Interdisciplinary research in the Mediterranean Sea

Directorate-General For Research And Innovation European Commission Directorate-General For The Environment

Description

A synthesis of scientific results from the Mediterranean targeted project (MTP) phase I 1993-96
Medical and biological research
Environment policy and protection of the environment

Informations

• Publié par: DIRECTORATE-GENERAL-FOR-RESEARCH-AND-INNOVATION-EUROPEAN-COMMISSION-DIRECTORATE
• Nombre de lectures: 40
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 11 Mo

Extrait

J2^a Axxî X ISSN 1018-5593
EUROPEA N
COMMISSI O
SCIENCE
RESEARCH
DEVELOPMENT
Marine science and technology programme
Interdisciplinary research
in the Mediterranean Sea
A synthesis of scientific results
from the Mediterranean targeted project (MTP) phase I
1993-96
m Map - Mediterranean Sea H H ES I n Sea X L d J O M ? I <!? A □ \ D
Latitude H 44' 03' 43" | Longitude E 02 6" 02' 37"
0 50 100 200 350 500 750 1000 2000 3000 5000 , 0 200 400 600 800 1000
Research in enclosed seas series — 1 EUR 17787 EN European Commission
Interdisciplinary research
in the Mediterranean Sea
A synthesis of scientific results
from the Mediterranean targeted project (MTP) phase I
1993-96
Edited by
Elisabeth Lipiatou
Directorate-General
Science, Research and Development
Directorate for Environment
Marine science and technology programme
r ! F' (P ?5VPA»L
*
N.C. 1997 EUR 17787 EN
CI /
A^U^G> LEGAL NOTICE
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for the use which might be made of the following information.
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accessed through the Europa server (http://europa.eu.int).
Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication.
Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 1997
ISBN 92-828-1554-4
© European Communities, 1997
Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.
Printed in Belgium
PRINTED ON WHITE CHLORINE-FREE PAPER Page
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
E. Lipiatou V
Transfer pathways and fluxes of organic matter and related elements in water
and sediments of the northern Adriatic sea and their importance on the eastern
Mediterranean Sea n Targeted Project (MTP)-EUROMARGE - AS Project
N.B. Price, P. Giordani, A. Monaco, C. Heip, R. Herbert, P. Statham, R. Poletti,
R. Mosetti 1
Transfer of matter and energy on European continental margins
Mediterranean Targeted Project (MTP) - EUROMARGE-NB Project
M. Canals, A.Monaco, A. Dinet, A. Palanques, N.B. Price, E. Ballesteros,
J.M.Redondo, F. Nyffeler, B. Keegan, B. Hamelin, MFrignani,J.A.Sánchez 31
Mediterranean Eddy Resolving Modelling And Interdisciplinary Studies-II n Targeted Project (MTP) - MERMAIDS-II Project
N. Pinardi, W.Roether, A.Lascaratos, K.Haines, P.De Mey, S.Bassini, J.Baretta
I.Allen, R.Williams, P.Brasseur, A.Crise, S.Pierini.Y.Krestenitis, P.-Y.Le Traon
F.Raicich, A.Artegiani, VArtale 69
Hydrodynamics And Biogeochemical Fluxes In The Straits Of The Cretan Arc
(Aegean Sea, Eastern Mediterranean Basin)
Mediterranean Targeted Project (MTP) - PÉLAGOS Project
E. Balopoulos, S. Varnavas, A. Monaco, N.B. Price, M.B. Collins,
N. Kotsovinos, P. Matsoukis, V. Dermissis, M. Apostolopoulou 91
Geochemistry and Dynamics of the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Targeted Project (MTP) - GEODYME Project
J.P. Bethoux, G.P. Gasparini, A. Lascaratos, A. Denis, P. Morin 127
Mediterranean Pelagic Ecosystem Study: Plankton Dynamics n Targeted Project (MTP) - MEDIPELAGOS Project
F. Rassoulzadegan, M. Estrada, A. Cruzado, F. Thingstad, Y. Børsheim,
D. Vaulot, A. Hagström 143
The hydrodynamics of the Western Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Targeted Project (MTP) - EUROMODEL II Project
P.M. Lehucher, M. Astraldi, C. Millot, J.M. Beckers, J. Font, G. Chabert d'Hières
RJ. Neves, M. Crépon, J. Tintore 155
Hydrodynamics and Geochemical Fluxes in the Strait of Otranto
Mediterranean Targeted Project (MTP) - OTRANTO Project
R. Mosetti, E. Papageorgiou, D. Bregant. S. Rabitti, A.Lascaratos 189
