Four MIO researchers and engineers are part of the scientific crew of the PERLE 4 campaign. The PERLE programme ("Pelagic Ecosystem Response to dense water formation in the Levant Experiment - MISTRALS MERMEX project") aims to describe the formation and dispersion of the Intermediate Waters of the Levant (LIW) in the Mediterranean Sea. These LIWs, formed in the eastern basin, represent the only water mass common to the entire Mediterranean and play a key role in general circulation, nutrient redistribution and the dynamics of plankton communities. However, environmental changes due to climate change appear to be having an impact on these LIW waters (circulation, structure, etc.) that could have significant environmental consequences. The aim of the programme is to assess current changes in order to predict future environmental developments.
The PERLE-4 campaign focuses on the dispersion of the Intermediate Waters of the Levant and the evolution of their physical and biogeochemical characteristics, between the formation zone (Levantine basin) and the north-western basin.
A network of stations covering the study area will be used to describe the physical, optical, biogeochemical and biological parameters of the water column (surface-bottom). These observations will be supplemented by physical and biogeochemical parameters collected by autonomous platforms (mooring line; profiling floats; gliders). Satellite data will also be used to monitor changes in surface water temperature and chlorophyll concentration over the entire study area, and to identify the main mesoscale and submesoscale structures.
Institutions involved :
CNRS, IRD, SHOM, IFREMER, SU, AMU (France)
HCMR (Greece), SZN (Italy), IBF (Italy), IOLR (Israel)
PERLE 4 - MIO participants: Deny Malengros (CTD and other sensors), Thierry Moutin (pH, AT, CT, O2), Laure Chirurgien (O2, pH, AT, CT), François Carlotti (zooplankton nets and processing).