Archive for July, 2013

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »

Benthic buffers and boosters of ocean acidification on coral reefs (update)

Published 22 July 2013 Science Closed
Tags: , , , , , , ,

Ocean acidification is a threat to marine ecosystems globally. In shallow-water systems, however, ocean acidification can be masked by benthic carbon fluxes, depending on community composition, seawater residence time, and the magnitude and balance of net community production (NCP) and calcification (NCC). Here, we examine how six benthic groups from a coral reef environment on Heron Reef (Great Barrier Reef, Australia) contribute to changes in the seawater aragonite saturation state (Ωa). Results of flume studies using intact reef habitats (1.2 m by 0.4 m), showed a hierarchy of responses across groups, depending on CO2 level, time of day and water flow. At low CO2 (350–450 μatm), macroalgae (Chnoospora implexa), turfs and sand elevated Ωa of the flume water by around 0.10 to 1.20 h−1 – normalised to contributions from 1 m2 of benthos to a 1 m deep water column. The rate of Ωa increase in these groups was doubled under acidification (560–700 μatm) and high flow (35 compared to 8 cm s−1). In contrast, branching corals (Acropora aspera) increased Ωa by 0.25 h−1 at ambient CO2 (350–450 μatm) during the day, but reduced Ωa under acidification and high flow. Nighttime changes in Ωa by corals were highly negative (0.6–0.8 h−1) and exacerbated by acidification. Calcifying macroalgae (Halimeda spp.) raised Ωa by day (by around 0.13 h−1), but lowered Ωa by a similar or higher amount at night. Analyses of carbon flux contributions from benthic communities with four different compositions to the reef water carbon chemistry across Heron Reef flat and lagoon indicated that the net lowering of Ωa by coral-dominated areas can to some extent be countered by long water-residence times in neighbouring areas dominated by turfs, macroalgae and carbonate sand.

Continue reading ‘Benthic buffers and boosters of ocean acidification on coral reefs (update)’

Microscopic marine creatures may lose teeth as ocean acidification kicks in

Published 19 July 2013 Press releases , Science Closed

Top marine scientists from around the globe meet in St Andrews, Scotland, to share their knowledge on the threat posed by increasing amounts of carbon dioxide entering the sea.

Continue reading ‘Microscopic marine creatures may lose teeth as ocean acidification kicks in’

United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea – advance report now available

Published 18 July 2013 Meetings , Newsletters and reports , Science Closed

The report from the United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea meeting in June, which focused its discussions on ocean acidification, is now available.

Continue reading ‘United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea – advance report now available’

Pelagic community production and carbon-nutrient stoichiometry under variable ocean acidification in an Arctic fjord (update)

Published 18 July 2013 Science Closed
Tags: , , , , , , ,

Net community production (NCP) and carbon to nutrient uptake ratios were studied during a large-scale mesocosm experiment on ocean acidification in Kongsfjorden, western Svalbard, during June–July 2010. Nutrient depleted fjord water with natural plankton assemblages, enclosed in nine mesocosms of ~ 50 m3 in volume, was exposed to pCO2 levels ranging initially from 185 to 1420 μatm. NCP estimations are the cumulative change in dissolved inorganic carbon concentrations after accounting for gas exchange and total alkalinity variations. Stoichiometric coupling between inorganic carbon and nutrient net uptake is shown as a ratio of NCP to a cumulative change in inorganic nutrients. Phytoplankton growth was stimulated by nutrient addition half way through the experiment and three distinct peaks in chlorophyll a concentration were observed during the experiment. Accordingly, the experiment was divided in three phases. Cumulative NCP was similar in all mesocosms over the duration of the experiment. However, in phases I and II, NCP was higher and in phase III lower at elevated pCO2. Due to relatively low inorganic nutrient concentration in phase I, C : N and C : P uptake ratios were calculated only for the period after nutrient addition (phase II and phase III). For the total post-nutrient period (phase II + phase III) ratios were close to Redfield, however they were lower in phase II and higher in phase III. Variability of NCP, C : N and C : P uptake ratios in different phases reflects the effect of increasing CO2 on phytoplankton community composition and succession. The phytoplankton community was composed predominantly of haptophytes in phase I, prasinophytes, dinoflagellates, and cryptophytes in phase II, and haptophytes, prasinophytes, dinoflagellates and chlorophytes in phase III (Schulz et al., 2013). Increasing ambient inorganic carbon concentrations have also been shown to promote primary production and carbon assimilation. For this study, it is clear that the pelagic ecosystem response to increasing CO2 is more complex than that represented in previous work, e.g. Bellerby et al. (2008). Carbon and nutrient uptake representation in models should, where possible, be more focused on individual plankton functional types as applying a single stoichiometry to a biogeochemical model with regard to the effect of increasing pCO2 may not always be optimal. The phase variability in NCP and stoichiometry may be better understood if CO2 sensitivities of the plankton’s functional type biogeochemical uptake kinetics and trophic interactions are better constrained.

