Funding: New DFF funding for Arctic deep-sea research

We are very pleased to announce that LUMEN has received funding from the Independent Research Fund Denmark (DFF), Research Project 1 for the project “Arctic seafloor carbon cycling under increased anthropogenic pressures.”

The project will investigate how seabed mineral exploration may affect carbon cycling and benthic oxygen exchange in Arctic habitats containing polymetallic nodules and mineral crusts. To do this, we will further develop aquatic eddy covariance (AEC) for ultra-oligotrophic deep-sea environments, where conventional approaches such as chambers and microprofilers are difficult to apply.

The optimized AEC systems will be tested during two Arctic expeditions aboard RV Polarstern in 2026 and 2027, where they will be integrated with AWI’s landers, remotely operated vehicles and benthic crawlers. Measurements will be combined with sediment analyses, biodiversity observations and established benthic flux methods to build a broader picture of carbon cycling in these poorly understood deep-sea habitats.

The project is led by Karl Attard (SDU) together with Frank Wenzhöfer (AWI), with additional collaboration from Peter Berg (University of Virginia) and engineering support from the SDU mechanical workshop. We are excited to strengthen these collaborations and take AEC into some of the most challenging seafloor environments to support more responsible ocean stewardship.