Our project
1° The ARCTOS (FACE-IT) project aims to study the effects of climate change on benthic organisms and communities. It consists in three main activities: 1) running mesocosm experiments on benthic communities, 2) monitoring the environmental parameters and the biodiversity in the fjord, and 3) assessing in situ the metabolism of benthic communities.
2° The ORCA project is complementary to the ARCTOS (FACE-IT) project and is designed to study the effect of environmental conditions on Arctic benthic ecosystems. This project has three components :
- An experimental component that will use disturbance experiments to study the effects of multiple factors on the physiology of benthic organisms such as macroalgae.
- An in situ experimental component based on the use of an innovative method to determine the metabolism of benthic communities naturally exposed to a wide range of environmental conditions.
- A dissemination component, which will use media such as animated films and the publication of materials for the general public to explain the major problems facing the Arctic. ORCA will highlight the major changes occurring in the Arctic and their consequences.
Project timeline 
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Project LaunchNovember 2020
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Ny-Alesund summer expeditionJune - August 2021
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Tromsø & NYA summer expeditionsMay & June - July 2022
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Ny-Alesund winter expeditionsOctober & November 2022
Experiments planned
Mesocosm experiment In situ experiment Metabolism measurements Our team
Jean-Pierre Gattuso
Research director
Steeve Comeau
Researcher
Frédéric Gazeau
Researcher
Cale Miller
Postdoctoral researcher
Pierre Urruti
Engineer
Samir Alliouane
Engineer
Anaïs Lebrun
PhD student
