The Institute of Computing for Climate Science (ICCS) is proud to collaborate on TiMBER — a bold, multi-institutional research effort to forecast tipping points in marine ecosystems and help the UK prepare for their consequences and opportunities, especially in the fishing and aquaculture industries.
Funded by the UK Government’s Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA), TiMBER (Forecasting Tipping points In Marine Biogeochemistry and Ecosystem Responses) is one of 27 global projects under ARIA’s £81 million Forecasting Tipping Points programme. This five-year initiative targets early detection of critical environmental thresholds that, once crossed, could lead to rapid and irreversible shifts in Earth’s systems.
Marine ecosystems, particularly in the North Atlantic, are highly sensitive to physical and chemical changes – yet remain poorly understood in terms of tipping point dynamics. With potential implications for biodiversity, carbon uptake, and livelihoods, understanding these dynamics is now a pressing global challenge.
At ICCS, we will contribute advanced modelling techniques and AI-driven analytics to help develop an Ocean Systems Model that can detect the earliest signs of marine ecosystem instability. Our team will work closely with researchers at UEA, Cefas, the National Oceanography Centre, and SAMS to integrate data across climate science, oceanography, and fisheries.
By identifying early warning indicators in ‘sentinel species’ and quantifying the role of the oceans in carbon absorption, TiMBER aims to provide the UK with actionable insight for sustainable adaptation – from policy to practice.
As a hub for interdisciplinary climate research, ICCS is proud to support this transformative project at the intersection of computing, climate science, and real-world impact.