EoI-LP 193: ClicOPEN - Impact of climate induced glacial melting on marine and
terrestric coastal communities on a gradient along the Western Antarctic Peninsula
Antragsteller/PI: Doris Abele, AWI, Am Handelshafen, Building E, dabele@awibremerhaven.de
3. Beteiligte Wissenschaftler/ Institute aus Deutschland:
AWI, Bremerhaven: PD D. Abele (Bio), Prof C. Wiencke (bio), Dr. C. Hass (Geo)
u.a.
Forschungsinstitut Senkenberg, DZMB, Wilhelmshaven: Dr. G. Veit-Köhler
Physical Geography, Univ. Freiburg: Steffen Vogt, Frank Rau, Dr Jorge Arigoni
Center of Remote Sensing of Land Surfaces (ZFL), Univ. Bonn: Dr M. Braun
Herbarium Senckenbergianum (FR), Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg: Dr C.
Prinzen
4. Stellung im IPY/Position in IPY: ClicOPEN is an identified lead project. Linked to
EoI 178 (Antarctic Peninsula Ice and Climate System Initiative APICS, Ted Scambos), EoI
359 (Mass Balance and Ice Dynamics of Antarctic Peninsula Glaciers, Eric Rignot) and EoI
87 (Glacier benchmark network for monitoring mass-balance and validation of remote
sensing based methods on Antarctic Peninsula GLABENAP, Ricardo Jana). Also : ZERO &
DRAKE and GEOTRACES (EoI 880): geochemical influence of the APP on the downstream
Antarctic shelf systems. Cooperation with projects working in remote areas of Southern
ocean: CCAMLR (EoI 148, synoptic survey of krill, pelagic fish and plankton biomass and
biodiversity in the South Ocean, Volker Siegel) and CAML (EoI 83"Census of Antarctic
Marine Life"). Forms part of GLACE (GLAciers, Cryokarst and Environment)
5. Wissenschaftliche Ziele/Scientific aims:

Analyze and quantify effects of glacial retreat and increased rock erosion on terrestrial
and near shore marine ecosystems on a latitudinal gradient along the Western coast of
the Antarctic Peninsula.

Provide a basis for a mechanistic understanding of climate change processes in marine
and terrestric ecosystems at the peninsula that will serve to draw a link to present and
future changes in shelf regions of the Southern Ocean.
6. Arbeitsgebiet (workarea), Arbeitsplan (workplan), Zeitplan (timeplan):
Land-based project on western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) and South Shetland Islands
(King-George Isl.) with comparative sampling in Ross Sea and Prydz Bay (East Antarctic).
Workplan: According to a predetermined science plan coordinated field work will be carried
out, which consist in monitoring of system parameters in the areas of interest and project
specific experimental work. The interdisciplinary work planned involves monitoring of glacial
retreat, measurements of sediment discharge into coastal water, changes of bathymetry and
seafloor sedimentology, as well as chemical and biological changes in terrestric and marine
coastal habitats. Collaborative field work and sampling during IPY field seasons will be
organized by the steering group. Data will be archived and made accessible to every
participating group and to the programmes linked to ClicOPEN as outlined in the project. An
analysis workshop will be organized in 2007.
Timeplan: ClicOPEN will use the entire field seasons within the IPY for monitoring and
experimental work, to give all groups the possibility to achieve their aims, including “cross
sampling” at other stations. A workshop held in 2007, after the first field season is completed,
will enable to evaluate the science plan and optimize data processing. We plan to come up
with a first result summary (as monograph or such like) in 2008. Moreover, this IPY initiative
will be the starting point for continued cooperative investigations of the climate change
process at the Western Antarctic Peninsula.
7. Erfolgsaussichten/added value:
ClicOPEN is land based activity and plans on using the existing Antarctic research stations
along the WAP (+ McMurdo Station, Ross Sea & Prydz Bay in the East Antarctic) as
platforms for coordinated synoptic field and laboratory work. A station based programme
enables us to make use of the existing logistic background provided by field stations and
home institutions and thereby include many scientists into this cooperative and comparative
approach. The rationale of the project implies coordinated planning, sampling,
experimentation, data analysis and publication. This increases the added value for each
national scientific programme and reduces costs for equipment and logistics that can be
shared. Also, time series based on a latitudinal gradient in Antarctica are new and the vast
regional warming provides unique opportunity to start this activity.
The project is linked to other activities in and outside of IPY. Work in several subprojects,
especially with respect to glacier mapping and sediment discharge to coastal areas, form
part of long-term observation programmes. Other subprojects can continue existing
programmes, extend their work/experiments/sampling to other areas along WAP or compare
data, based on collection by counterpart groups in other areas.
A large amount of data will be generated during ClicOPEN, almost all of which will be
referenced to a geographic location. The data will be stored in appropriate long-term
archiving facilities. The goal is to establish a regional on-line gateway to WAP data that
allows scientists to analyze spatial and temporal relationships across disciplines. Widespread
access to and integration of the data will be facilitated by the use of advanced spatially
enabled web services that are build on open standards (OGC, ISO TC211, and the like). To
achieve this we will build on the experience and developments from SCAR’s KGIS project
(www.kgis.scar.org).
8. Ressourcen/costs
8.1 Logistics: There is a basic agreement that small bases will be working mostly for
ClicOPEN during IPY and that the larger bases Palmer and Rothera will budget working
space, or that samples can be taken for counterpart groups on another station.
Transport between stations can be carried out with South American (argentine) research
vessels, but also other possibilities, such as tourist ships will be explored. Transport will be
discussed within the steering group.
8.2 personnel: rough estimate
13 PhD positions (a 28.000 € p.a.) 358.000 € p.a.
4 PostDoc (a 68.000 € p.a.)
272.000 € p.a.
Personnel total for 3 years 2.000.000 €
(20 senior scientists from the above listed German research institutions will dedicate part of
their time to work in the frames of ClicOPEN, either active in research programmes or as
PhD student supervisor).
8.3 equipment and travel:
CTD and plankton nets
Niemistö-Corer for meiofauna
Seismic equipment
ROV
Travel costs 3000 €/group
30.000 €
8.000 €
40.000 €
300.000 €
21.000 €
Equipment total:
400.000 €
8.4 other:
Money for a workshop/conference and meeting of steering committee will be asked from
DFG. Outreach – extra money is needed and will be applied for.