Continue reading ‘Pelagic community production and carbon-nutrient stoichiometry under variable ocean acidification in an Arctic fjord (update)’

Booker students study coral health

Published 17 July 2013 Media coverage Closed

Six students from Booker High School conducted independent research on climate change and ocean acidification, which are major threats to coral reef ecosystems, through a science education program launched this summer in partnership with Mote Marine Laboratory.

The week-long program at Mote’s Tropical Research Laboratory on Summerland Key allowed the students to join scientists from around the world at the lab’s testing facility that is focused on ocean acidification.

Continue reading ‘Booker students study coral health’

Deadline approaching – concept submissions for the “Ocean Challenge: Mitigating Acidification Impacts”

Published 17 July 2013 Science Closed

Concept submissions for the Ocean Challenge: Mitigating Acidification Impacts, are due Wednesday, July 31st. The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, as part of a larger ocean health initiative, and in collaboration with The Oceanography Society, is offering a $10,000 award for the most promising new science-based concept for mitigating environmental and/or societal impacts of ocean acidification.

Continue reading ‘Deadline approaching – concept submissions for the “Ocean Challenge: Mitigating Acidification Impacts”’

Impacts of climate change on fisheries: implications for food security in sub-Saharan Africa

Published 17 July 2013 Science Closed
Tags: ,
This chapter seeks to examine the contribution of fisheries to poverty reduction and food security, and portray the potential impacts of climate change on the already strained resource in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. Fish is a major source of food for the majority of poor and vulnerable communities in SSA. The sector also provides jobs to many men and women and is one of the most traded food commodities in the region. Fish trade supports economic growth in many developing countries in general and most SSA countries, in particular by providing an important source of cash revenue to service international debt, funding the operations of national governments, and importing food for domestic consumption, thus contributing to national food security and diversification of diets. However, the benefits gained from the sector are often overlooked in national economic planning. While the importance of fisheries to national economies is often understated, the impacts of climate change on the sector and its implications for the socio-economics of the coastal and riparian communities are difficult to ignore. This chapter provides a review of potential physical and biological impacts of climate change on fisheries by giving specific examples from SSA countries. In addition, the importance of fisheries to poverty reduction is demonstrated using empirical data from 42 SSA countries. It is clear that the higher the production level and per capita food supply from fishery products, the lower the prevalence of hunger. Nonetheless, the fisheries sector continues to lack sufficient attention by policy makers. This is mainly because well above half of the fish produced in SSA are supplied by small-scale or artisanal fisheries which are not accounted for in national statistics and thus their contribution to the economy and food security remains invisible. This chapter intends to uncover the invisibility of the sector and argues that fisheries should come at the forefront of the process of adaptation in policy formulation, and sufficient investments should be made to boost sustainable fish production in the region. It is recommended that increased and sustained investments in market development, fisheries governance and provision of economic incentive mechanisms are crucial in order to minimize the potential impacts of climate change on fisheries and food security and increase the resilience of many poor fisher communities in SSA.

Continue reading ‘Impacts of climate change on fisheries: implications for food security in sub-Saharan Africa’

First responders

Published 17 July 2013 Media coverage , Web sites and blogs Closed

As the world’s oceans continue to absorb increasing amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere, researchers are studying how the conditions affect phytoplankton, the species on the lowest level of the marine food chain.

UW oceanography professor James Murray is currently leading a team of several UW students and researchers from Western Washington University (WWU) in conducting novel experiments at the Friday Harbor Lab in the San Juan Islands. The researchers are observing how phytoplankton react to ocean acidification, the ongoing decrease of the ocean’s pH level due to an increase of CO2 in the ocean. They discovered that currently, the ocean already contains high levels of CO2 and continues to absorb more, which makes an increasingly acidic ocean environment. In many regions of the world, ocean acidification has had disastrous effects on ecosystems, such as the death of coral reefs. However, researchers said effects in the Puget Sound marine ecosystem are still unclear, as the team needed further research.

