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Overview:

Coastal ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic perturbation, affecting biodiversity and ecosystem stability and resilience. Shallow water sediments and their associated biota represent a reservoir for biodiversity, hosting resting and reproductive stages of planktonic organisms, and regulating carbon and nutrient biogeochemical cycles. However, the relationship between tightly coupled biological and geochemical processes in this environment is poorly defined with respect to their temporal and spatial variability. The overall objective of COBO is to integrate emerging and innovative technologies from different disciplines (physics, chemistry, biology, imagery) to provide in situ monitoring of sediment habitats, a key component of coastal marine ecosystems, in order to understand complex interactions between the biota (function and diversity) and their chemical environment. Existing technologies have limited spatial and temporal sampling resolutions which has hampered progress in determining key parameters and, in explaining biogeochemical patterns / processes and in modelling ecosystem dynamics. Improved in situ technologies are required to provide rigorous scientific information on processes regulating this unique and fragile habitat and for assessing, controlling and minimising human impact on European coastal waters thus addressing societal need. Organism-sediment processes, with both enhancing and mediating effects, are still poorly understood in shallow water sediments that receive the bulk of anthropogenic disturbance. The combination of innovative instruments from different scientific disciplines will provide powerful tools to significantly advance our understanding of organism -sediment relations under dynamic coastal conditions and enhance predictive capability. COBO represents a major step towards the development of permanently operating benthic observatories for coastal management

 
 

Key Objectives

  • The primary objective of COBO is to integrate emerging and innovative technologies from different disciplines (physics, chemistry, biology, imagery) and to provide for in situ monitoring of sediment ecosystems. In order to achieve this the following key objectives are planned:
  • To understand the complex interactions between the biota (their functioning and diversity), the chemical environment and environmental perturbations / relaxations within the coastal environment.
  • Integration of sediment profile imagery (SPI) and Optodes will consist of coupling these systems to enable their simultaneous deployment. This will then allow for the measurement of bi-dimensional fields of oxygen with a visual link to macrofaunal movement.
  • Development of a scale integrated sediment disturber that will be coupled to a frame allowing three-dimensional positioning. The control and disturbed zones will be monitored continuously using digital cameras and micro-profilers with oxygen microelectrodes and, at the start and end points, by examining sediment cores. This will allow the investigation of biodiversity shifts in response to perturbation and the changing chemical condition of the sediment.
  • Development of a chamber capable of regulating oxygen (oxystat) equipped with nitrate sensors that will allow the investigation of nitrogen recycling under a constant oxygen concentration. This will subsequently be optimised with the manipulated benthic chamber experiments.
  • Integration of manipulated benthic chambers capable of particle addition and sediment resuspension. These chambers will allow particle or liquid addition (e.g. algae, oil) and sediment resuspension by changing stirring speed. An oxygen macro-sensor will follow the response of the ecosystem confined in the enclosure.
  • Development of “smart” and adaptable systems integrating control electronics capable of reaction to external events with existing technology (chambers, micro-profilers and SPI-Optode systems). This will adapt frequency and resolution of sampling and environmental data recording to match the intensity and frequency of perturbation events. Adaptable systems will include a new generation of micro-sensor amplifier in lightweight housings for flexible and modular use in various in situ measuring systems.
  • Development of numerical tools will consist of building 2D models of early diagenesis and sediment-organism relationship to exploit 2D images from the SPI-Optode systems and compare them to 1D models.

Exploitation and dissemination:

Exploitation and dissemination of the COBO activities is a key part of the program schedule. As the project progresses, every opportunity will be taken to disseminate the projects activities to the wider scientific community and to enhance the publics understanding of science. The following highlights some of the key outcomes of the COBO project:

I. Enhance our understanding of ecosystem dynamics through chemical and biological cycling along with environmentalforcing within the coastal zone.

II. Augment European capability in autonomous lander design and environmental monitoring for coastal seas over an extended observation period.

III. Contributing to national and EU policy development and directives (Marine Habitat, Water Framework, OSPAR,HELCOM).

IV. Enable informed decision making with respect to Biodiversity, Sustainability and Conservation strategies.

V. Offer an unprecedented insight into the controlling factors associated with the dynamics and sensitivity of benthic and pelagic ecosystems under both natural and anthropogenically disturbed conditions.

VI. Allow for the sustainable development of our natural resources and mitigation of anthropogenic perturbations.

VII. Through the technical innovation associated with this project, new innovative products, which meet global environmental monitoring requirements, could be realised.
 
   
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