OMRG Joins JPI Oceans Project on Artificial Light At Night (ALAN) - ISOLUME

The Oceanography Malta Research Group (OMRG) within the Department of Geosciences at the University of Malta is proud to announce its involvement in JPI Oceans’ joint call on the Consequences of Changing Marine Lightscapes through the project titled IndicatorS Of changing Lightscapes in Underwater Marine Ecosystems Project (ISOLUME). This call identifies the urgent need to understand both the drivers and impacts of changes in marine lightscapes on the marine environment that result from both coastal darkening and marine artificial light at night (ALAN) pollution.

The University of Malta’s participation within the project is led by Prof. Alan Deidun, with the support of Prof. Adam Gauci and the rest of the OMRG team; participation within the project will provide a boost to Malta’s growing portfolio of collaboration with renowned European research institutes and universities to further cutting-edge scientific advances in the field of marine biology and oceanography. The project’s kick-off meeting was held last week at the premises of the Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS) in Hamburg, Germany and was attended by Prof. Adam Gauci and research support officer Mr Justin Cauchi.

ISOLUME involves a total of 11 partners from 6 different countries and brings together leading researchers and research institutions from across the EU to address assess how marine lightscapes have changed across European sea basins over decadal to centennial timescales, and determine drivers, sources and impacts of these changes at both large and small scales. The project will eventually lead to findings and recommendations which can be used by policy-makers to address and mitigate light pollution on marine ecosystems. Through this collaboration, OMRG will be tasked with the public outreach, publication and dissemination of the project, ensuring that the outcomes of this project are available for all to see and ensure maximum publicity and impact on this under-researched topic. This three-year project will run until June 2028. The project website is still under development but further information about the project can be gleaned through online.