MINKE supports young and early-career marine scientists and technical staff working on FerryBox observations to participate in the 12th international FerryBox Workshop and adjacent metrology workshops from 30 September to 3 October 2024 in Helsinki, Finland.
The responses of marine ecosystems to environmental changes are complex, and finding out the high spatio-temporal dynamics of phytoplankton is one of the most relevant research questions. The high frequency in situ phytoplankton observations, using fluorescence and imaging methods, are increasingly used in various observing platforms. Reproducibility, comparability, and traceability are the specific challenges for these methods and the user communities should advance the consistency of these important measurements. This workshop concentrates especially on the measurements done using FerryBox flowthrough systems installed on the Ships-of Opportunity, Research Vessels or fixed platforms. It brings together FerryBox operators, data users and technology developers, early career and senior scientists and technical staff, and marine biologists and metrology experts, to discuss and agree upon next generation developments in improving the reliability of the fluorescence and imaging methods.
Finnish Environment Institute, Finnish Meteorological Institute and EuroGOOS FerryBox TaskTeam are organizing a 12th International FerryBox Workshop in Helsinki, Finland 1.-2.October 2024 as an on-site meeting. EU-funded project MINKE is organizing two additional metrology-related sessions adjacent to the FerryBox workshop: 1) Improvements in fluorometer measurements (30. September 2024, afternoon) and 2) Improving the quality of plankton imaging (2. October 2024, morning)”, targeting especially young and early career marine scientists and technical staff working within FerryBox observations. The first workshop will be dedicated to the specificities of measuring phytoplankton Chlorophyll-a fluorescence in the FerryBox systems, and the second to improving methods of phytoplankton imaging in the FerryBox systems.
The MINKE workshop participants are expected to have basic knowledge of marine biological observations, especially on fluorescence methods and/or phytoplankton imaging (this is not an elementary course of methods but a meeting point for method users). We expect participants to have also experience in flow-through FerryBox measurements or similar methods. Both workshops also include senior participants and lecturers from various research institutes performing FerryBox measurements and with solid experience in the methods.
A limited amount of funding is available for supporting in-person attendance, and participants wishing to avail of this possibility should fill in the application form by the 31st of August 2024. Only expenses relating to international travel (flight/ferry/train-ticket from an applicant’s country of residence to Helsinki and back) and local accommodation costs (between 30th September and 2nd October) will be considered. Catering during coffee breaks and lunches will be provided during the workshops, as well as a workshop dinner. The workshop organizer will book the flights and accommodation for the participants selected to be funded. Kindly note that priority will be first given to applicants from developing countries in the selection process for awarding reimbursement. Note also that priority will also be given to those applicants showing a solid engagement with the FerryBox measurements. We seek a balance in the background of the funded participants (gender, students, early-career scientists, technical persons) and in the geographical distribution.
The financially supported participants of MINKE workshops should also attend the 12th FerryBox meeting in full. Participants receiving financial support will be required to prepare and present either a talk (15minutes) or a poster during FerryBox workshop, showcasing their own work to help foster networking.
Find out more about the MINKE project at: https://minke.eu/
The registration is open until 31 August, 2024.
We are able to fund 15 attendees for the event, which is for personal attendance only. Information about the workshop can be found in the link: https://www.finmari-infrastructure.fi/events/ferrybox-workshop-october-2024/
Please contact Jukka Seppälä (jukka.seppala@syke.fi) or Katri Kuuppo (katri.kuuppo@sykefi) if you have any questions.