Continue reading ‘First responders’

Impact of elevated pCO2 on benthic foraminifera from the southwestern Baltic Sea

Published 17 July 2013 Science Closed
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations have a strong impact on the marine carbonate chemistry leading to a phenomenon called ocean acidification. Excess CO2 dissolves in the surface water of the ocean, thereby the seawater pCO2 increases, whereas the [CO3 2-] and pH decrease. Reduced CO3 2- concentrations may affect marine, especially calcifying, organisms such as benthic foraminifera, in that their ability to form calcareous tests might be affected. In comparison to open oceans, water pCO2 levels are often not in equilibrium with the atmosphere in coastal regions, which are characterized by high CO2 variability during the seasonal cycle. This has also been observed for the southwestern Baltic, an eutrophic marginal sea, where bacterial degradation of large amounts of organic matter cause O2 depletion and CO2 enrichment in the bottom water.

In the frame of this thesis, the impact of elevated pCO2, temperature and salinity changes on the survival and calcification ability of the benthic foraminiferal species Ammonia aomoriensis was investigated in mid-term and long-term laboratory experiments. Under laboratory conditions, foraminifera were either isolated from the sediment or remained in their natural microhabitat. Further, the natural carbonate system variability and its impact on foraminiferal communities were monitored in a one-year field study.

Specimens of Ammonia aomoriensis were isolated from their natural sediment. They exhibited reduced survival and growth rates with increasing pCO2 of up to 3130 μatm under laboratory conditions. At pCO2 levels above 1800 μatm, dissolution caused a decrease of test diameter, and at the highest pCO2, only the inner organic lining remained. Testing the combined effects of ocean acidification, temperature and salinity on living Ammonia aomoriensis, a significant reduction of test diameter was observed at a pCO2 >1200 μatm (Ωcalc<1). Tests were mainly affected by undersaturation of calcite. This effect was partly compensated by a temperature rise, which increased Ωcalc and led to lower test degradation. In contrast, salinity did not have a significant effect on test growth. These results revealed that Ammonia ammoriensis exhibited a high sensitivity to elevated pCO2 and accompanying calcium carbonate undersaturation when the specimens were kept without their protective sedimentary habitat.

During the field survey, large seasonal fluctuations of pCO2 from 465 up to 3429 μatm were encountered in the bottom water of Flensburg Fjord in the southwestern Baltic Sea. The pCO2 in the sediment pore water reached even higher values ranging from 1244 to 3324 μatm. However, and as a consequence of higher alkalinity (AT), the calcium carbonate saturation state of the sediment pore water remained slightly supersaturated with respect to calcite for most of the year. Accordingly, during the monitoring period, no dynamic responses of foraminiferal population density and diversity to elevated sediment pore water pCO2 were recognized.

Benthic foraminifera may indeed cope with a high sediment pore water pCO2 as long as the sediment pore water remains calcite supersaturated. This evidence from the field study was also supported by the results of a long-term laboratory experiment, in which a complete foraminiferal fauna in their natural sediment was exposed to elevated pCO2 levels. Similar to field observations, the sediment pore water exhibited higher alkalinity and consequently higher saturation state of Ωcalc in comparison to the overlying seawater. Thereby the sediment chemistry created a microhabitat, which sustained the growth and development of the foraminiferal community even at highly elevated pCO2. The dominant species Ammonia aomoriensis exhibited growth and several reproduction events during the incubation time. Nevertheless, dissolution was observed on dead, empty tests of Ammonia aomoriensis, whereas tests of the second-ranked species Elphidium incertum stayed intact at high pCO2 and Ωcalc<1. This species-specific response could be due to differences in elemental composition and ultrastructure of the test walls. Benthic foraminifera in their natural, sedimentary habitat tolerate elevated pCO2 under laboratory conditions and the current high sedimentary pore water pCO2, which prevails in the southwestern Baltic Sea. In this environment, organic-rich mud influences the carbonate chemistry, and thereby provides a suitable habitat for benthic foraminifera. Consequently, the calcifying Ammonia aomoriensis plays an important role in benthic carbonate production and accumulation in this area. These results emphasize the importance of understanding the carbonate chemistry in the natural environment of benthic foraminifera, which depends upon sediment composition and remineralization processes.

