Champion for the BIO-Carbon programme (C-Bio-C)

The ocean holds a vast quantity of carbon, with fifty times the amount present in the atmosphere. The most recent IPCC report has identified insufficient understanding of how biological activity influences carbon storage as an obstacle to accurately predicting whether this reservoir is robust to climate change. We still have major uncertainties in our model predictions for how the amount of carbon stored in the ocean will change over the coming century. The BIO-Carbon programme sets out to improve our understanding of how marine organisms affect the ocean's ability to store carbon from the Earth's atmosphere. This is critical at a time when nations are moving towards net zero policies to address escalating concerns about the impact of climate change. This proposal will ensure that the programme delivers its desired aim of significantly enhancing our ability to predict the fate of this important ocean service to mankind, building links globally to bring a truly international focus onto this important topic.