2009 Research Programmes of the HCMR - Hellenic Centre for ...

Scientific team (ΗCMR): Dr A. Karageorgis
Brief Description of the Program: This project belongs to the category of Marie Curie
Reintegration Grants (IRG) of FP7, the goal of which is to support the repatriation of a young
scientist, who will have the opportunity to work at the HCMR. Dr. Efthymios Tripsanas, who just
recently returned from the USA, will work under the supervision of Dr. Aristomenis Karageorgis in
the integrated palaeontological – sedimentological study of a large set of sediment cores, ultrahigh-
and high-resolution seismic-reflection profiles from the Cretan Sea, South Aegean Sea.
Changes in the ocean circulation and climate have been brought to the focus of research mainly
during the last thirty years, due to their correlation to human activities. A dramatic hydrological
change occurred during the last twenty years in the Eastern Mediterranean, where there has been a
switch in the formation of new deep water from the Adriatic Sea to the Aegean Sea. This is
attributed to the increased salinity of the surface waters of the Mediterranean Sea due to river
damming and decreased precipitation. The impact of this phenomenon in the hydrology and
ecological system of the Eastern Mediterranean has puzzled the scientific community. The
limitation of detailed hydrological data for the past 50 years does not allow numerical simulations
to make any accurate long-term predictions, whereas conventional paleoceanographic studies fail to
capture similar short-lived events of the past due to their low time resolution (~0.2-0.5 ky).
The integrated paleoceanographic-sedimentological study of a large set of sediment cores and ultrahigh-resolution
seismic-reflection profiles from the Cretan Basin, Aegean Sea, is proposed.
Petrographic, geochemical, paleontological, and δ18O isotope analysis in selected stratigraphic
cores will result in the development of: 1) a preliminary paleoceanographic record, and 2) a
detailed sediment/seismic stratigraphic scheme. Accurately dated sedimentary units in both, cores
and seismic-reflection profiles will then be identified and mapped, and the response of
sedimentological processes to climatic-hydrological changes will be determined. The depositional
time of some sedimentary beds (e.g. turbidites and bottom-current deposits) ranges from hours to
years. Thus, a reverse correlation of the identified sedimentary units to climatic-hydrological
changes will lead to the formation of an ultra-high-resolution (tens of years) paleoceanographic
record for the Cretan Sea, and by extrapolation for the entire Eastern Mediterranean Sea.
POSEIDON-III: A monitoring and forecasting system for the Eastern Mediterranean Sea
with emphasis on climate change and protection of the marine ecosystem (ΠΟΣΕΙ∆ΩΝ ΙΙΙ/
776).
Scientific Coordinator:
Dr K.Nittis
Funding: EEA/EFTA (50%) – Ministry of Economy & Finance (50%)
Starting Year: 2009
Duration: 30 months (17/04/09-16/10/11)
Total Budget: 1.059.600
Study Area:
SE Ionian Sea
Scientific team (ΗCMR): Dr Κ.Νittis, Dr V. Likousis, Dr G. Korres, Dr G. Petihakis, D. Ballas, P.
Pagonis, L. Perivoliotis, D. Kassis, P. Kousoulidis, A. Diapouli
Brief Description of the Program: The overall goal of the project is the operational monitoring
and study of physical and biochemical deep sea processes through the development of a deep
seafloor observatory in the SE Ionian Sea (Poseidon-Pylos station) and its integration with the E1-
M3A observatory of the Cretan Sea. The seafloor observatory will have the capability to operate in
depths greater than 2000m and to host a large number of sensors. Through hydroacoustic modems
it will be able to communicate with similar peripheral seafloor systems, thus having the capability
to generate a network of platforms in the future. Furthermore, the project will upgrade with new
sensors the water column component of the Poseidon-Pylos observatory that will thus become
compatible and interoperable with the respective system in the Cretan Sea in terms of biochemical
observations.
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