PI: Adrienne Sutton
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Research Institution: NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL)
PI First name, Last name: Adrienne Sutton
Phone: 206.526.6879
Email: adrienne.sutton@noaa.gov
Website link: www.pmel.noaa.gov/co2/story/Ocean+Acidification
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The focus of PMEL’s ocean carbon observation program is to document the evolving state of ocean carbon chemistry using measurements on ships and autonomous platforms, study the processes controlling the role of the ocean in the global carbon cycle, and investigate how rising atmospheric CO2 and climate change affect the chemistry of the oceans and its marine ecosystems. Since ocean acidification emerged as an important scientific issue, the PMEL Carbon Group has been augmenting and expanding our observational capacity by adding pH and other biogeochemical sensors (O2, chlorophyll, turbidity) to a variety of observing platforms. In particular, high frequency observations on moorings provide valuable information for better understanding natural variability in ocean acidification over daily to seasonal cycles. In addition, we have responded to the critical need for intensive time series measurements in highly productive coastal systems by focusing much of our initial efforts on upgrading coastal CO2 moorings around the U.S. to include ocean acidification measurements. Our ocean acidification mooring network now includes 10 moorings in open ocean waters, coastal systems, and coral reefs. The major goals of this research are to contribute to a better understanding of the temporal and spatial variability of carbon chemistry in the surface ocean and to expand the observational basis for developing predictions of future changes in ocean acidification and its consequences for marine ecosystems.
KEYWORDS: ocean acidification, ocean carbon, observations, autonomous platforms, buoys
FUNDING AGENCY: NOAA