Ocean artUp is a research project funded through an Advanced Grant of the European Research Council that explores the possible benefits of artificially-induced uplift of nutrient-rich deep water to the ocean’s sunlit surface layer.
Vision
Artificial upwelling can contribute to providing food security for a growing human population and supporting the sustainable development of marine fisheries and aquaculture.
Objectives
Ocean artUp aims to study the feasibility, effectiveness, associated risks and potential side effects of artificial upwelling in increasing ocean productivity, raising fish production, and enhancing oceanic CO2 sequestration.
Approach
Ocean artUp will employ a combination of experimental approaches at different scales and trophic complexities, perform a field application of forced upwelling in oligotrophic waters, and run model simulations of pelagic systems fertilized by nutrient-rich deep waters.
Team
Ocean artUp combines the expertise of plankton ecologists, marine biogeochemists, ocean modellers, maritime engineers, hydromechanic specialists, chemical analysts, and logistics experts.