Ocean Acidification

Date & time: 26 April 2016, 4-6 p.m.

Location: Viola George Auditorium, St Joseph’s College, 278 Whites Bridge Road, Standish, ME 04084

Dr. Paul Andrew Mayewski, PhD, director and professor of the Climate Change Institute, and Dr. Mark Green, PhD, professor of natural sciences at Saint Joseph’s College, present “Climate change and its evil twin, ocean acidification”. The two expert professors will discuss the importance of climate change and its implications on Maine’s marine ecosystem—and beyond. Each will present on their area of specialty, after which the floor will be open for questions and discussion.

This public event is free to attend. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, contact Jean Maginnis, senior director of Development, at jmaginnis(at)sjcme.edu or 207-730-0694.

Further information.

When: Wednesday, Apr. 13, 2016, 4 – 5 p.m.

Where: Friday Harbor Labs, 620 University Rd, Friday Harbor, WA 98250

Location: Campus room, FHL Commons

Speaker: James Murray, School of Oceanography, University of Washington

This event is part of the Marine Sciences Seminar series from the University of Washington’s Friday Harbor Labs.

Further information.

Course title and dates: Modern Observational Oceanography, July 4 – July 22, 2016
Instructors: Prof. Nick Bates (BIOS & University of Southampton), Dr. Rod Johnson (BIOS), Dr. Andrew Peters (BIOS) and Ruth Curry (WHOI & BIOS)

Modern Observational Oceanography integrates lectures, laboratory training, and fieldwork to introduce students to current research questions and the observational methods used to investigate them. Themes will include carbon and nutrient cycling, carbonate chemistry and ocean acidification, ocean-atmosphere interactions, and the spatial/temporal scales of physical ocean processes. Students will collect samples and utilize various sensors and instrumentation locally at the BIOS dock, on a 2-day research cruise aboard the R/V Atlantic Explorer, and through a small fleet of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs).

Continue reading ‘Reminder: Two weeks left to apply for “Modern Observational Oceanography” – summer course at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS)’

Date & time: 15 March 2016, 2:00- 5:00 pm

Location: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia

Guest speaker: Dr. Jean Pierre Gattuso, CNRS-UPMC, France

A workshop addressing the impacts of ocean acidification on tropical marine ecosystems will be held today at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.

The workshop is organized by the Tarek Ahmed Juffali Research Chair in Red Sea Ecology and will have Dr. Jean Pierre Gattuso from CNRS-UPMC (France) as guest scientist.

Further information.

Date & time: 14 March 2016, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Location: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Presented by: Jean-Pierre Gattuso, CNRS-UPMC, France

Abstract: While the ocean moderates anthropogenic climate change, this has great impacts on its fundamental physics and chemistry, with important consequences for ecosystems and people. Dr Gattuso evaluated changes to the ocean and its ecosystems, as well as to the goods and services they provide, under two contrasting CO2 scenarios: the current high emissions trajectory and a stringent emissions scenario consistent with the Copenhagen Accord of keeping mean global temperature increase below 2°C in the 21st century.

Four key messages emerged. First, the ocean strongly influences the climate system and provides important services to humans. Second, impacts on key marine and coastal organisms, ecosystems, and services are already detectable and several will face high risk of impacts well before 2100, even under the low emissions scenario. These impacts will occur across all latitudes, making this a global concern beyond the North/South divide. Third, immediate and substantial reduction of CO2 emissions is required to prevent the massive and mostly irreversible impacts on ocean ecosystems and their services that are projected with emissions greater than those in the low emissions scenario. Limiting emissions to this level is necessary to meet stated objectives of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change; a substantially different ocean would result from any less-stringent emissions scenario. Fourth, as atmospheric CO2 increases, the protection, adaptation, and repair options for the ocean become fewer and less effective.

Continue reading ‘RSRC seminar: “Futures for ocean and society from different CO2 emissions scenarios: where do we stand after COP21?​”, 14 march 2016, Saudi Arabia’

Young people are today’s stakeholders and advocates for change. Using EarthEcho Expedition: Shell Shocked videos and project-based learning tools educators can activate students’ critical thinking around this “wicked” global problem. This webinar will provide tools to embed best practices of service learning and project-based learning into a unit on OA for middle-grade level youth.

