risks, which can address the critical challenges of localisation, persistence and scale faced by the existing Southern Ocean observation methods. The use of autonomous systems for marine observations offers new perspectives to generate a greater understanding of the Southern Ocean.
To fully leverage the potential of marine autonomy in Southern Ocean observations, autonomous systems require innovations in mission planning and data collection strategies, as well as improvement in polar navigation capabilities, sensor data fusion, and integration with the emerging Internet of Things (IoT) technology. This session aims to gather works that address the most recent advances and applications of operations and technology in marine autonomy for enhancing data collection and observation of the Southern Ocean.
Automated Southern Ocean Sensor Webs
Convenors
Oscar Schofield, Joellen Russell
Session description
Understanding how the ocean shapes the chemistry and biology of our planet is a fundamental challenge facing humanity. This is especially true for the Southern Ocean which plays a disproportionately important role relative to its size on the planet’s carbon biogeochemistry. A range of mature automated technologies is now providing the possibility of deploying a Southern Ocean network that is collected unprecedented data. This session will explore new science findings provided by BGC-Argo profiling floats, glider and surface vehicles. These technologies are providing data enabling the development of modeling approaches to provide a synthetic framework for better understanding the trajectory of the Southern Ocean. We are seeking contributions that highlight novel science findings, new automated technologies, sensors, models, state estimations and ideas for the future distributed network development.
Promoting alternative, low-cost, solutons for Southern Ocean observing
Convenors
Patrick Gorringe, Lucie Cocquempot, Tommy Bornman, JEthan d’Hotman, Juliet Hermes, Gregory Cowie, Katherine Shaw, Kacie Conrad, Antonio Novellino
Session description
A major challenge in observing the polar regions is access to the equipment and expertise needed to properly observe, qualify, and distribute data. These problems are often exacerbated by the lack of standard operating procedures or best practices, as well as the widespread belief that high-end equipment and facilities are necessary.
In a context where our scientific communities are questioning their resource consumption and the environmental impacts associated with their new technological developments, and at a time when the 6th IPCC report calls for a drastic reduction of the human impact on the environment; this session proposes:
- to offer an overview of initiatives designing or promoting approaches that are better sized for their use, more robust, more sustainable and more economical in energy, raw materials and finances.
- to discuss the conditions where it becomes possible to reconcile sobriety and efficiency of measurement.
Better autonomy, greater resilience, but also a reduced cost or simplicity of use are all arguments in favor of the deployment of these new sensors in the complex and difficult to access environment of the Southern Ocean. Having such equipment and standardized methods available to scientists on sub-Antarctic islands and ships of opportunity will become a strong asset to address many scientific and applied research challenges in the Southern Ocean.
To address these considerations, a task force has been established under the IODE/IOC/GOOS Ocean Best Practices framework. This Task Team will identify common and accepted best practices already in use within the community for the observation of physical, chemical and biological parameters of the coastal ocean that will be applicable to the Southern Ocean. The identification of these practices will result in a best practices manual for observations and a set of measurements that are affordable, easily transportable, easy to use, and widely applicable.
Circumpolar Observations of Sea Ice Biogeochemical and Ecological Properties
Convenors
Sebastien Moreau, Sian Henley, Delphine Lannuzel, Bruno Delille, Klaus Meiners
Session description
Southern Ocean sea-ice extent shows no significant trend overall for the 1979-2018 period, but this masks large interannual and regional trends. A good illustration of this large interannual variability is that both the highest and lowest extents on record were observed in the last 10 years, i.e. in winter 2014 and summer 2022 respectively. This is a major concern because sea ice not only drives physical processes, but also biogeochemical cycles and ecosystem processes in the Southern Ocean. For example, sea ice controls ocean-atmosphere exchanges of climate-active gases and aerosols (e.g. CO2 and DMS); sea ice provides a seasonal source of algae, nutrients and iron to the otherwise iron-limited Southern Ocean, triggering phytoplankton blooms; and sea-ice habitats provide both refuge and food for pelagic herbivores, including the key species Antarctic krill. Complex changes to sea-ice characteristics (growth, melt, coverage, extent, seasonality, ice thickness and snow cover) will affect the multiple and complex roles that sea ice plays in Southern Ocean biogeochemistry and ecosystems.
