Changing Ocean Biological Systems (COBS): how will biota respond to a changing ocean?

Assess the current status of emerging research themes by reviewing the literature to assess the dominant research foci, their relative coverage, and identify any major gaps and/or limitations. Publish this review in an open-access peer-reviewed journal.

Raise awareness across different scientific communities (evolutionary experimental biologists, ecologists, physiologists, chemists, modelers) to initiate better alignment and integration of research efforts.

Co-ordinate thematic transdisciplinary sessions to attract and assemble experts from other fields such as paleoceanography and marine ecotoxicology to learn from the successful approaches their fields have developed to address multiple drivers.

Develop a multi-driver Best-Practice Guide (BPG, or other tools) as one potentially valuable way to help this research field move forward in a cohesive manner.

Mentor early-career scientists in the design process for complex multiple driver manipulation experiments, familiarize them with BPG, and teach them practical methodologies for the analysis of their experimental findings.

Publish a series of short articles in both the scientific media and with scientific journalists to disseminate the challenges and opportunities surrounding multiple drivers and ecosystems.

Engage with policy-makers and science communication experts to produce a glossary of terms and an implementation guide for policy-makers to better understand the role of multiple drivers in altering marine living resources and ecosystem services.

15-17 July 2016 in Waterville, New Hampshire, USA

2017 IAEA-sponsored multi-driver meeting: 12-14 June 2017 in Monaco

15-16 June 2017 in Villefranche, France

13-15 July 2018 in Waterville, New Hampshire

IAEA-sponsored early-career training workshop: mid-October 2018 in Monaco