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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin

@westafricanmargin.bsky.social
22 followers 16 following 50 posts

An African-led international team advancing ocean research by exploring oxygen dynamics, ecosystem impacts, and climate along the West African margin 🌍🌊 bio.link/westafricanmargin

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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Last week the Trace Metals team was hard at work loading and preparing equipment ahead of the upcoming cruise in November. From sampling gear to specialised equipment, there’s plenty to organise before heading to sea! 🌊🔬 #WestAfricanMargin #WAM #TraceMetals #OceanScience #ResearchAtSea
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Our trace metal team is analysing samples from around Gough Island to explore how islands influence trace metal biogeochemistry in the South Atlantic. Seawater is preconcentrated before analysis on an ICP-MS. 🔬 #WAM #GoughIsland #OceanScience
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
The WAM TRACEX team shared new research at #Goldschmidt2026 in Montréal, presenting work on ocean circulation, whale-driven iron fertilization and atmospheric lead pollution. 🌊🔬 #WAMProject #GEOTRACES #SouthAtlantic #TraceMetals
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
🌊 Yesterday, WAM researcher Christiaan van Niekerk, aboard the Marion Dufresne, deployed surface drifters during the WHIRLS expedition. These instruments track ocean currents, helping scientists understand how fine-scale ocean processes shape climate and marine ecosystems. #WAM #WHIRLS
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Ocean carbon, captured in a trap 🌊 Particle Interceptor Traps (PITs) are collecting sinking particles during the #WHIRLS cruise to measure carbon export to the deep ocean. Two trap arrays will be deployed in a cyclone and an anticyclone to compare carbon flux. 📸 Sina Walchus #OceanScience #WAM
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Meet our deck-board incubators! 💙 These blue-shaded incubators mimic light at different ocean depths while flowing seawater keeps them at in situ temperatures. Meet Miss Lavender, Mrs Pale, Miss Ocean, Miss Alice and Madame Tokyo. 📸 Sadiyah Rawat #WHIRLS #OceanScience #WAM
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
WAM is at sea! 🌊 Several WAM researchers are aboard the SA Agulhas II for the WHIRLS field campaign, investigating how fine-scale ocean processes shape climate and marine biogeochemistry in the Agulhas Current System. Stay tuned for updates! #WAM #WHIRLS
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Congratulations to WAM researcher Christiaan van Niekerk on attending the SOLAS Summer School in Brazil! Bringing together early-career scientists from around the world, the programme explored ocean-atmosphere interactions, climate processes, and science communication.
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Oxygen sensor calibration time! Before and after every glider campaign, the #WAM-Robotics team performs two-point calibrations on oxygen optodes to ensure high-quality dissolved oxygen data.
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
WAM researchers Franck Ghomsi and Moagabo Ragoasha presented ongoing WAM-related research at EGU26 in Vienna, sharing new insights on African sea-level surges, ocean circulation, and seasonal dynamics in the Southern Benguela. Congratulations to both and their collaborators!
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
What is ballasting? In the #WAM project, Slocum gliders are carefully adjusted by just a few grams before deployment so tiny buoyancy changes allow smooth dives and climbs, saving energy and improving high-resolution oxygen and biogeochemical data collection.
