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SYKE-MRC (Marine Research Centre) Mesocosm Facility
Marine Research Centre
Infrastructure Description
The SYKE-MRC Indoor Mesocosm Facility is part of the Marine Ecology Laboratory at the Finnish Environment Institute. It hosts indoor experimental systems in a range of volumes up to 300 L. Temperature and light conditions are well controlled. The facility has several walk-in climate chambers and modern laboratories equipped with a wide range of instruments, including advanced bio-optical methods, such as flow cytometer, CytoSense, imaging FlowCam, Imaging flow Cytobot and LISST-Holo 2, Zooscan, high- quality microscopes, spectrophotometer with integrating sphere, spectrofluorometers, FRR fluorometers, plate readers, controllable LED panels, nutrient analysers, isotope laboratory, microplastics laboratory and a laboratory for molecular biology. Furthermore, SYKE-MRC Indoor Mesocosm is associated with a phytoplankton culture collection including hundreds of strains that can be used in experimental studies.
The mesocosm facility has a unique instrument - AquaBox -for automated sampling and measurement of several parameters, e.g., T°C, O2, in vivo fluorescence, FRRF, PAM, CDOM, pCO2, pH, inorganic N and P. Instruments for flow cytometry, image analysis of individual cells of phytoplankton and microzooplankton species (FlowCAM, CytoSense, FlowCytobot) can be hooked to the system, as well as automated water sample retrieval for additional analyses. All functions are computer-controlled, including automatic data transfer and storage.
Please see also the gear gallery: https://www.finmari-infrastructure.fi/gear-gallery/finnish-environment-institute-syke/
Facility Description
pelagic - marine - brackish – freshwater – indoor
Indoor experimental systems in a range of volumes, with integrated incubation condition control, data retrieval, and their online presentation. Ice tanks available for ice ecology research. High-quality analytical laboratories are directly connected.
Organisation Address
Finnish Environment Institute SYKE, Marine Research Centre (MRC)
Latokartanonkaari 11
Helsinki
00790
Finland
Infrastructure Address
SYKE-MRC (Marine Research Centre) Mesocosm Facility
Mustialankatu 1
Helsinki
00790
Finland
Information Sources
Short presentation of the SYKE Marine Research Laboratory on FINMARI web pages: http://www.finmari-infrastructure.fi/laboratories/syke-mrc-marine-ecology-laborato/
Link to the FINMARI gear gallery: https://www.finmari-infrastructure.fi/gear-gallery/finnish-environment-institute-syke/
Video showing the preparation of a mesocosm experiment at the facility: https://youtu.be/bm3h714rhRY
Video about the AquaBox: https://youtu.be/r9SqFst3Q-w
Location
Gallery
Contacts
Maiju Lehtiniemi
Katri Kuuppo
Controlled Parameters
Temperature, light, pH, pCO2, nutrient levels, community composition
Research Topics
Planktonic food web, phytoplankton and zooplankton ecology, stoichiometry, biodiversity, ice ecology, microplastic research.
Experiment Years
Indoor mesocosms have been operational since 2019. Competence on mesocosm research has been built since 1988.
TA Support
Services currently offered by the infrastructure: Comparisons, calibration and validation of sensors and bio-optical instruments, experiments on plankton ecosystems, growing microalgae.
Support offered under AQUACOSM: Users under AQUACOSM have access to the indoor mesocosms, lab space, instruments and service by scientific, technical and administrative staff. to lab space and the associated facilities, to standard disposables and administrative and logistic support and to laboratory services listed above, as agreed upon in a user-access contract. Staff will provide training in the use of the facilities where necessary. Advanced technical or analytical support by SYKE-MRC researchers and laboratory technicians is available upon request within the limits set by available Actual Costs.
Support offered under AQUACOSM-plus: Users have access to the indoor mesocosms, lab space, instruments and service by scientific, technical and administrative staff, the associated facilities, standard disposables and administrative and logistic support and laboratory services listed above, as agreed upon in a user-access contract. Staff will provide training in the use of the facilities where necessary. Advanced technical or analytical support by SYKE-MRC researchers and laboratory technicians is available upon request within the limits set by available Actual Costs.
TA Modality of Access
Modality of access under AQUACOSM: A total of at least 336 person-days will be allocated to external users through AQUACOSM Transnational Access provision in years 2-4. Access is offered to a minimum of 4 persons for an average of 20 days each year. Access costs will be declared on the basis of a combination of Unit and Actual Costs (186 € and 165 € per user-day, respectively), the latter covering specific support from SYKE-MRC staff.
Modality of access under AQUACOSM-plus: A total of at least 240 person-days will be allocated to external users through AQUACOSM-plus TA provision. Access is offered to a minimum of 6 persons for an average of 20 days per year within M10-45. However, a smaller user numbers per year is preferred to distribute over 3 years. Access costs will be declared on the basis of a combination of Unit and Actual Costs, the latter covering specific support from SYKE- MRC staff.
TA Accommodation
City location – commercial lodging