The four-year Horizon Europe TRICUSO seeks to enhance every level of the Southern Ocean carbon observation value chain from innovating sensor technologies and expanding observation capacities via autonomous and citizen science platforms, to data products and system governance in support of the WMO Global Greenhouse Gas Watch (G3W).
VOLUME THREE STORIES
- Welcome from Jula Falvey
- The Key Highlight – First Annual Meeting
- Scoops of the Season – News and Good Reads
- Out & About – OSM26 Summary
- Upcoming Events
Dear Readers,
We hope that 2026 has rolled out well for all of you.
As the light of day ebbs or flows depending on the hemisphere this finds you in, and we transition into our respective new seasons, TRICUSO is wrapping up a busy period that kicked off with our First Annual Meeting in Bergen and saw a strong project presence at the prestigious Ocean Sciences Meeting (OSM) in Glasgow. You can read about both events in this newsletter.
While it may seem that all the physical movement has been Northbound recently, our focus remains firmly set on the Southern Ocean with sensor trials mimicking the conditions of these far-off waters, pCO2 measurements having been transmitted from the Hans Hansson, and activity around where and when new innovations on autonomous platforms will be deployed. This past season has also seen strong engagement with international programmes and initiatives operating in the Southern Ocean. Knowing what activity is taking place and how TRICUSO can both contribute to and benefit from is key to building a sustainable Southern Ocean carbon observation system.
In perfect timing, the IOCR Report was launched at OSM, providing the most comprehensive evaluation to date of the processes driving ocean carbon uptake. With contributions from some of our TRICUSO colleagues, the report highlights the need for strengthening ocean observation to gain a better understanding of the processes currently helping to regulate our ocean and environment, which is essential for accurate climate projections and effective policy planning. And thus, the work goes on…
One final note, with over 600 followers on LinkedIn, it is good to see a growing interest in TRICUSO and its ambitions. A special thanks to all of you who have spread the word and engaged with us on social media.
Best wishes,
Jula Falvey
WP7 Lead: Communication, Dissemination & Exploitation
First Annual Meeting: 13-16 January
Despite the chilly weather and dark days of winter in Bergen, Norway, TRICUSO’s First Annual Meeting was bright with insights and knowledge sharing. The rich programme offered a chance to review progress and achievements made through the first year, learn about activity going on among international organisations and unpack the key activities needed to support the project’s work plan and objectives. Highlights included:
- Updates on the collaborative work taking place to improve data quality gathered from measurements via the CaPASOS, LoC sensor, the OceanPack™ RACE and wind sensors;
- Hearing about trials on citizen science platforms and autonomous floats;
- Discussions around how TRICUSO’s three Research Infrastructures (RIs) can operate together to deliver to the WMO Global Greenhouse Gas Watch (G3W);
- A look at what’s required to address the model-data mismatch concerning ocean carbon;
- In-depth presentations from international organisations in support of establishing a sustainable observation system in the Southern Ocean.
Among the members of the consortium there was a consensus that the meeting fostered great connections. The world clouds below reflect responses to what attendees felt the best thing they learned was, what their favourite ocean pastimes are and areas of the Ocean they most like to visit.
SOCONET Achieves Scientific Leadership and Governance Structure
TRICUSO reached a significant project milestone when it hosted the inaugural Steering Committee Meeting for the Surface Ocean CO2 Reference Observing Network (SOCONET). This took place on the heels of the Annual Meeting in Bergen on 16-17 of January. Project colleagues were joined by members of SOCONET’s international community to discuss the development of the network’s implementation plan.
TRICUSO Video - Episode One
Feast your eyes on the beautiful scenery of the Southern Ocean in our project video, first in a planned series of four annual releases. Episode One focuses on 2025 stories through interviews with consortium scientists, and introduces the project’s ambitions to innovate sensor technology and engage citizen science platforms.
Applause for the GO-SHIP Team
The Oceanography Society has bestowed its Ocean Observing Team Award to the GO-SHIP team in recognition of the program’s groundbreaking and sustained contributions to ocean observing. Among the esteemed scientists in this group are TRICUSO colleagues Elaine McDonagh (NORCE), Peter Brown (NOC), Siv Kari Lauvset (NORCE), Toste Tanhua (GEOMAR) and Maciej Telszewski (IO PAN).
Passive Acoustic Monitoring From Profiling Floats...
A new article by Louise Delaigue, Edouard Leymarie, Hervé Claustre, Catherine Schmechtig and Antoine Poteau (Laboratoire d’Océanographie de Villefranche (LOV) CNRS-Sorbonne Université) together with co-authors, demonstrates how passive acoustic sensors on biogeochemical profiling floats can retrieve surface wind speed from hundreds of meters.
Trialing in Southern Ocean Conditions
In related news, TRICUSO partners Euro-Argo ERIC and CNRS, in collaboration with our sister project GEORGE, have been innovating acoustic wind sensor technology on floats, building on the work from a trial they undertook last year. They kicked off 2026 with a new trial in the Mediterranean, testing a winder-equipped float, mirroring Southern Ocean conditions for the deployment that will take place there later this year.
Improved Air-Sea CO₂ Flux Estimates From Sailboat Measurements
Using observing system simulations and novel sailboat tracks, this new paper by TRICUSO’s Jacqueline Behncke (GEOMAR) and Peter Landschützer (VLIZ) along with co-authors, demonstrates how integrating sailboat data improves estimates of ocean carbon uptake.
Of Manganese Modules and Pan-Euro Projects: An Interview with Richard Sanders
We all know that Richard is at the helm of TRICUSO and our sister project OceanICU as well as serving as Director of the Ocean Thematic Centre within ICOS, but how well do we really know Richard? We thought the tide was in a good place to cast a few rounds of questions, and to hear how he feels about TRICUSO’s progress and the community it serves.
TRICUSO at Ocean Sciences Meeting 2026
The TRICUSO project and members of its consortium made a healthy splash in the heavily populated waters of OSM26. Held in Glasgow, Scotland, this was the first time the prestigious conference took place outside the United States, and it was a welcome setting for over 6,500 attendees. TRICUSO activity included two town halls, a co-chaired session titled The Southern Ocean Carbon Sink: processes, observations, and change and a poster talk.
EMBRC: Blue Tech Europe Conference 2026 - Marine Observing Technologies
Sorbonne University, Paris, France: 21-22 April
EGU General Assembly 2026
Vienna, Austria & Online: 3-8 May
Polar Argo Workshop
UBO/IUEM/PNBI, Plouzané, France, Hybrid event: 18-19 June
Thank you for reading TRICUSO Currents. The next volume will be out in May.
