PABO

PABO : Plateformes Autonomes et Biogéochimie Océanique

The National Research Agency (ANR) supported this four-year (2006-2010) project dedicated to undertake fundamental research in partnership with Ifremer.

With the overall objective to understand oceanic biogeochemistry at specific spatio-temporal scales that have, up to present, rarely if at all been studied, PABO aimed at

(1) developing new robotic platforms and

(2) testing these platforms to assess their potential to conduct exploratory research in various oceanic environments.

Eight profiling floats have been developped and acquired unique data sets of biogeochemical measurements in remote oceanic areas. These data allowed to clearly characterize the key role of seasonal forcing on the dynamics (and its understanding) of algal biomass. Moreover, first glider transects between Nice and Corsica have pointed to the close link between the intensity of the Ligurian current and the biogeochemical response to this forcing. This allows, in particular, to understand how the current can be considered as an algal biomass oasis in an area that is a priori characterized as oligotrophic.

The positive feedbacks of these experiences within PABO have initiated several projects in its succession (e.g. remOcean)