Observations of sea-ice biogeochemistry and associated ecosystems have been obtained at local to regional scales, but rarely followed integrated and sustained sampling strategies. As a result, the observational coverage and our understanding of sea-ice biogeochemical and ecosystem variables remains incomplete. This observational gap can be remedied by novel technological developments (such as robotic floats and satellites, or models) as well as international efforts to compile existing and future databases of sea-ice biogeochemistry (e.g., through initiatives undertaken by the BEPSII (Biogeochemical Exchange Processes at Sea-Ice Interfaces) working group).
In this session, we aim to bring together researchers to stimulate knowledge exchange and work towards an improved understanding and observational coverage of the Southern Ocean sea-ice biogeochemical and ecological properties and processes.
New insights and observing requriements for circum-Antarctic marginal ice zone processes
Convenors
Delphine Lannuzel, Petra Heil, Klaus Meiners, Marc Mallet, Marcello Vichi
Session description
Observations in the marginal ice zone (MIZ), which is the transition between the open ocean and compact sea ice, are particularly challenging but pivotal to improving our process knowledge and hence model simulations. The low and variable sea-ice concentrations of the MIZ support new sea-ice formation during winter, and drive sea-ice decay during spring and summer. Predicted changes in the MIZ timing and extent (towards an expansion or contraction) are expected to have major effects on atmospheric and oceanic processes around Antarctica. For example, changes in the timing of sea-ice melt and retreat will have ramifications for the release of icebound particulate and dissolved materials, affecting surface ocean alkalinity, iron concentrations and thereby growth conditions for pelagic primary producers. In turn, these will also affect food web dynamics.
While major advances have been made towards improving our understanding of the MIZ, a multidisciplinary and internationally led approach is needed to capture and understand the complexity of the processes at play. In this session, we aim to bring together researchers from different fields (e.g., physics, chemistry, biology, paleo-oceanography) and domains (from lower atmosphere, ocean, sea ice, down to the sediments) to develop a holistic view of the Southern Ocean MIZ in the past, now and in the future. We aim to discuss and analyse results from recent MIZ studies conducted in different sectors of the Southern Ocean to progress integrated observational efforts for a new circum-Antarctic perspective of the MIZ.
Plankton, productivity and food web dynamics relation to biogeochemical cycles in the Southern Ocean
Convenors
Sarat Chandra Tripathy, Ruth Eriksen, Toru Hirawake, Kazuhiro Yoshida
Session description
Marine phytoplankton and zooplankton play a pivotal role by driving globally important biogeochemical cycles in terms of primary and secondary production in the oceans. Plankton diversity is influenced by the many variables required for growth and reproduction and hence, their distribution pattern and variability often serve as a proxy for changes in the oceanic environment. A large part of the global ocean is covered with cold waters, which are gradually changing due to the effect of anthropogenic activities. Consequently, the diversity, efficiency and crucial functional roles of cold-adapted plankton are being affected on global scales. Considering the on-going climate change scenario, the study of plankton diversity, productivity, and food-web dynamics vis-à-vis the oceanic biogeochemical cycle is a critical area of research. With this backdrop, this session aims at receiving research papers focused on the linkages between plankton and biogeochemical processes in the Southern Ocean, including (i) variability in plankton diversity and community structure, (ii) plankton productivity and physiological responses/adaptation, (iii) food-web dynamics, (iv) bio-optical variability in the underwater light environment, (v) major drivers (such as sea-ice extension, melting and climate modes) of the biogeochemical cycle in the Southern Ocean. Studies based on in-situ data, satellite-based observations, model simulation or a combination of all of these are invited under this session.
