Inventory of EU Marine Climate Change Research

MedEcos - Decadal-scale Variability of the Mediterranean Ecosystem

Summary information
Funding:	MarinERA ERA-NET project
Ec contribution:	512901
Start date:	2009-01-01
End date:	2011-12-31
Duration:	36 months
Coordinator:	Vassilis Zervakis (zervakis@marine.aegean.gr)
Organisation:	University of the Aegean, Department of Marine Sciences - Greece
Project name:	MedEcos - Decadal-scale Variability of the Mediterranean Ecosystem
Project summary:	The project aims to improve our understanding and predictive capacity of the evolution of the Mediterranean Marine Ecosystem at decadal time scales by hindcasting conditions at the vicinity of connecting straits; and developping worst-case scenarios. To this end, the approach of MedEcos encompasses: • collecting available information on remote and local forcing; • filling-in existing oceanographic and biogeochemical information and assessing variability; • concentrating on natural Holocene climate shifts using multi-technique proxy-records; • analyzing decadal variability; • developing site-specific circulation and ecosystem models. The project focuses on the geographic areas in the vicinity of the Gibraltar and Dardanelles Straits. Temporally, MedEcos will focus on periods of decadal length extending back to the last deglaciation, as well as the near future. MedEcos should result in reproductions of the circulation and ecosystem functioning at selected periods of the Pleiocene; calibrated worst-case scenario for the next 100 years. The project results will inform research working decadal- and regional-scale hindcasting and forecasting and improved exchange of know-how between paleoceanographers, modellers and field researchers.