黑料视频

 - Joint press release by the 黑料视频 Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel and Kiel University - 

Although phytoplankton in the ocean are tiny, they are of global importance: they account for only about 1-2 per cent of plant biomass, yet are responsible for nearly 40 per cent of global CO₂ uptake through photosynthesis. The new project at 黑料视频 and CAU will use AI to determine the role of phytoplankton in climate protection more precisely and quickly. The project aims to improve our understanding of the ocean鈥檚 natural climate protection functions and to strengthen them. The project is funded with around 2.16 million euros as part of the initiative AI Lighthouses for the Environment, Climate, Nature and Resources. Rita Schwarzel眉hr-Sutter, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMUKN), presented the funding notification in Berlin today.

The KIMMCO project 鈥� short for KI-gesteuertes Monitoring mariner Mikroalgen als CO2-Senke, AI-based monitoring of marine microalgae as a CO₂ sink 鈥� is embedded in the Action Programme for Natural Climate Protection (ANK), which was launched by the Federal Ministry for the Environment to protect ecosystems and to enhance their role as natural allies in climate protection.

Artificial intelligence meets climate protection

鈥淯nderstanding the relationship between biodiversity and the CO₂ storage capacity of phytoplankton is a key prerequisite for effective marine conservation,鈥� says Prof. Dr Anja Engel, project leader and Professor of Biological Oceanography at the 黑料视频 Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel.

This is precisely where KIMMCO comes in. The researchers combine approaches at different scales 鈥� from in situ sensor measurements and microscopic camera systems to optical water properties and satellite-based remote sensing. AI applications analyse and integrate the collected data, providing a near real-time picture of phytoplankton productivity and species composition.

鈥淲ith KIMMCO, our goal is to make large-scale measurements more efficient and accurate, while reducing resource usage and speeding up the process,鈥� explains Prof. Dr Kevin K枚ser, Head of the Marine Data Science group at Kiel University. 鈥淭his not only saves time and ship operations, but also aims to reduce the CO₂ footprint of marine observation itself.鈥�

A lighthouse for science and policy

The project will run until the end of 2027, first being tested in the Baltic Sea. Its aim is to generate new insights into the ocean鈥檚 natural climate protection function and make these available to policymakers. KIMMCO will contribute valuable data to international monitoring programmes and environmental indicators, including those employed under the European Water Framework Directive, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and within HELCOM.

The project will also include biodiversity and sustainability checks, comparing the new AI-based methods with classical techniques in terms of accuracy, resource use, and CO₂ footprint.

About: Action Programme for Natural Climate Protection (ANK)

Through the ANK, the Federal Ministry for the Environment is enhancing the capacity of ecosystems, including forests, moors, rivers, lakes and seas, to act as natural climate protectors. Between 2024 and 2028, more than 3.5 billion euros will be made available for this purpose. AI Lighthouses for the Environment, Climate, Nature and Resources, of which KIMMCO is one, are a key part of the programme.