Climate change is triggering profound changes in the marine environment, especially in the Arctic Ocean (AO) and subpolar North Atlantic (SPNA), two key areas playing a crucial role in feeding the main engine of the global oceans: the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). Despite the utmost importance of AMOC for the climate system, there are still many open fundamental questions regarding its physical mechanisms, water mass pathways, and transport or ventilation timescales. TITANICA aims to improve our understanding of AMOC on the basis of a new set of transient radionuclide tracers (129I, 236U, 39Ar and 14C), a quartet that will allow to study and constrain oceanographic processes on timescales of years to millennia. While the combination of the two nuclear reprocessing-derived 129I and 236U will investigate the shorter transport mechanisms (100 y). Newly available techniques will allow the implementation of 39Ar to unprecedented possibilities, closing the time gap between the artificial transient tracers (CFCs, SF6, 129I, 236U) and natural 14C. TITANICA goes beyond the state-of-the art as it combines cutting-edge analytical techniques (Accelerator Mass Spectrometry and Atom Trap Trace Analysis) with novel data analysis methods pioneered by the PI and supported by binary mixing models, transit time distributions, and regional ocean modeling. During the 5 years journey of TITANICA, two PhD students and two postdocs will join the PI embarking in a suit of ocean expeditions covering the Arctic Ocean, the SPNA and the subtropical Atlantic Ocean. The new data generated and the strong collaboration with European and International partners will combine with the PI unique expertise in this field, triggering a new era of transient tracers in the Arctic and Atlantic oceans.

The Arctic is undergoing rapid changes. Multiple stressors such as climate change and pollution from local and remote sources affect human life, wildlife and the ecosystems of the Arctic. These are inseparably connected and require a holistic approach to analyses and assessments of pollution issues, and to their solutions. Using this One Health approach, ArcSolution will provide knowledge and mitigating solutions, co-created with the people of the Arctic. The Arctic is home to a variety of Arctic communities. To capture this diversity, ArcSolution will work in four Arctic locations, i.e. Northern Finland, Svalbard, Northern Norway (Tromsø) and Greenland, integrating local and Indigenous knowledge with environmental, health, technical and social science research in a One Health approach. The One Health framework will be instrumental in identifying knowledge and data gaps, and in synthesizing the information generated and collected in ArcSolution. In addition to scientifically relevant priority pollutants (e.g. per-/polyfluorinated alkylated substances, mercury, (micro)plastics and their additives, and key pathogens), ArcSolution will provide room for research and citizen science projects on locally prioritized issues. We will study pollution from local and remote sources in a climate change context, pollutant accumulation in food webs and human exposure. We will also evaluate current and predict future impacts of these pollutants on Arctic ecosystems and human health. Together with the local communities, we will develop solutions in the fields of circular economy, technology and chemicals management. Our results will be used in education programmes at Arctic schools already connected to ArcSolution. They will be communicated to policy-makers, industry and the scientific community. The One Health-based knowledge will strengthen the knowledge base and contribute to sustainable preventive actions for human life, wildlife and the ecosystems in the Arctic.

KEPLER is a multi-partner initiative, built around the operational European Ice Services and Copernicus information providers, to prepare a roadmap for Copernicus to deliver an improved European capacity for monitoring and forecasting the Polar Regions. Our motivation is to put the public and stakeholders at the centre of Copernicus. This follows the recommendations of the ‘Copernicus User Uptake’ review, and its 4 themes of: 1) Raising awareness for the Copernicus programme, 2) Informing and educating Copernicus users, 3) Engaging Copernicus users in public and private sector, and 4) Enabling access to Copernicus data and information. These well tailored themes form the core components of KEPLER. However, as the Polar Regions are changing, so too are the challenges and opportunities. Because of these shifts we have included two additional themes that encompass the evolving needs. These are needed to provide opportunities for better understanding the environment, research opportunities, establishing new industry sectors and startups, and importantly empowering citizens: 5) Identification of research gaps regarding integration/assimilation, and 6) Improved sea-ice mapping and forecasting. Through these 6 themes KEPLER aims to release the full potential of Polar Regions Earth Observation, including from ESA and EUMETSAT, by identifying and eliminating the barriers that impede the use of the tremendous resource that is Copernicus. This combines 2 key elements of the call: a) bringing together key European stakeholders and competent entities, and b) growing the Copernicus brand and user-base through providing enhanced scientific and technical support. Our objective with KEPLER is to provide a mechanism that enables the broad range of Polar Regions stakeholders to be equipped with the most accurate and relevant, environmental information so that they can seize the many benefits that Copernicus products generate for society and economy.