Dear Colleagues,
We invite you to submit an abstract to our OSM 2026 session HE010 Pelagic ecosystems and nutrient cycles in a changing Southern Ocean. The abstract submission deadline is August 20th, 2026 (03:59 UTC).
The productive circumpolar Southern Ocean hosts an abundance of pelagic organisms, from the smallest microbes and plankton to the largest organism on Earth, the blue whale. These organisms contribution to nutrient cycling on the global scale, affecting the efficiency of the biological carbon pump and the response of remote ocean ecosystems to climate change. Meanwhile their own habitat is experiencing rapid climate-driven change, affecting species distributions and ecosystem dynamics and function. This session will address how Southern Ocean pelagic ecosystems respond to climate change and how they mediate nutrient cycles and the global ecosystem response to change. We welcome contributions on change in the diversity, distribution, productivity, foodweb interactions and ecological functions of Southern Ocean pelagic organisms, their role in biogeochemical cycles, and the wider consequences of these changes. We welcome diverse approaches including field observations, satellite remote sensing, laboratory experiments, and modelling studies that advance our understanding of the Southern Ocean's ecological dynamics and its broader role in the Earth system.
Best Wishes from HE010 Session Chairs,
Emma Cavan, Sarat Chandra Tripathy, Simeon Hill, Clara Manno, Cordelia Roberts.
Cheers,
Cordelia
Dr. Cordelia Roberts (she/her/hers)
Research Associate in Marine Biogeochemistry
Room SPPB.G05, CPB
Department of Life Sciences
Imperial College London
Silwood Park Campus
SL5 7PY