Exploring and modelling Southern Ocean plankton time series data
Convenors
Kerrie Swadling, Kunio Takahashi, Luke Brokensha
Session description
Plankton are key components of pelagic food webs in the Southern Ocean. Their physiology is coupled tightly to their habitat (particularly temperature), they have short (often < 1 year) life cycles and respond rapidly to changes in their environment. In the Southern Ocean, major water masses, sea ice dynamics and local biotic interactions combine to influence the structure and function of planktonic communities. Plankton have been monitored with continuous plankton recorders (CPR) in some sectors of the Southern Ocean for approximately 30 years; in other regions long term monitoring via nets and traps has been achieved. Both approaches provide the opportunity to explore how plankton have responded to environmental change, as well as deliver insights into how the monitoring of plankton can fit within the framework of a Southern Ocean Observing System.
We invite studies within a broad scope of plankton research and monitoring; topics include but are not limited to:
- time-series analysis of plankton, with a focus on environmental drivers, climate modes and/or water masses;
- new approaches to understanding structure and function of plankton communities;
- how plankton can be represented in regional and global models;
- the use of new technologies and methods (e.g. eDNA, size-based analysis) to enhance and explore time-series data;
- autecological studies of key species where long-term data sets have been beneficial
Microbes and Plankton; Diversity, interactions, and food-web dynamics in the Southern Ocean (SO)
Convenors
Parli V Bhaskar, M. Radhakrishnan
Session description
The interactions of Microbes (Autotrophic and Heterotrophic) and Plankton (Phytoplankton, Microzooplankton, and Macrozooplankton) form the crux of marine food-webs (Classical and Microbial loop) which sustains the ocean productivity and various marine biogeochemical processes. In a rapidly warming global environment, it is important to assess impact of changing oceanic environments (thinning of sea-ice, stability of water masses, acidification, etc.) on the diversity and interactions with each other. Is the microbial and plankton population changing or being influenced over last few decades? How are the microbes competing with phytoplankton population for trace elements? Has the carbon flux through different food-webs altered and affecting the carbon flux in these waters? What are the major gaps in our understanding of the microbial-plankton interactions and food-web dynamics in SO? These are the issues that shall be addressed in this session of SOOS-symposium.
The West Antarctic shelf seas: a critical region for global climate change
Convenors
Andy Thompson, Tiago Dotto, Patricia Yager, Pierre Dutrieux,
Session description
The continental shelf seas of West Antarctica, the region encompassing the West Antarctic Peninsula, the Bellingshausen, Amundsen, and eastern Ross seas, have experienced dramatic changes in recent decades. While the most obvious signature of change has been increased melt rates of ice shelves such as Pine Island and Thwaites, these modifications reflect variable oceanic and atmospheric forcing over this period. Furthermore, an increased freshwater flux into the ocean from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet has implications not only for ocean circulation over the continental shelf and slope but also for the ocean stratification, air-sea exchange, and biogeochemical cycling. We invite abstracts for presentations that describe recent advances in our understanding of the circulation of the West Antarctic shelf seas and how this informs future monitoring and observing requirements in this region; studies that use modeling and data analysis approaches are welcome. We strongly encourage presentations that highlight links between ocean dynamics and other aspects of the Southern Hemisphere climate system, e.g. sea ice and iceberg distributions, ice shelf and ice sheet evolution, polynya formation and air-sea exchange, carbon cycling and primary production. While regional studies are welcome, we also encourage submission of abstracts that illustrate connections across the West Antarctic shelf seas, as well as with larger circulation features, such as the Ross Gyre and the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, and teleconnections to lower latitudes. We are excited to receive submissions from all career stages, including students and early career researchers, and we welcome submissions from researchers in countries that have not historically had a large observational presence in the Southern Ocean.
Distrubtied research efforts along the West Antarctic Peninsula and Scotia Arc
Convenors
Oscar Schofield, Juan Hofer
Session description
The West Antarctic Peninsula and Scotia Arc (WAPSA) is a region consisting of numerous long term international research efforts focused on documenting changes in this rapidly warming location. This session will review the diverse programs operating in these region with a focus on time series results for several research themes. A. Drivers of disturbance across time/space scales: ecological and latitudinal response. How does the near continuum of long-term “press” (climate warming), sub-decadal (interannual changes in sea ice cover), and shorter-term “pulse”(storms) disturbance drive changes in the food web across the WAPSA? B. Vertical and alongshore connectivity as drivers of ecological change on local to regional scales. How do vertical and alongshore transport and mixing dynamics along the WAP interact to modulate the distribution and variability of ocean physics, and in turn marine productivity, krill, and krill predators? C. Changing food webs and carbon cycling. How will changes in the structure of the WAP food web affect cycling and export of carbon? Additionally, how will changes in primary producers, and their energy storage, affect higher trophic levels?
