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Revealing the secret life of sharks in a warming ocean

07-06-2021 | Blue shark (Prionace glauca) © Nuno Vasco Rodrigues - Portrait image on the right @ David Sims

Although it is widely known that global warming has a direct impact on our ecosystems, there is little information about its effects on oceans’ top predators, such as pelagic sharks and tunas. How does ocean deoxygenation brought about by climate change influence their habitat? And how do they adapt their behaviour to this changing environment? David Sims and his team at the Marine Biological Association Laboratory in the United Kingdom aim to reveal how climate change, oceans’ predators and fishing fleets interact.

‘Impossible to adapt’: Surprisingly fast ice-melts in past raise fears about sea level rise

27-04-2021 | © Dan Meyers / Unsplash

Will climate change strengthen tsunami-like floods in Europe?

26-10-2020 | © istockphotos.com

By the end of the 21st century, sea levels are estimated to rise between 40 and 60 centimetres worldwide. Coping with this will be a major challenge for many European coastal communities. ERC grantee Jadranka Šepić at the University of Split in Croatia is investigating how climate change will affect the strength and frequency of tsunami-like flooding events along European coastlines. Her research could help coastal communities prepare better for future challenges.

Highlighted research projects: Starting Grant 2020

03-09-2020 | © picture

Projects and researchers awarded ERC Starting Grants in 2020 were, as usual, extremely varied. This year we selected seven examples to give you a taste of the new research avenues that will be explored

Busting the myths about ocean plastic

01-09-2020 | @ Aike Vonk

There is much more to marine plastic pollution than meets the eye. In his quest to set the record straight about this litter, Erik van Sebille, an oceanographer at Utrecht University, is garnering international interest from the public, media, schoolchildren and policymakers alike. His passion for public outreach has led him to become one of the first laureates of the ERC Public Engagement with Research Award. We interviewed him to find out more about his winning media relations strategy and the benefits public engagement has brought to his research.

New hope for coral reefs

05-06-2020 | © Tali Mass

Corals are one of the most beautiful and fascinating ecosystems in the world. However, due to rising sea temperatures, pollution and ocean acidification, they are also one of the most threatened. Pioneering work of ERC grantee Tali Mass shows that corals might be less vulnerable to some of these changes in their environment than previously thought, bringing new hope for their conservation.

2019 Research Highlights

13-05-2020 | © picture

During 2019, many ERC-funded projects led to scientific breakthroughs, important discoveries and exciting results. Here we showcase a few of these examples. Read more: Annual report on the ERC activities and achievements in 2019

Enlisting albatrosses to fight illegal fishing

Illegal fishing destroys marine habitats and threatens species living at sea. The work of ERC grantee Henri Weimerskirch is helping authorities to crack down on these operations by developing the world’s first seabird ocean-surveillance system.

Fresh water below the sea floor

Diving ‘mermaids’ could tell us what the Earth and the ocean look like from within

An ERC grant motivated Prof. Guust Nolet to move back to Europe to develop small underwater robots that could help us understand our planet’s structure. Ten years later, thanks to an industrial partnership funded by an additional ERC grant, these robots are also employed to monitor the health of our oceans.

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