Karl Michael Attard

Project title

Marine primary production in a changing Arctic Ocean

What is your project about?

The Arctic Ocean is rapidly becoming ice free in summer due to ongoing climate change. Ice-covered seas are increasingly being replaced by expanses of open water. As an oceanographer, I am fascinated by the idea that less ice allows more sunlight to enter the ocean, which could increase photosynthesis and make the Arctic Ocean more productive. However, the amount of photosynthesis occurring on the Arctic seafloor is an important piece of the puzzle that is missing. In this project, I want to understand where seafloor photosynthesis occurs in the Arctic, how important it is from an ecosystem perspective, and how it has changed over the past decades in response to ongoing environmental transformation.

How did you become interested in your particular field of research?

My interest was sparked when I first visited Greenland as a PhD student ten years ago. Armed with new sensing technologies, I was able to document the remarkable capabilities of organisms on the seafloor to photosynthesize under very low levels of sunlight, challenging established paradigms. In the years that followed, numerous expeditions, discussions, and analyses ensued wherein it became increasingly clear to me that seafloor photosynthesis was an important, but under studied, part of Arctic ecosystems. This project will be the first to systematically investigate seafloor photosynthesis across the Arctic Ocean. I am excited to see what we will discover.

What are the scientific challenges and perspectives in your project?

Arctic research stations and ice-strengthened ships provide a safe base to conduct research in an otherwise harsh environment. One key ambition is to place ocean observatories on the Arctic seafloor to measure photosynthesis rates autonomously for many months. This will be groundbreaking if successful, but first the sensors must be modified to withstand Arctic conditions for extended periods. The challenge in designing instrumentation to enable new research is something I find very stimulating, particularly when the outcome of this work will provide a much better understanding of Arctic ecosystems in a changing climate.

What is your estimate of the impact, which your project may have to society in the long term?

Photosynthesis is a biological process that converts carbon dioxide into biomass. This biomass ultimately feeds the entire Arctic Ocean food web and is crucial for globally important fisheries. Therefore, understanding where and when photosynthesis occurs in the Arctic, how fast it happens, and how it is being modified by climate change is an important question that has implications for ecosystems and for society at large. In addition, understanding the limits of photosynthesis could have applications in biotechnology, where there is great interest in trying to optimize the growth of photosynthetic organisms under laboratory conditions.

Which impact do you expect the Sapere Aude programme will have on your career as a researcher?

Being selected for this program is a big boost at a time when it really matters. It will likely be a turning point in my career. I look forward to exploring the opportunities and the responsibilities that come with leading a research group. I am eager to create a space to pursue this research topic, to bring together an international network of world-leading researchers working towards a common goal, and to build upon the university’s Arctic research profile. It elevates the visibility of my research and of the methods I use. The grant provides me with the freedom to forge new networks and to develop new competences. I feel fortunate to have this opportunity and humbled to join the ranks of Sapere Aude grantees.

Background and personal life

I grew up on the small Mediterranean island of Malta and have always been interested in the sea. I have seen all Cousteau and Attenborough documentaries at least once, and I have read Jules Verne over and over again. I feel that my life is at its best when I am out on or in the sea. I still have the sea as a neighbor. The Mediterranean has been replaced with Odense Fjord. I live here together with my partner and our dog.