University of Bergen (UiB)
Department of Biology
PO-Box 7803
5020 Bergen OR Thormøhlensgate 53 A & B
5006 Bergen
NORWAY
Marine Biological Station, Espegrend, 20 km south of Bergen, Norway
Description of the infrastructure: The UIB-MC at Espegrend is part of the Department of Biological Sciences (BIO). It offers a wide range of opportunities for marine mesocosm experiments. The facility includes a floating platform with 12 enclosures in the Raunefjord (10-30 m3 each) plus 18 land-based outdoor mesocosms (2.5 m3), both located at UIB’s Marine Biological Station. A unique feature of the enclosures in the fjord is a floating raft that provides high-quality wet-lab space and electricity for immediate sample processing and lab-based measurements of samples. Small boats facilitate easy access from land to the platform. The mesocosms can also be set-up for temperature (land tanks only) and CO2 treatments by users. Infrastructure on land includes multiple laboratories (chemistry lab, isotope minilab for 14C and 3H, live lab, formalin lab, 3 walk-in cold rooms with running sea-water and light control, general lab equipment such as freezers and ovens, Milli-Q water, a cooled centrifuge, microscopes, etc).
outdoor – pelagic – marine
1. Floating platform
including up to 12 floating rings with mesocosm bags ranging from 10 to 30 m3, diameter 2 m; length 5-10 m, see Fig.1
2. Land-based system
with up to 18 tanks of 2.5 m3 , diameter 1.5 m; height 1.5 m, deployed within 3 tanks of 30 m3 , diameter 5 m; height 1.5 m, see Fig.2
Seawater enclosures
Nutrient composition, add/remove mesozooplankton, CO2/pH
Land based tanks
Nutrient composition, add/remove mesozooplankton CO2/pH, salinity, adjust light and temperature
Studies of the whole microbial community from viruses to mesozooplankton, grazing studies, initiate and follow specific phytoplankton blooms (e.g. diatoms, Emiliania huxleyi) acidification experiments, testing outcome/results of simulation models
Fig.1 Floating structure with 12 mesocosms (Photo: Stella A Berger) |
Fig.2 Land-based mesocosms (Photo: Stella A Berger) |