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
Sampling the ocean’s nitrogen cycle at sea 🌊 In 2023, Samantha Fortin and Elizabeth Leon-Palmero measured N₂O, a greenhouse gas, using seawater samples. Now with #WAM, they study how nitrogen cycling and low oxygen affect ocean ecosystems and climate 🌍
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
Lobsters walking out near Elands Bay (24–25 Feb 2026) were responding to low oxygen (hypoxia). WAM ocean gliders recorded these conditions moving onto the coastal shelf this summer. 🦞🌊 📸 Steve Benjamin (Animal Ocean) 🤖 Sean Lavis, Andre Hoek & STS team #OceanScience #Hypoxia #OceanGliders #WAM
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Cruise prep for the end-year WAM cruise is underway! The Trace Metals Team at Stellenbosch University has 800 ultra-clean bottles ready to measure iron at ppb–ppt levels. Acid cleaning & metal-free labs make it possible. Behind every sample: a year of prep. 🧪⚓ #WAM #TraceMetals #OceanScience
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
The WAM team is at the 2026 Ocean Sciences Meeting 🌊 presenting talks & posters on marine ecosystems, hypoxia & biogeochemistry along the West African Margin. We’re proud to see them advancing knowledge & shaping global ocean science discussions. #WAMProject #AGUOSM2026
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
Behind the scenes of marine biogeochemistry 🧪. Not all ocean science happens at sea. Sizwekazi Yapi, a PhD student, prepares ammonium standards to accurately measure nutrients in samples from experiments around Gough Island ⚗️🌊 #BehindTheScenes #Biogeochemistry #OceanScience #PhDLife
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
The WAM ECR Working Group held its first meeting to discuss how the group will run and future activities. A highlight was Joshua Mirkin joining live from the RV Falkor (too), with an impressive internet connection and a lively virtual tour of the vessel. 🌊🚢
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
Ever wondered how ocean scientists measure beneath the surface? This is a CTD (Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth) sensor deployed from the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s R/V Falkor (too). It collects real-time data on ocean conditions that shape marine ecosystems and climate. 🌊🔬
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
📢 Publication Alert! A new review in Reviews of Geophysics shows how climate interventions may change ocean temperature, nutrients and marine life. Proud to see Kelly Ortega-Cisneros (WAM ecosystem modelling) as co-author! 🌊📊 #ClimateScience #WAM agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1...
agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Potential Impacts of Climate Interventions on Marine Ecosystems
Climate intervention research is expanding as current mitigation efforts to limit warming below crucial targets are falling short Substantial knowledge gaps exist on the potential impacts of clim...
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
Meet Estel Font, joining the WAM Robotics Team at SOCCO! She uses high-resolution ocean gliders to study fine-scale physical and biogeochemical processes driving oxygen variability along the West African margin, with interests in biophysical interactions and autonomous ocean observations.
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
Exciting news from WAM! 🌊 Joshua Mirkin, our doctoral student, has joined the Animals as Living Bioreactors expedition aboard R/V Falkor (too), studying how migrating ocean animals impact the carbon cycle. Follow along: schmidtocean.org/cruise/anima...
schmidtocean.org
Animals as Living Bioreactors PART 1 - Schmidt Ocean Institute
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
And we have our winners! 🎉 Meet our WAM gliders: 🟠 Sunfish, the solar-powered Wave Glider cruising the surface, and 🟡 Yellowtail, our sleek, deep-diving Slocum. Thanks to everyone who helped name our ocean explorers! 🌊
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
WAM in Hawai‘i 🌺🌊 Our team joined 25 young researchers at the OBVI SUBSEA workshop, learning how ocean primary productivity is measured and modelled, plus building amazing connections across the OBVI community. Science, skills & collaboration!
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
New paper from WAM’s Dr Franck Ghomsi just out in Communications Earth & Environment 🌊 #SeaLevelRise #ClimateScience #Oceanography #Africa www.nature.com/articles/s43...
nature.com
Accelerating sea level rise in Africa and its large marine ecosystems since the 1990s - Communications Earth & Environment
Sea-level rise in African large marine ecosystem has accelerated markedly since 2010, mostly due to ice sheet loss and land subsidence, with the Red Sea and Guinea Current rising fastest, according to...