It is expected that enhanced future CO2 uptake in the water column will cause a further rise of sedimentary pore water pCO2 levels. As a consequence, undersaturation with respect to calcite will occur more frequently even in the sediment. This will most probably affect the dominant species Ammonia aomoriensis, which might induce changes in the benthic foraminiferal communities and their carbonate production in the southwestern Baltic Sea.

Continue reading ‘Impact of elevated pCO2 on benthic foraminifera from the southwestern Baltic Sea’

South Africa’s stance on ocean acidification

Published 17 July 2013 Media coverage Closed

I recently attended the 14th meeting of the United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and Law of the Sea held from 17 to 20 June 2013 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York as part of the South African government’s delegation. The meeting focused on the “impacts of ocean acidification on the marine environment”. Our delegation, like other delegations, was very elated that the meeting was focused on this important topic.

In the meeting, our delegation expressed its belief that the vast increase of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere leads to CO2 increase in the ocean, consequently leading to the acidification of the oceans. It was the view of our delegation that the ocean acidification resulting from climate change is a global threat to the ocean and coastal ecosystems. It was our further view that if oceans become more acidic, it will critically threaten the functioning of the marine habitats that are so effective at taking up atmospheric CO2.

Continue reading ‘South Africa’s stance on ocean acidification’

Acidic oceans of the future show extinction

Published 16 July 2013 Media coverage Closed

Ocean acidification may create an impact similar to extinction on marine ecosystems, according to a study published last Monday.

The study, exploring naturally acidic waters near volcanic vents in the Mediterranean Ocean off Italy, suggests that ocean acidification as a result of human emissions can degrade entire ecosystems – not just individual species, as past studies have shown.

The result, scientists say, is a homogenized marine community dominated by fewer plants and animals.

Continue reading ‘Acidic oceans of the future show extinction’

Exploring local adaptation and the ocean acidification seascape – studies in the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem

Published 16 July 2013 Science Closed
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

The California Current Large Marine Ecosystem (CCLME), a temperate marine region dominated by episodic upwelling, is predicted to experience rapid environmental change in the future due to ocean acidification. Aragonite saturation state within the California Current System is predicted to decrease in the future, with near-permanent undersaturation conditions expected by the year 2050. Thus, the CCLME is a critical region to study due to the rapid rate of environmental change that resident organisms will experience and because of the economic and societal value of this coastal region. Recent efforts by a research consortium – the Ocean Margin Ecosystems Group for Acidification Studies (OMEGAS) – has begun to characterize a portion of the CCLME; both describing the mosaic of pH in coastal waters and examining the responses of key calcification-dependent benthic marine organisms to natural variation in pH and to changes in carbonate chemistry that are expected in the coming decades. In this review, we present the OMEGAS strategy of co-locating sensors and oceanographic observations with biological studies on benthic marine invertebrates, specifically measurements of functional traits such as calcification-related processes and genetic variation in populations that are locally adapted to conditions in a particular region of the coast. Highlighted in this contribution are (1) the OMEGAS sensor network that spans the west coast of the US from central Oregon to southern California, (2) initial findings of the carbonate chemistry amongst the OMEGAS study sites, (3) an overview of the biological data that describes the acclimatization and the adaptation capacity of key benthic marine invertebrates within the CCLME.

Continue reading ‘Exploring local adaptation and the ocean acidification seascape – studies in the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem’

Duller, more lifeless oceans? No thanks

Published 16 July 2013 Web sites and blogs 1 Comment

One of the reasons I love oceans is that they’re bursting with life. Crazy, sort of unbelievable life if you think about it: Sea horses, anemones, whales, lobster, limpets, sharks, the list goes on and on.

For anyone fascinated by the beautiful oddities of the universe hiding around every corner, oceans are an endless smorgasbord of delights.

That’s why it was sad to see this new study saying that ocean acidification will make our oceans, well, less interesting. And, more troubling still, less alive.

