Presented by Scott Noakes, Ph.D., The University of Georgia
Date & time: 16 June 2015, 12:00pm ET
Abstract
Operation of the Grays Reef time-series mooring has been a multi-organization effort which has successfully collected high-resolution data since 2006. The mooring is located in the South Atlantic Bight offshore Georgia, USA and within the boundaries of Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary. It sits along the divide between the inner and middle shelf with water depths of 20 m. Water chemistry is primarily controlled by the middle shelf oceanic dynamics, but during heavy rain events, it can be affected by freshwater plumes coming from the numerous rivers along the Georgia and South Carolina coast. Temperature also plays a major role in the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) variability with seasonal changes being apparent. During summer months, GRNMS acts as a CO2 source to the atmosphere while during winter months it is a CO2 sink. The benthic community at GRNMS has proven to be hardy enduring large seasonal swings of seawater CO2 and pH. Research planned for the sanctuary will be aimed at determining how these organisms cope with the seasonal changes and how they will adapt to rising seawater CO2 over time.
Brief biography
Scott Noakes is a Research Scientist at The University of Georgia’s Center for Applied Isotope Studies (CAIS). He received his B.S. in Petroleum Engineering from Mississippi State University and M.S. and Ph.D. from The University of Georgia in Marine Science. He has been involved with ocean acidification/CO2 monitoring, paleontological and surficial geologic studies at Gray’s Reef and surrounding areas for the past two decades. His home department at UGA is involved with marine environmental surveys in estuarine and coastal regions and utilizes isotopic, elemental and organic analytes. CAIS also houses an accelerator mass spectrometer used in carbon dating organic-based samples such as shells and bone fragments, many of which have come from the Gray’s Reef area. In addition to his work at CAIS-UGA, he is also the Director and Diving Safety Officer of the University System of Georgia Scientific Diving Program, an AAUS organizational member.