Tourism in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean
Convenors
Hanne Nielsen, Yu-Fai Leung, Daniela Cajiao, Gabriela Roldan
Session description
A record 100,000 people are expected to visit Antarctica as tourists in the 2022/23 season. Tourism activities are also diversifying, with a wide range of both adventure activities and citizen science opportunities on offer. Tourism is the main way that most people will encounter the Southern Ocean directly, and it is therefore an important mediator and infrastructure platform. This session invites talks that explore the phenomenon of tourism in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. Topics to consider include examples of scientific/ data collaborations on ships of opportunity; the practices, management, regulation and governance of tourism in the Southern Ocean; the concept of Ambassadorship; the role of citizen science in Southern Ocean data collection; the impacts of Antarctic tourism (social, cultural, environmental, cumulative); the role of technology in facilitating/ monitoring tourism; the Southern Ocean as a workplace; and other current topics, ontologies, epistemologies and methodologies in polar tourism research. Discussions from this session have relevance for the Southern Ocean Decadal Plan (eg. a safe, healthy, productive, inspiring ocean). This session particularly encourages submissions from those engaged in Southern Ocean tourism activities, including those with connections via Antarctic “Gateway” cities.
Southern Ocean Stories: Histories of technology, exploration and environment
Convenors
Hanne Nielsen, Elizabeth Leane, Alessandro Antonello, Joy McCann
Session description
The Antarctic region is closely connected to far-off places through ocean and climate process, but also through a rich tapestry of trade, research exchange, and environmental cooperation, and decisions that take place far from the region. This session platforms the histories of Antarctic and Southern Ocean infrastructure, highlighting its importance to the human history of the southern polar region. The technologies available play a crucial role in mediating our understanding of remote environments and places – and the development of that infrastructure has its own (historical, political, environmental) stories to tell. Over the course of human history, the Southern Ocean has shaped understandings of cartography, catastrophe and connection. Developments in technology, philosophy, governance and science have all informed the ways people have “looked south” and the types of data that have been gathered.
The historically important, yet still under-studied, technologies and infrastructures of knowledge and governance for the Southern Ocean include the research and governmental institutions devoted to its studies, the international networks and organisations that connect researchers and officials, the archives and data assemblages of research and governmental institutions, the variety of research instruments used aboard ships as well as remotely (and the embodied research practices and latent knowledges intimately that emerge with them), amongst others. This session is also sensitive to how the Southern Ocean is co-constituted with the rest of the World Ocean through technologies and infrastructures, including the mobilities of individual and collective scientists/agents. We welcome submissions from scholars working on any aspect of the history of Antarctica and adjacent oceans, from any time period.
Workshops
Convenors
Alyce Hancock, Indi Hodgson-Johnston and Petra ten Hoopen
Chair
Alyce Hancock
Session description
The “Creating impact for your observational data beyond research” workshop will provide an opportunity for EMCRs to learn, share and network across a parallel workshop centered around the theme “What can you do with observational data?”. The workshop will provide EMCRs training and resources on how researchers can incorporate observational data into all aspects of their research and communication so that it has global visibility and impact to stakeholders.
Session Program
11.00-12.30 Incorporating data communications and outreach, and how to track its impact
Workshop and panel discussion
Presenter = Indi Hodgson-Johnston, ARC Australian Centre For Excellence In Antarctic Science
Panel = Indi Hodgson-Johnston (ARC Australian Centre For Excellence In Antarctic Science), Renuka Badhe (European Polar Board, Netherlands), Edward Doddridge (Australian Antarctic Program Partnership), Tony Haymet (Antarctic Science Foundation).
