Working to better understand the planktonic system to improve ocean management

Almost 98% of the oceans’ biomass comprises planktonic organisms (viruses, bacteria, protists, zooplankton etc.), drifting with the currents. Planktonic life is essential to mankind, since it not only forms the basis of our food chain but also absorbs 50% of terrestrial CO2.

As the planet’s climate is undergoing radical change, it is essential to better understand the biodiversity of plankton, its dynamics, its abilities to adapt and the resilience of this ecosystem to combat any physico-chemical changes in the oceanic waters.

Which is why the FFEM is supporting the Tara Oceans expedition, the first planet-wide study of marine plankton, in order to strengthen the future capabilities of the Global South in the governance and management of the oceans.

The project has four components:

• Extending the research activities of Tara Oceans and initiating the creation of new models and indicators based on observations of plankton and its correlations with marine ecosystems.
• Developing an international programme for structuring research into ocean life based on the experience of Tara Oceans, and involving the Global South to help progress their abilities to act in this area.
• Leveraging scientific results with multilateral institutions in the ocean governance processes currently underway at the UN.
• Publicising the importance of marine ecosystems, particularly in areas beyond national jurisdictions, in tandem with the Tara expeditions.

• Establishing a low resolution map of ecosystem structure and the biogeography of organisms, from viruses to fish larvae.
• Developing new dynamic estimating models for the global distribution of planktonic organisms in terms of total mass and species complexity.
• Creating spaces for dialogue between the Tara Oceans project scientists and the institutional representatives and expert groups working on the challenges of development and climate change.

The added value and innovation of this project, supported by the FFEM, lies in the fact that no previous marine ecosystem observation programme has ever had the amount of models and data now available today to really investigate planktonic systems.