Continue reading ‘Duller, more lifeless oceans? No thanks’

On seasonal changes of the carbonate system in the Barents Sea: observations and modeling

Published 16 July 2013 Science Closed
Tags: , , ,

The role of seasonality of organic matter (OM) production and decay in the seasonal changes of the carbonate system was studied on the basis of data received for a transect from Tromsø to Spitsbergen with a Ferrybox-equipped vessel. A 2D simplified vertical model was used for parameterization of the hydrophysical processes for a Coast–Open Arctic Transect. The biogeochemical processes were parameterized using OxyDep, a simplified biogeochemical model, that considered inorganic nutrient (NUT), dissolved organic matter (DOM), particular organic matter (POM) and biota (BIO). The carbonate system equilibrium was considered as a fast process and calculated at each time step using an iteration procedure for pH. According to the model estimates, OM production and decay play leading roles in the carbonate system seasonal dynamics. The modelled seasonal variations of pH (~0.2) are close to those observed, i.e. 7.94–7.99 in February and 8.04–8.16 in August (total scale). The surface layer pCO2 varies from 280 ppm during the OM production period to about 390 ppm in the centre of the sea and 430–460 ppm in the coastal regions in winter. The summer CO2 invasion is replaced by winter evasion. These estimates can be helpful for the planning of expedition studies and analysing the archived field data, as well as for elaborating the interannual and multidecade dynamics models.

Continue reading ‘On seasonal changes of the carbonate system in the Barents Sea: observations and modeling’

PhD position in coral biology and biogeochemistry

Published 15 July 2013 Jobs , Science Closed

Dr. Andrea Grottoli (Ohio State University) is seeking a new graduate student (PhD level) for January 2014 or sooner to study multiple stressor effects on coral biology and biogeochemistry. Desired qualifications (but not required) include: 1) Masters degree in marine science, biology, geology, environmental science, or relevant discipline 2) experience in conducting field or laboratory experiments with living organisms, preferably corals, 3) experience in conducting laboratory work (i.e., sample preparation, organic extractions, stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry).

Continue reading ‘PhD position in coral biology and biogeochemistry’

Climate: study of Mediterranean volcanic vents shows what increasingly acidic oceans may look like

Published 15 July 2013 Media coverage 1 Comment

FRISCO — Studying volcanic vents near the Italian coast has helped scientists gain a glimpse of how increasingly acidic waters could impoverish ecosystems by reducing biodiversity. The study focused in differing levels of acidity around the vents, where carbon dioxide gas bubbles into the water naturally.

“The background, low-grade stress caused by ocean acidification can cause a whole shift in the ecosystem so that everything is dominated by the same plants, which tend to be turf algae,” said lead author Kristy Kroeker, a postdoctoral researcher at the Bodega Marine Laboratory at UC Davis.

Continue reading ‘Climate: study of Mediterranean volcanic vents shows what increasingly acidic oceans may look like’

Effects of CO2-induced ocean acidification on physiological and mechanical properties of the starfish Asterias rubens

Published 15 July 2013 Science Closed
Tags: , , , , ,

The increase in atmospheric CO2 due to anthropogenic activity results in an acidification of the surface waters of the oceans. Its impact will depend on the considered organisms and ecosystems. The intertidal may harbor organisms pre-adapted to the upcoming changes as they face tidal pH and temperature fluctuations. However, these environments will be more affected as shallow waters will face the highest decrease in seawater pH. In this context, the effects of reduced environmental pH on the physiology and tube feet mechanical properties of the intertidal starfish Asterias rubens, a top predator, were investigated during 15 and 27 days. A. rubens showed a respiratory acidosis with its coelomic fluid pH always lower than that of seawater. This acidosis was most pronounced at pH 7.4. Notwithstanding, the starfish showed no significant variations in RNA/DNA ratio of different tissues and in tube feet strength. However, respiration rates were significantly lower for individuals maintained at reduced seawater pH. Within the ocean acidification context, the present results suggest that A. rubens withstands the effects of reduced seawater pH, at least for medium term exposures.