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
Official Deployment of the WAM Glider Fleet! We’re excited to share that our Wave Glider (surface vehicle) and Slocum Glider (diving vehicle) have been officially deployed in St Helena Bay, within the highly productive Southern Benguela Upwelling System (SBUS). #OceanRobotics #SeaTechnologyServices
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 26/11/2025
New paper Alert! 📰 The study reveals strong seasonal and multi-decadal shifts in phytoplankton functional groups, tightly linked to upwelling cells and alongshore winds driving altered nutrient supply. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
sciencedirect.com
Seasonal patterns and multidecadal trends in phytoplankton functional groups in the Benguela upwelling system off Namibia
Understanding the response of phytoplankton to climate change is crucial for predicting shifts in marine ecosystems. Despite the Benguela being the wo…
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 19/11/2025
Help us name our #WAMProject ocean explorers! 🌊 🟡 Slocum Glider – curious deep diver 🔵 Wave Glider – solar-powered surface sentinel Inspired by African endemic fish 🐠 or South African ocean themes? Drop your suggestions below! 👇 #GliderFleet #MarineResearch
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
Exciting progress from the WAM team! Our new Wave Glider is being sea trialed today before sensor integration & deployment in the Southern Benguela Upwelling System. Thanks to Schmidt Sciences support, we'll advance understanding of ocean dynamics & low-oxygen events. #OceanScience #WaveGlider
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 23/10/2025
An exciting Nautilus article spotlights SUBSEA, a Schmidt Sciences–funded project under OBVI, exploring carbon flow through ocean gyres 🌊 Proud to see Sarah Fawcett, Raquel Flynn & Calvin Swart from the WAM Project part of this global effort. 🔗 nautil.us/modeling-the... #OceanScience #OBVI
nautil.us
Modeling the Deep
Modeling the Deep: An ambitious mission seeks to map the flow of crucial chemicals through marine food webs in far-flung oceanic gyres.
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 20/10/2025
The WAM Ecosystem Modelling team from UCT and UNAM met today for a focused project meeting to brainstorm, align, and plan the next steps in their collaborative research. Here’s to continued teamwork and shared discovery! 🤝 #WAMProject #OBVI #OceanScience
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 20/10/2025
Reflecting on an inspiring week at the WAM Meeting in Cape Town. A week filled with collaboration, meaningful discussions, and shared purpose as we continue advancing research on oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the West African margin. #WAMMeeting #OBVI #OceanScience #CapeTown
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 17/10/2025
Updates from the final 2 days of the #WAMMeeting 🌊 Breakout sessions aligned cruise plans & model synergies, plus talks on outreach, science communication, and ECR training. A great end to a week of collaboration & innovation in Cape Town! 🌍 #OceanScience #OBVI
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 15/10/2025
Day 2 of the #WAMMeeting Half the group visited Sea Technology Services to see the ocean gliders, while others toured the V&A Waterfront by Duckboat 🌊 Now hearing from Dr Sarah Nicholson (SOCCO) before more talks and collaborative discussions! #WAMProject #OceanScience
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 14/10/2025
The WAM Meeting is underway in Cape Town! Researchers from across the WAM teams have gathered to share science and ideas on oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the West African margin. 🌊 Stay tuned for updates and highlights from the week! #WAMProject #MarineScience #CapeTown #OceanResearch
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 10/10/2025
The WAM Meeting 2025 is next week in Cape Town! 🌊 Our teams will come together to share research and plan the next phase of our work on oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the West African margin. #WAMProject #OceanScience #CapeTown
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 07/10/2025
Sea trials in Cape Town🌊 The SA-RobOTIC crew carrying out sea trials with the new Slocum G3 glider, fitted with a SUNA sensor, beneath Table Mountain. The glider will soon collect nitrate and oxygen data for WAM’s ocean research. 📸 Photo credit: Sean Lavis #SeaTechnologyServices #SchmidtSciences
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 02/10/2025
New paper out in Global Biogeochemical Cycles! 🌍🌊 We used isotopic tracers to show how sediments shape nitrous oxide (N₂O) production in the Southern Benguela Upwelling System, linking oxygen, nutrient cycling, and climate. Read it here 👉 agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/...
agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
The Role of Sediments in Modulating Nitrous Oxide Production in the Southern Benguela Upwelling System: Insights From Stable Isotopic Tracers
Nitrous oxide accumulates on the hypoxic Southern Benguela Upwelling System shelf in late-summer Isotopic evidence reveals that nitrous oxide in the water column is predominantly of sedimentary o...