It takes more than knowledge of environmental issues to equip young people with civic skills to solve the complex problems facing our planet. Through service learning, youth identify community needs, develop plans and partnerships and are inspired and motivated to take action. This webinar will explore the Five Stages of Service Learning—investigation, preparation, action, reflection, and demonstration— and connect that process to OA resources. In this way students become both environmentally literate and effective community changemakers.

(SOARCE: Sharing Ocean Acidification Resources for Communicators and Educators)

Further information and registration.

Date & time: 14 March 2016, 11 am

Location: Oceanographic Laboratory of Villefranche-sur-Mer, CNRS

Presented by Dr. Amy Maas, Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS)

Limacina retroversa is a thecosomatous pteropod found year round in the Gulf of Maine. Because carbonate chemistry within this shelf system is spatially variable and exhibits seasonal cycles, pteropods in this region may already be exposed to under-saturated, and hence corrosive, waters during certain seasons. To understand the implications of this variability, we have explored the physiological responses of L. retroversa at four time points over the course of a year to determine whether pteropods vary seasonally in their sensitivity to CO2 exposure on time-scales relevant to acclimation responses. In the laboratory, these animals were exposed to CO2 (ambient, 800, 1200 ppm) for 7-14 days and their response was assessed using an integrated set of metabolic, gene-expression (RNAseq) and shell quality metrics. Concurrently, explorations of the effect of CO2 on the development of veligers were conducted to assess the sensitivity of this early life stage while studies of sinking and swimming rate were conducted to try to characterize the ecological implications of the change in shell condition. This set of studies provide an integrated picture of the seasonal effect of CO2 on this sentinel species on time-scales relevant to population level acclimation responses, identifies a window of acute sensitivity and characterizes some of the ecological implications of the CO2 exposure for thecosome pteropods.

Continue reading ‘Seminar: “An integrative assessment of the biological consequences of CO2 seasonality in the Gulf of Maine for the thecosomatous pteropod Limacina retroversa”, 14 March 2016, Villefranche-sur-Mer, France’

Deadline for applications: 1 April 2016!

Go here to fill in the registration form.

Course theme

How will marine ecosystems respond to climate change? What are the main conclusions from the IPCC-report? What are the climate change consequences for fisheries and aquaculture?

Course description and objectives

The ocean is an increasingly important source of protein for a growing human population, but at the same time under constant pressure from climate change, pollution and fisheries activities. In this course we will discuss how the ocean and the organisms living in it are affected by these factors, focusing on how ocean warming and acidification, pollution and fisheries influence the future productivity of the ocean.

Continue reading ‘Summer course: “The ocean, climate and society”, Bergen Summer Research School, 13-24 June 2016’

Deadline for applications: 17 April 2016!

Instructors: Prof. Nicholas Bates (BIOS & University of Southampton), Dr. Rod Johnson (BIOS), Dr. Andrew Peters (BIOS) and Ruth Curry (WHOI & BIOS)

Course description: Modern oceanography combines increasingly large and diverse datasets to further our understanding of biogeochemical and physical processes in the marine environment. How are these data obtained and used?  The aim of this course is to provide students with a broad introduction to and practical experience in the field of observational oceanography utilizing a variety of state-of-the-art technologies and methods.

During the 3-week course, a combination of lectures, laboratory training and fieldwork will introduce students to current research questions and observational methods used to investigate them. Themes will include carbon and nutrient cycling and the processes that affect biological production in the ocean, carbonate chemistry and ocean acidification, ocean-atmosphere interactions, and the spatial/temporal scales of physical ocean processes.  Students will collect samples and utilize various sensors and instrumentation – locally at the BIOS dock, on a 2-day research cruise aboard the UNOLS vessel R/V Atlantic Explorer, and through a small fleet of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) deployed offshore of Bermuda — to develop a practical understanding of both the science topics and the techniques used to study them. Throughout the course, students will conduct experiments, participate in round-table discussions, give presentations and produce a short report – all of which will provide opportunities for hands-on learning and a basis for evaluating student progress and performance.

