TEMI

1. MIZ functioning: from microbes to mammals.

Key aspects

To understand the structure and dynamics of the Ross Sea ecosystems and how they are affected by climatic processes
To understand how the Ross Sea ecosystem structure and dynamics interact with biogeochemical cycles of C, N, P and Si (Fe?)
To understand how the temporal sea-ice melting influences the carbon cycle in the water column
To determine the trophic interactions and energy flow in the food webs: from the earlier (spring) food chain (diatoms-krill-whales) to the classic (summer) food web (microbial loop-mesozooplankton)
To determine how Ross Sea ecosystem structure and dynamics should be incorporated into management approaches for sustainable exploitation of living resources

2. Sea Ice (annual, pluri-annual and platelet ice) in driving biological and ecological processes in Antarctic coastal areas.

Key aspects

Seasonal evolution of physical-biogeochemical aspects of annual sea ice in coastal areas
Sea-ice bottom community formation mechanisms: physical and biological coupled processes
Temporal evolution of community structure in relation to the sea-ice melting
Role of platelet ice in the coastal ecosystem functioning
Coupling of physical-biogeochemical models for the annual sea ice with ecosystem models to define a trophic model of the Ross Sea coastal areas
Ecosystem structure and climate: impacts, interactions and feedbacks (temporal large scale)