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 25/09/2025
Meet the WAM Biogeochemical Modelling Team 🌍 Using high-resolution models and ocean data, this team explores oxygen dynamics, nutrient cycling, and productivity along the West African margin to understand drivers of hypoxia and ecosystem change. #TeamWAM #OceanScience #ClimateResearch
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 25/08/2025
Say hello to the 'Ocean Observations: Nitrogen, Carbon, and Oxygen' Team! 🌊 They’re measuring nitrogen, carbon, and oxygen at sea to uncover how these cycles shape productivity, nutrient supply, and oxygen variability along the West African margin. #TeamWAM #OceanScience #Biogeochemistry
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 07/08/2025
Meet the WAM Project Support Team! 🔧 This dedicated group ensures the smooth operation of the WAM project, from managing finances and logistics to maintaining lab equipment and supporting sample analysis. #WAMProject #SupportTeam #ScienceLogistics #BehindTheScenes #TeamWAM
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Reposted by Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin
Schmidt Ocean Institute @schmidtocean.bsky.social · 14/07/2025
Geology rocks. During #salasygomez expedition, ROV pilots collected this footage on the western flank of an unnamed seamount. It shows how vital seamounts & rocky surfaces are in the deep Ocean, providing a habitat for animals to cling to in water column & access to nutrients.
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 11/07/2025
Say hello to the Atmosphere-Ocean Interactions Team! They’re unravelling how ocean-atmosphere exchanges shape marine chemistry and climate, from nitrogen isotope work to aerosol impacts. Another key part of the WAM puzzle! #WAMproject #MarineScience #Biogeochemistry #ClimateResearch #TeamIntro
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
Meet the WAM Ecosystem Modelling Team! They’re using ecosystem modelling tools to explore how changing oxygen levels affect marine ecosystems in the Benguela Current. #WAMProject #MarineModelling #BenguelaCurrent #ScienceForSustainability
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
Say hello to the WAM Trace Metals Team! They’re investigating how metals move through aquatic systems and affect productivity in low-oxygen waters, from the lower Orange River to the Benguela Upwelling. #WAMProject #TraceMetals #MarineBiogeochemistry #OceanResearch
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
Meet the Ocean Robotics Team! Using gliders packed with sensors, the team is studying how physical and biogeochemical processes control oxygen variability along the West African Margin. A key step in understanding low-oxygen zones and their climate impacts. #WAMproject #OceanRobotics #GliderScience
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 08/06/2025
It’s #WorldOceansDay!🌊 The theme this year? Catalysing Action for Our Ocean & Climate. At WAM, we’re tackling a quiet crisis: ocean deoxygenation. Less oxygen = more risk for marine life + food security. We’re building models & collecting data to turn science into action. #WAMProject #OceanClimate
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 21/05/2025
Polymetallic nodules can generate oxygen in total darkness, no sunlight needed. As WAM explores oxygen dynamics along the West African margin, findings like this show how much we still don’t know about deep-sea systems. 🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41... #WAMProject #DarkOxygen #DeepSeaScience
nature.com
Evidence of dark oxygen production at the abyssal seafloor - Nature Geoscience
Oxygen is generated abiotically at the abyssal seafloor in the presence of polymetallic nodules, potentially by seawater electrolysis, according to in situ chamber and ex situ incubation experiments.
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
From 9–16 April, WAM team members joined a routine survey aboard RV Mirabilis along the Namibian coast. The cruise coincided with a major marine die-off. Early results point to extreme anoxic conditions, key to WAM’s focus on oxygen-deficient zones. 📷: Sina Wallschuss
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 29/04/2025
Mass die-off of octopuses, lobsters & fish on the Namibian coast signals growing ocean stress. Hypoxia, possibly from stratification or sulphur eruptions, may be to blame. WAM scientists were on a cruise collecting data during the event. More updates soon. 🔗 [Link] #WAMScience
dailymaverick.co.za
Huge octopus die-off on Namibian beaches
As thousands of dead octopuses, lobsters and fish lie dying or dead along Swakopmund beaches, the debate continues about what could have been the cause. Whatever it is, it’s bad news for the fragile c...
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Oxygen and biogeochemical dynamics along the west African margin @westafricanmargin.bsky.social · 25/04/2025
New WAM Team Member: Slocum G3 Glider 🌊 Meet our newest arrival, the Slocum G3 Glider! This advanced autonomous vehicle, managed by SA-RobOTIC and the CSIR, enables efficient, long-term ocean monitoring over extended periods and broad spatial scales. #SlocumGlider #SeaTechnologyServices #CSIR
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