About GACS
Dr Graham Hosie, GACS Chair
We can only speculate what Sir Alister Hardy would think about
his Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) legacy extending beyond the
original survey area of the North Sea into new regions. It would be
nice to think he would be very pleased to know that the CPR was now
considered an essential tool to rapidly survey plankton
biodiversity over large ocean scales and then be able to routinely
monitor changes in plankton patterns as an indication of the health
of marine ecosystems. It seemed appropriate then, during the
celebrations in Plymouth UK in September 2011 that marked the 80th
anniversary of the start of the North Sea CPR tows, the heads of
the nine regional CPR surveys should meet to discuss the formation
of a global CPR programme.
Global CPR coverage has long been a vision of the Sir Alister
Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science (SAHFOS). Prof. Peter Burkill
obtained funding for the 'Going Global' initiative when he became
Director of SAHFOS. It was a vision shared by the regional surveys
as well, who enthusiastically agreed to form the Global Alliance of
CPR Surveys (GACS). The general goal of GACS is to understand
changes in plankton biodiversity at ocean basin scales through a
global alliance of CPR surveys. By 'understand' we mean
characterise, analyse and interpret. GACS has a number of specific
aims which include:
- development of a global CPR database
- production of a regular Ecological Status Report for global
plankton biodiversity
- ensuring common standards and methodologies are maintained
- providing an interface for plankton biodiversity with other
global ocean observation programmes
- to set up and maintain a website for publicity and data
access
- to facilitate new surveys and develop capacity building
procedures
- to facilitate secondments of CPR scientists between GACS
institutions
 |
The map above highlights each of the GACS partner
locations
|
GACS brings together the expertise of approximately 50 plankton
specialists, scientists, technicians and administrators from 12
laboratories around the world, towing a common and consistent
sampling tool, the CPR, from about 50 vessels. Working together,
pooling our data and resources, was considered essential in order
to understand the effects of environmental changes on plankton
biodiversity at a global level.
Numerous local and regional monitoring and observational
programmes have been established in the past, but to date we have
lacked a holistic perspective on plankton biodiversity in response
to global events such as global warming and ocean acidification.
GACS will provide that perspective using CPR data. It will also
allow us to assess changes and events at a local or regional level
in a world-wide context.
At the heart of GACS is the development of the global database
of CPR data that will allow us to make such assessments of local,
regional and global changes. A Board of Governance has been
established, comprising the regional heads of CPR Surveys, with Dr
Graham Hosie as the first Chair and Dr Sonia Batten (North Pacific
CPR) as Vice-Chair.
Working groups are being developed and will address the
formation of the global CPR database, and maintaining standards and
methodologies.
It is exciting times ahead for GACS, and for studying and
monitoring plankton biodiversity at a global scale.
 |
The GACS Partners in Plymouth, UK at the first GACS
Workshop, 20-21 September 2011.
|
 |
Sonia Batten signing the MoU with other partners in
attendance
|
GACS Partners