Dalhousie researchers take part in German-led climate change research

Researchers at Dalhousie University are participating in a German-led expedition to measure climate change in the Labrador Sea inthe Northern Atlantic.

The Maria S Merian is the most advanced of Germany's fleet of seven marine research vessels.

The ship is in port in Halifax, just back from the Labrador Sea where scientists took 280 metres of core samples from the deep ocean floor. The accumulated sediment will reconstruct marine conditions from 10,000 years ago, creating a critical baseline for researchers.

"So we can compare and contrast it to what is being observed in the present day ocean that is perturbed by mankind," said Dalhousie University oceanographer MarkusKienast.

Other Dal researchers will join in the next expedition to the area, to measure more recent conditions related to climate change.

Dedicated fleet

The Canadian-made seacycler will be deployed to help measure carbon dioxide being absorbed near the ocean surface.

"We are able to make these measurements every day for a full year, and transmit that data as it's collected back to shore," said Greg Siddlewith the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

The expeditions are the result of an agreement between Dalhousie and Germany signed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Unlike Canada, where marine research is carried out on coast guard ships, Germany has a fleet dedicated to basic marine science, despite its much smaller coastline.

Still, it's not an academic exercise.Politicians, the public and businesses have a say.

"We involve these stakeholders as we say, in the definition of our research so that we say 'ok, this is a need where we have to go' and say 'where are the minerals,'" said chief expedition scientist Ralph Schneider.

Schneider says one of the reasons they came here was to show Canadians what kind of resources Germany is dedicating to ocean research.