III European Microbiology of Particulate Systems
Mediterranean Targeted Project (MTP) - EMPS project
M. Bianchi, P. Bonin, G Gorsky, R. Christen, M. Poulicek, M. Höfle,
J. Iriberri, C. Tur ley, J. Prosser, G. Herndl 221
Pelagic-benthic Coupling in the Oligotrophic Cretan Sea
Mediterranean Targeted Project (MTP) - CINCS Project
A. Tselepides, G. Chronis, P. A. W. J. de Wilde, G Duineveld A. Rice, B. Bett,
P. Wassman, N. Della Croce, R. Danovaro, A. Elefiheriou 253
Biogeochemical Budgets
Mediterranean Targeted Project (MTP) - Research Theme on l Studies
S Heussner, N. B. Price 297
Coupled Physical-Biogeochemical Models .
Mediterranean Targeted Project (MTP) - Research Theme on
Ecosytem Analysis
N. Pinardi, J. W. Baretta, M. Bianchi, M. Crepon,, F. Rassoulzadegan,
F. Thingstad, M. Zavatarelli 315
IV INTRODUCTION
In 1993 the European Commission established the pilot phase of the Mediterranean Targeted
Project (MTP) under the Marine Science and Technology Programme (MAST). The aim of
the MTP was and still is to examine the functioning of the Mediterranean Sea in all its
aspects, and that is with a strong multidisciplinary approach considering physical,
geochemical and biological processes at the same time and with the same priority.
The MTP combined 10 different projects (see Figure) into one overall project involving 200
scientists from 70 institutions and 14 European countries. Each of these projects was
multidisciplinary and each had from 5 to 14 partners from different European institutions and
countries. All focused on different aspects òf ecosystem functioning and contributed to the
same overall objectives of the MTP. Project objectives included to (1) reduce the
uncertainties in understanding the variability of the general circulation of the Mediterranean
Sea; (2) investigate the biogeochemical exchanges between the continental margin and the
open sea; (3) improve the knowledge of the biology of the region and its long-term changes.-
The overall project was co-ordinated by a Steering Committee, led by MAST, and its pilot
phase had a duration of three years (1993-1996). It had a budget of ECU 11 million from the
European Commission and matching funds from the Member States.
At the conclusion of the MTP pilot phase the project had generated an unprecedented level of
scientific co-operation in the area and a large volume of results. In order to better disseminate
these multidisciplinary results to the scientific community and also the policy makers, the
science had to be synthesized. The Steering Committee of the project then decided that each
of the ten projects would present its final results as a "'synthesis" article, which would
accompany the extended final reports to the Commission. In this volume you will find these
ten articles of the MTP projects.
At the end of this volume there are also two articles on Biogeochemical Budgets by Heussner
and Price, and on Coupled physical-biogeochemical models by Pinardi et al.. These have
been written following two Workshops held in Bologna (May 30, 1996) and in Brussels
(June 27-28, 1996) with the objective to synthesise the work of the Mediterranean Targeted
Project.
The Mediterranean Targeted Project is now in its second phase (1996-1999). The new MAST
project has the name Mediterranean Targeted Project Phase II-Mass Transfer and Ecosystem
Response (MTP U-MATER, contract MAS3-CT96-0051) and it involves 53 partners from 13
countries in Europe as well as Morocco and Tunisia.
The MTP was and continues to be an important instrument for the scientific co-operation
which the EU promotes in the Mediterranean Sea.
Ms Christine VATNES is greatly acknowledged for her contribution to the editing of these
proceedings.
Elisabeth LIPIATOU
MAST Programme
V FIGURE
MTP Steering Committee
EURO- MER­ GEO- MEDl- EURO- EURO-
OTRANTO PÉLAGOS EMPS CTNCS
MODEL MAIDS DYME I'ELAGOS MARGE-NB MARGE-AS
THEME I THEME II
General Circulation Studies Biogeochemical studies
THEME III
Ecosystem Analysis NOTE
All contributions contained in this volume
have been reviewed by an independent
scientific expert panel
VII