In the AqQua project Hereon is involved in monitoring global populations of organisms in water

Plankton and organic particles take up carbon from the atmosphere, transporting it from the water’s surface to the deep sea. As a result, the Earth’s climate is heavily influenced by life in the water. The AqQua project aims to determine how many of these microscopic organisms exist globally, how they are distributed, and how these patterns are changing due to climate change. Researchers are analyzing billions of images for this purpose. The Helmholtz Foundation Model Initiative (HFMI) is funding the project. Hereon is involved through its Institute for Carbon Cycles.