12.30-1.30 Lunch
1.30-2.00 The advantages and impact of open data
Workshop and open discussion
Presenters = Petra ten Hoopen (UK Polar Data Centre, BAS), Anton Van de Putte (Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Belgium), Indi Hodgson-Johnston (ARC Australian Centre For Excellence In Antarctic Science)
This session is proudly sponsored by the Australian Academy of Science’s Theo Murphy Initiative.
Convenors
Antonio Novellino, Patrick Gorringe, Petra ten Hoopen
Session description
Researchers and data professionals from more than 40 countries are part of the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) that facilitates the collection and delivery of essential observations on dynamics of Southern Ocean systems and aims to develop an interoperable data ecosystem across a multitude of scientific disciplines.
The EMODnet Physics supported by the SO-CHIC project developed a new version of SOOSmap – a portal for well-curated and standardised datasets of key circumpolar interest. The SOOSmap, Version 2, has a number of features designed for better usability of the portal and discoverability of datasets.
In this session we will offer familiarisation with the portal, tips how to use its features, a guide how to discover data and how to share new data products with SOOSmap. It will be a recurrent session to assist the Symposium participants in using the portal and to facilitate conversation between the SOOSmap developing team and end-users.
Convenors
Alyce Hancock, Renuka Badhe, Griffith Couser
Session description
Polardex is an online platform for polar infrastructure and logistics discovery and planning developed by the European Polar Board in collaboration with SOOS and other partners. Polardex gives details of logistical plans for research in the polar regions, allowing scientists and managers to identify potential collaborations and opportunities for deploying equipment or collecting samples. Polardex also includes detailed information about polar research infrastructure in the Arctic and Antarctic, including field facilities (stations, camps, laboratories, weather stations, shelters), vessels and aircraft.
DueSouth, the SOOS Database of Upcoming Expeditions to the SOUTHern ocean, provides the logistical plans for upcoming expeditions to the Southern Ocean within Polardex. This workshop will offer familiarisation with Polardex and DueSouth, how you can utilise the platform as a tool to find potential collaborators for fieldwork and to facilitate coordination of deployments across nations. It will also provide information on how you can assist with providing information on upcoming expeditions to the Southern Ocean to be shared with the polar community.
Convenors
Alexander Haumann, Stuart Corney, Nadine Johnston, Petra Heil, Elisabeth Sikes, Tore Hattermann, Clive McMahon, Michael MEredith, Stefanie Arndt, Eugene Murphy, Torge Martin
Session description
The Southern Ocean plays a pivotal role in Earth’s climate system and in dampening human-induced climate change, influencing political mitigation strategies. It also is home to a unique ecosystem that urgently requires conservation and management strategies to evade a biodiversity crisis. Owing to challenges in observing this vast ocean, especially during winter, when large parts of it are covered by sea ice, many fundamental questions remain unanswered. To date, there is no consensus on the overall carbon, heat, and freshwater balances. Our understanding of atmosphere-ice-ocean interactions, their impact on the ecosystem, their response to climate change, and our ability to model and project these processes remain limited.
The community-driven Southern Ocean Action Plan for the UN Ocean Decade (https://www.sodecade.org/action-plan/) stated the pressing need for a multinational, multidisciplinary campaign of year-round circumpolar observations. This session will provide targeted discussions on the goals, feasibility, and outputs of such an internationally coordinated effort in the period 2027 to 2030.
We welcome abstracts on ideas or plans from individuals, national programs, and international initiatives regarding field campaigns, and remote and autonomous observations in the Southern Ocean between 2027 and 2030. Contributions should focus on the marine environment, including physical, biogeochemical, and biological processes, atmosphere-ice-ocean and ocean-seafloor interactions, and policy needs. These will provide the foundations for an open discussion on common goals and scope the integration of field campaigns, remote and autonomous sensors, long-term observing systems, and modeling. Anticipated outcomes include (1) a working group (to be sanctioned by an oversight organization) and (2) an ambitious plan to make this effort the largest coordinated Southern Ocean marine field campaign, designed to provide a base-line to observe ongoing changes, support model development, and to inform policy decisions. This effort is urgent and timely as climate change emerges in the Southern Ocean.