To start

The present phytoplankton experiment is carried out by a team from the Finnish Environment Institute and Tvärminne Zoological Station, led by Dr. Kristian Spilling. The project is done in collaboration with Dr. Peter Von Dassow from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Dr. Vivian Montecino from Universidad de Chile, and Dr. Nelson Silva Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaiso within the ASSEMBLE project (assemblemarine.org). Funding for the project comes from ASSEMBLE, Walter and Andrée de Nottbeck Foundation and Academy of Finland. The experiment is set in ECIM, marine station of UC (33°30'6.46"S, 71°38'1.11"W).

The project aims to study the effect of phytoplankton communities and different N/P ratios Humboldt currents system, along the Chilean cost in the Pacific Ocean. The Humboldt Current System (HCS) is driven by the westerly winds around Antarctica hitting the southernmost point from the American continent. The wind prolongs up through the Chilean coast northwards towards the Peruvian – equatorial coast. From mid Chile and northwards to Peru the Humboldt current shifts westwards producing upwelling of cold, nutrient rich water from the deep along the coast. The nutrient in this water drives phytoplankton blooms, which in turn provides food for one of the richest fisheries in the world.   

(Photos: the landscape from the ECIM and the whole team: Phd student Teresa Camarena Gomez, Dr. Kristian Spilling, Phd student Tobi Lipsewers, Phd student Francisco Diaz and bachelor student Alicia Martinez.)