Continue reading ‘Summer course at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS): “Modern Observational Oceanography”, 4-22 July 2016’

Date & time: 9 March 2016, 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Venue: Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, 4th floor, rooms 5010-12 «Tre kroner»

Animals’ ability to counter effects of ocean acidification will be enhanced by any present day adaptations to local environments in different geographic regions. Such differences in local adaptation may enable complementation when affected populations are re-populated from neighbouring populations. As part of the Ocean Acidification Fram Flagship we compared effects of decreasing pH on prey ingestion rate and metabolic rate among three geographically isolated populations of the pelagic copepod Calanus glacialis. While, populations from Kongsfjorden and Billefjorden were severely affected by decreasing pH, a population from Disko Bay (Davis Strait) remained unaffected. Thus, repopulation by Davis Strait C. glacialis could alleviate potential severe effects of OA in the Svalbard area.

Further information.

The American Geosciences Institute’s Critical Issues Program is pleased to offer a free webinar on Ocean Acidification Impacts on Fisheries on March 11, 2016, 11:00AM EST.

To register for this free event, please visit: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6628049978945025026

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. A recording of the webinar will be posted on the Critical Issues website after the event. If you cannot make the webinar but want to be informed about the recording, please register and you will be notified as soon as the recording is available.

Continue reading ‘Free webinar from the American Geosciences Institute: “Ocean acidification impacts on fisheries”, 11 March 2016’

MARIANDA prepares a training workshop for alkalinity and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) measurements in sea water. The workshop will be held on April 25-29, 2016 in Kiel, Germany. The planning of the workshop is in its initial stage and any feedback and suggestions will be appreciated.

The purpose of this workshop is the practical training, troubleshooting and knowledge exchange for scientists, students and technicians involved in DIC and/or alkalinity measurements.

More details about the workshop can be found on the website. To receive further information about the workshop or register please send an email to Ludger Mintrop at lmintrop(at)web.de, and/or periodically check the MARIANDA website for updates.

MARIANDA (marine analytics and data) specializes in instrumentation in the field of marine chemical analysis. A key focus is the analytical determination of carbon parameters in the ocean.

Further information.

Date & time: 8 February 2016, 23:00 UTC

Presented by: Dr Tommy Moore, PI-GOOS Officer

The Pacific Islands Global Ocean Observing System Regional Alliance is the largest of the GOOS Regional Alliances and is made up of 21 Pacific Island Countries and Territories. The “large island states” of the region are composed of a large number of small, remote communities with limited resources and technical capacity. As a result of this ocean observing and operational oceanography are limited in the region, with most data and modelling results coming as part of broader global efforts (i.e. Argo and TPOS) and neighbouring GRAs (IMOS and PacIOOS). One of the major strengths of the PI-GOOS region is the strong sense of regionalism and regional cooperation. Major new activities within PI-GOOS include the formation of the PI Marine and Ocean Services Panel (PIMOS) and PI Education, Training and Research Panel (PIETR) which aim to advise and promote marine and education activities of the regional National Meteorological Services; the New Zealand and Monaco funded Pacific Islands Ocean Acidification Partnership; and the completion of the first of a series of Data Buoy Cooperation Panel capacity building workshops.

Further information and registration.

Date & time: 26 January 2016, 2pm – 3pm

Registration: http://tinyurl.com/j4f4s4r

Speaker: Andrew Dickson (SIO)

Abstract: pH is an important property of aqueous solutions because it affects a wide variety of chemical and biochemical properties through its role in acid-base reactions. This importance and the ease of pH measurement are the reasons why pH is perhaps the most measured chemical parameter in many environmental systems. A primary rationale for pH measurements is to enable calculation of the speciation in acid-base systems such as the CO2 system in seawater. However, the notional definition of pH, pH = –lg a(H+) , does not lend itself to straightforward application to seawater systems, and, as a results a number of alternate seawater ‘pH’ scales have been developed over the years. These various ‘pH’ scales have different meanings, and incorporate differing assumptions and calibration approaches, yet each of the various measurements is often simply referred to as ‘pH’, inviting confusion. This webinar will explain how these various ‘pH’ scales arose; detail how they differ; and outline the perceived advantages and disadvantages of the various approaches. Finally, it will discuss how to choose an approach that is suited to your scientific goals, and how best to implement it and use it.

