Ocean inorganic carbon research is crucial to quantify the global ocean uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), understand its spatiotemporal variability and mechanisms that control this process, and monitor ocean acidification. This requires high-quality measurements of the seawater carbonate system that rely on the availability of reference materials (RMs). The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the fragility of the production system of the seawater RMs for the carbonate system, currently depending on one single laboratory. With that in mind, a new model for seawater RMs for the carbonate system, centered on regional hubs, is being developed to create a more resilient system. Challenges associated with establishing new production centers, such as funding their startup and ongoing costs, ensuring the quality and stability of the materials, and staff training are discussed. Opportunities to minimize the cost of these RMs and to supply certified or indicative values for currently uncertified carbonate system variables are explored. Additionally, a vision to integrate the new model into the global metrology landscape whereby the materials are comparable and metrologically traceable to the International System of Units is highlighted. As more laboratories are seeking to undertake seawater carbonate system measurements, access to these RMs is ever more critical.
García-Ibáñez M. I. & Easley-Vidal R. A., 2025. Chapter 13 – Future strategy for a resilient production and certification of seawater reference materials for the carbonate system. In: Aoyama M., Cheong C. & Murata A. (Eds.), Chemical Reference Materials for Oceanography: History, Production, and Certification, pp. 237-260. Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore. Chapter.
