Mechanisms controlling sources and sinks of anthropogenic CO2 in the oceans, and impacts of CO2 on marine ecosystems

PI: Richard Feely

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Research Institution:    NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental                                                                  Laboratory

PI First name, Last name:            Richard Feely

Phone:                                        (206) 526-6214

Email:                                         Richard.A.Feely@noaa.gov

Project website link:                    http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/co2/

 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

My research interests focus on carbon cycling and ocean acidification, specifically mechanisms controlling sources and sinks of anthropogenic CO2 in the oceans, and impacts of CO2 on marine ecosystems.

Synopsis of current ocean acidification-relevant research or work:

I have been using the CLIVAR/CO2 Repeat Hydrography and North American Carbon Program cruise data sets in collaboration with modelers to determine the rates of acidification of open-ocean and coastal waters in the Pacific and to determine the relative contributions of anthropogenic CO2 inputs, circulation, mixing, biological productivity, and remineralization on the acidification process. This year we’ll be studying the combined impacts of ocean acidification and hypoxia along the Cascadia Margin between Canada and Mexico. This will allow us to make detailed observations throughout the Cascadia region focusing on areas of known recurring hypoxic conditions consistently observed through the past decade.

We plan to conduct a full suite of high-quality measurements of inorganic carbon (total CO2, alkalinity, pCO2), oxygen, nutrients, salinity, and temperature. These measurements will form the core of the data set needed to extend the predictive relationships for Ωarag and pH to water masses with hypoxic conditions.

I am a member of the OCB Scientific Steering Committee and Ocean Acidification Subcommittee, and the Interagency Working Group on Ocean Acidification (IWGOA) established by the Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology (JSOST). I am also a member of the international SOLAS-IMBER Ocean Acidification Working Group (SIOA WG).