Continue reading ‘NOAA webinar: “Why are there so many ‘pH scales’ for measuring seawater ‘pH’ – What do these scales mean for measuring or using seawater ‘pH’?”, 26 January 2016′

Below is a short video summarizing the recent OA-ICC training course in Cape Town.

You will find further information on the OA-ICC capacity building activities here.

Date & time: Tuesday, 15 December 2015, 04:00 PM – 05:00 PM

Location: UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory, 2099 Westside Rd, Lecture Hall, Bodega Bay, CA 94923

Speaker: Dan Swezey, Population Biology Graduate Group, University of California, Davis and Bodega Marine Laboratory

Further information.

Deadline for applications: 21 December 2015!

Host institute: Inhaca Marine Biology Research Station, Inhaca Island, Mozambique

Dates: 8–12 February 2016

Organizers: The University of Gothenburg, Sweden; The Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network (GOA-ON).

Language: English

Support: This course is funded by the Ocean Science Foundation.

Purpose: To train early-career scientists and researchers from African countries entering the ocean acidification field. This course will be held with the ultimate goal to assist them in becoming able to set-up pertinent experiments on their own, avoiding typical pitfalls and ensuring comparability with other studies.

Expected outcome: Increased capacity to measure and study ocean acidification and increased networking among scientists working on ocean acidification in Africa. Initiate/deepen connections with the GOA-ON.

Scope and nature: The training will include lectures in plenary sessions but will have a strong focus on practical aspects related to setting up experimental facilities. Participants will learn techniques for carbonate chemistry manipulation and measurements as well as basis for experimental design. The course will address the challenge to set-up relevant ocean acidification experiments under financial and infrastructure constrains.

Continue reading ‘Practical Training Course on Ocean Acidification: “How to set up relevant ocean acidification experiments with limited resources”, Mozambique, 8-12 February 2016’

The IAEA Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre (OA-ICC) in partnership with the University of Cape Town and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) organized a training course on ocean acidification for African scientists from 2-6November 2015 in Cape Town, South Africa.

Organized in the framework of the capacity building efforts of the OA-ICC, the training course brought together twenty six researchers from 17 IAEA African Member States. The overall goal was to enhance participants’ expertise in conducting ocean acidification research and avoid typical pitfalls. It also aimed to encourage networking and collaboration among scientists working on ocean acidification in Africa and present existing international collaboration platforms.

Continue reading ‘IAEA OA-ICC Training Course on Ocean Acidification, 2-6 November 2015, Cape Town, South Africa’

Deadline for registration: 22 January 2016!

Venue:  National Oceanography Centre, Southampton (NOC), UK

Organisers: Caroline Kivimae, NOC/ Pam Walsham, Marine Scotland Science, Koen Parmentier, MUMM and Joop Harmsen Alterra Wageningen UR

Target audience

The workshop will be beneficial for technicians and scientists working in the field of Ocean Acidification in Seawater.

Aims of the workshop

1. To obtain a consistent approach to sampling, sample pre-treatment sample storage across the OSPAR contracting parties for all four carbonate parameters (TA / DIC / pCO2 / pH).
2. Discuss the key analytical techniques for all four carbonate chemistry parameter measurements; challenges, limitations and misconceptions affecting quality of results. The emphasis of the workshop will be on the parameters of TA/DIC since these are likely to progress to the OSPAR CEMP but considerations will also be given to pH and pCO2.
3. To obtain a consistent approach to the analysis of TA/DIC, and correct use of reference materials/standards across the OSPAR region.
4. The role of Quasimeme exercises in Quality assurance and Quality assessment.
5. Consider the limitations of reference materials across the OSPAR region i.e. salinity ranges, open oceans and coastal waters.
6. Address issues with calculation of data using the various software packages
7. Address data quality objectives needed for various assessment purposes. GOA-ON identified the need for two different levels of data quality to ensure the availability of data and permit assessment of short term variability as well as longer term trends.

Continue reading ‘Quasimeme Workshop on Quality Assurance for inorganic carbon system measurements in context of ocean acidification monitoring, 3-5 February 2016, Southampton, United Kingdom’