[10. June 2024]
The depths of the Weddell Sea are home to diverse biotic communities consisting of sponges, cold water corals, and countless other organisms. Moreover, as climate change progresses, this ice-ladden region could offer a refuge for ice-dependent algae and fauna, from krill to Weddell seals. In the new EU project WOBEC, the Alfred Wegener Institute, as the coordinator of a consortium of eleven institutions from Europe and the US, will establish the basis for systematic, long-term observations of potential changes in this unique ecosystem. The project, which has been allocated ca. 1.9 million euros of funding, will develop a strategy for monitoring changes in a Marine Protected Area (MPA) proposed by the EU and various states in the Weddell Sea. WOBEC will be based on the…