[IIOE2-EP64] Key Oceanic Processes of the Seychelles Dome in the Southwestern Indian Ocean and Their Responses to Global Climate Change

Lead Investigator :

1. Dongxiao Wang, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai Campus, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China
   dxwang[at]mail[dot]sysu[dot]edu[dot]cn

Other Key Participants:

1. JINGFENG WU - Multi-isotope tracing, Sun Yat-Sen University, China
   wujf59[at]mail[dot]sysu[dot]edu[dot]cn
2. Xiaobo Zhang - Ship management, Guangdong Provincial Laboratory of Southern Marine Science and Engineering (Zhuhai), China
   zhangxiaobo[at]sml-zhuhai[dot]cn
3. Wenhao Wang - Non-traditional isotope tracer in the marine realm, Sun Yat-Sen University, China
   wangwh75[at]mail[dot]sysu[dot]edu[dot]cn
4. Genmei Lin - Ecosystem, Sun Yat-Sen University, China
   lingm5[at]mail[dot]sysu[dot]edu[dot]cn
5. Haibo Tang - Mesoscale and submesoscale, Sun Yat-Sen University, China
   tanghb8[at]mail[dot]sysu[dot]edu[dot]cn

Period of Project: June 2027- June 2028

Brief description of the Project:

This project focuses on the key oceanic processes of the Seychelles Dome in the southwestern Indian Ocean and their responses to global climate change. Due to the uplift of the thermocline in this region, the Seychelles Dome plays an important role in biological productivity and climate variability. Although its upwelling is closely linked to large-scale wind fields and air-sea interactions such as the Indian Ocean Dipole, its physical mechanisms and ecological impacts remain insufficiently understood. Through multidisciplinary observations, the project aims to elucidate the dynamical characteristics of the Seychelles Dome upwelling system, nutrient cycling, and the regulatory mechanisms of biological productivity. The research will address the dynamics of the upwelling system and air-sea interaction, material transport and recycling using multi-isotope tracers, and the regulation of phytoplankton productivity under climate change. The project will employ a research vessel and advanced equipment to conduct high-resolution, integrated oceanographic, meteorological, and ecological observations, filling gaps in the understanding of upwelling mechanisms, limiting factors of biological productivity, and carbon cycle feedbacks in this region. The outcomes will provide scientific evidence for understanding the diversity of tropical upwelling systems and their role in global climate change, while supporting sustainable development of regional ecosystems and improving climate change prediction.

Region(s) of study:

The proposed fieldwork will be conducted in the southwestern Indian Ocean, focusing on the Seychelles Dome region. The primary working area is bounded by 3°S-12°S, 64°E-68.5°E, situated to the east of the Seychelles Islands. Within this domain, four survey transects are planned, distributed across the eastern Seychelles waters.