Continue reading ‘Effects of CO2-induced ocean acidification on physiological and mechanical properties of the starfish Asterias rubens’

Geochemical and physical constraints for the occurrence of living cold-water corals

Published 12 July 2013 Science Closed
Tags: , , , , ,

Cold-water coral communities cover a wide range of possible habitats in terms of latitude, ocean basins, and depth, with ongoing studies continually expanding occurrences in various regions of the global ocean. A range of factors determines the formation of cold-water coral reefs, such as physical, hydrochemical, and biological (e. g., food supply) factors. Recently, more and more modeling studies have emergedm using a variety of mathematical approaches have emerged including environmental niche factor analysis (ENFA) and predictive habitat suitability models. However, only few studies have attempted to characterize the underlying suite of hydro– biogeochemical and physical constraints of cold-water coral reefs and to differentiate between pristine reef growth vs. sites with reduced or no coral occurrences. This study concentrates on new data and a compilation of existing data sets on the physical and chemical properties in the NE Atlantic and the Mediterranean. It explores the influence of ambient bottom waters and its characteristics on living cold-water reefs and mounds formed by Lophelia pertusa. Several questions are addressed: (1) what are the physical and geochemical boundary conditions of living cold-water corals? (2) Do these geochemical parameters correlate with proposed physical prerequisites? (3) Is there a general difference in the signature of living and dead coral sites?

Continue reading ‘Geochemical and physical constraints for the occurrence of living cold-water corals’

Towards quantitative ecological risk assessment of elevated carbon dioxide levels in the marine environment

Published 12 July 2013 Science Closed
Tags: ,

The environmental impact of elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) levels has become of more interest in recent years. This, in relation to globally rising CO2 levels and related considerations of geological CO2 storage as a mitigating measure. In the present study effect data from literature were collected in order to conduct a marine ecological risk assessment of elevated CO2 levels, using a Species Sensitivity Distribution (SSD). It became evident that information currently available from the literature is mostly insufficient for such a quantitative approach. Most studies focus on effects of expected future CO2 levels, testing only one or two elevated concentrations. A full dose-response relationship, a uniform measure of exposure, and standardized test protocols are essential for conducting a proper quantitative risk assessment of elevated CO2 levels. Improvements are proposed to make future tests more valuable and usable for quantitative risk assessment.

Continue reading ‘Towards quantitative ecological risk assessment of elevated carbon dioxide levels in the marine environment’

Current systematic carbon cycle observations and needs for implementing a policy-relevant carbon observing system

Published 12 July 2013 Science Closed
Tags:

A globally integrated carbon observation and analysis system is needed to improve the fundamental understanding of the global carbon cycle, to improve our ability to project future changes, and to verify the effectiveness of policies aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon sequestration. Building an integrated carbon observation system requires transformational advances from the existing sparse, exploratory framework towards a dense, robust, and sustained system in all components: anthropogenic emissions, the atmosphere, the ocean, and the terrestrial biosphere. The goal of this study is to identify the current state of carbon observations and needs for a global integrated carbon observation system that can be built in the next decade. A key conclusion is the substantial expansion (by several orders of magnitude) of the ground-based observation networks required to reach the high spatial resolution for CO2 and CH4 fluxes, and for carbon stocks for addressing policy relevant objectives, and attributing flux changes to underlying processes in each region. In order to establish flux and stock diagnostics over remote areas such as the southern oceans, tropical forests and the Arctic, in situ observations will have to be complemented with remote-sensing measurements. Remote sensing offers the advantage of dense spatial coverage and frequent revisit. A key challenge is to bring remote sensing measurements to a level of long-term consistency and accuracy so that they can be efficiently combined in models to reduce uncertainties, in synergy with ground-based data. Bringing tight observational constraints on fossil fuel and land use change emissions will be the biggest challenge for deployment of a policy-relevant integrated carbon observation system. This will require in-situ and remotely sensed data at much higher resolution and density than currently achieved for natural fluxes, although over a small land area (cities, industrial sites, power plants), as well as the inclusion of fossil fuel CO2 proxy measurements such as radiocarbon in CO2 and carbon-fuel combustion tracers. Additionally, a policy relevant carbon monitoring system should also provide mechanisms for reconciling regional top-down (atmosphere-based) and bottom-up (surface-based) flux estimates across the range of spatial and temporal scales relevant to mitigation policies. The success of the system will rely on long-term commitments to monitoring, on improved international collaboration to fill gaps in the current observations, on sustained efforts to improve access to the different data streams and make databases inter-operable, and on the calibration of each component of the system to agreed-upon international scales.

Continue reading ‘Current systematic carbon cycle observations and needs for implementing a policy-relevant carbon observing system’

Subscribe

Search

  • Reset

OA-ICC Highlights

Resources