With 'Blue Carbon’ and ‘Changing Marine Lightscapes’, JPI Oceans has a portfolio of 15 thematic Joint Actions addressing the many challenges facing our European seas and oceans. Both new Joint Actions will be implemented through a hybrid format combining the two JPI Oceans implementation tools of a Knowledge Hub and a Joint Call. This format is expected to add flexibility for countries to contribute to the Joint Action activities, for example, by providing only national expertise to a Knowledge Hub or funds for a Joint Call.
The Joint Action on Blue Carbon is led by Ireland and co-led by France. Prof. Grace Cott of University College Dublin in Ireland coordinated the scientific input to the scoping for this Joint Action. The Joint Action will look at reducing uncertainties, sharing knowledge, and developing the management tools required to optimise the climate mitigation, adaptation, and resilience benefits of blue carbon. Specifically, it aims at generating quantitative knowledge about habitat extent and characteristics to support carbon removal action and policies, e.g., CO2 storage potential maps. The scope of the Joint Action will focus on climate mitigation, adaptation, and resilience but also integrate aspects of biodiversity, coastal protection, and co-benefits to coastal communities.
The scoping of the Joint Action on Changing Marine Lightscapes was led by Germany and Norway. The scientific input was provided by an expert group led by Prof. Olivier Zielinski of the University of Oldenburg (now at Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research) and Dr. Helene Frigstad of Norwegian Institute for Water Research. The Joint Action will address the impacts of coastal darkening and artificial light at night (ALAN) on ecosystem health. The Joint Action aims to add critical understanding of why and how marine lightscapes are changing, how this impacts biodiversity, marine ecosystem structure, functioning, and services, and how we can manage these changes. The knowledge gaps are planned to be addressed through a Joint Call. This will be complemented by a Knowledge Hub with experts from the participating countries to monitor scientific and science-policy developments and synthesise key findings from the funded projects.
Implementation details for both new Joint Actions will be specified over the coming months in Terms of Reference for the Knowledge Hubs and call text documents for the considered Joint Calls.