IMBeR is delighted to announce its latest endorsed project: EXPAND – will nitrogEn fiXaTion offset nitrogen dePletion in expAnding oceaN Deserts?
EXPAND is a five-year project led by Dr. Mar Benavides at the National Oceanography Centre, funded by the ERC (European Research Council) Consolidator Grant 2024 with 2.6 million euros. The project focuses on the impact of the expansion of ocean deserts on the availability of marine nitrogen, a vital element for life in the oceans. The primary goal is to quantitatively understand how the expansion of the Indian Ocean subtropical gyre influences biological nitrogen fixation and its subsequent effect on primary productivity. EXPAND is also an endorsed project of the Second International Indian Ocean Expedition (IIOE-2).
Dr. Mar Benavides focuses on bridging the spatiotemporal scales between diazotrophs (nitrogen-fixers) and global biogeochemical cycles. Her research spans environments from cold, nutrient-rich waters, such as the mesopelagic ocean and coastal upwelling ecosystems, to ocean deserts and polar waters. She investigates the factors controlling the magnitude, distribution, and diversity of nitrogen fixation in the ocean, combining nanotechnology, molecular biology, biogeochemistry, and modeling approaches.
Learn more about EXPAND
The IMBeR Science Plan provides a framework that supports participation of international, regional and national research efforts in the IMBeR project. We invite and encourage research project PIs to apply for IMBeR endorsement.