Network of Leading European AQUAtic MesoCOSM Facilities Connecting Mountains to Oceans from the Arctic to the Mediterranean (AQUACOSM)

Description

AQUACOSM was a four-and-a-half-year project funded by EU Horizon 2020, aimed at strengthening EU network of mesocosm facilities and promoting joint research initiatives, capacity building and standardisation with extensive Transnational Access (TA) to different sites or installations at selected leading and highly complementary European mesocosm facilities.

Tangible results: The project measured the different effects of multiple stressors on the whole ecosystem (climate, pollution) and how they impact aquatic ecosystems through mesocosm experiments in both freshwater and marine facilities to fill in the existing research and infrastructure gap. It has created many mesocosms facilities around Europe and a Transnational Access platform – an online portal for application and provision to the mesocosm facilities, data handling, announcements of collaborative activities, teaching, social networks, and newsletters.

Application/relevance: The project established the first European network of internationally leading mesocosm facilities integrating marine, brackish, and freshwater sites. It also opened its facilities for 171 TA project providing 9761 person-days to participants from all continents, demonstrating that the AQUACOSM TA program attained recognition from the scientific community as well as from SMEs.

Details

Original Author(s): Lead Partner: Forschungsverbund Berlin EV
Project Partner(s): Hellenic Centre for Marine Research
Project Partner(s): Middle East Technical University
Project Partner(s): Blue Lobster IT Limited
Project Partner(s): University of Bergen
Project Partner(s): Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität
Project Partner(s): University of Helsinki
Project Partner(s): Imperial College of Science Technology and Medicine
Project Partner(s): Aarhus University
Project Partner(s): Umeå Marine Science Center
Project Partner(s): GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel
Project Partner(s): NORCE Norwegian Research Centre AS
Project Partner(s): KONINKLIJKE NEDERLANDSE AKADEMIE VAN WETENSCHAPPEN - KNAW
Project Partner(s): PRF ARASTIRMA GELISTIRME MUHENDISLIK SANAYI VE TICARET ANONIM SIRKETI
Project Partner(s): Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique CNRS
Project Partner(s): Ecole Normale Superieure
Financing Programme(s): H2020-EU.1.4. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Research Infrastructures
Financing Programme(s): H2020-EU.1.4.1.2. - Integrating and opening existing national and regional research infrastructures of European interest
Topic(s): Climate-Change Adaptation and Mitigation, Data and Monitoring, Environmental Performance, Knowledge and Innovation
Geographical Coverage: International
Date: January, 2017 - August, 2021
Source: AQUACOSM