Ocean Acidification

A new research project using neural networks for ocean acidification has been launched by Tristan Sasse, a post-doctoral student at The University of New South Wales (Australia) via an open science platform called thinkable.org. This platform represents a new opportunity to engage research with the public and raise ongoing sponsorship funds.

Thinkable.org is a community-based funding/engagement model that relies on open-review and endorsements from fellow researchers, which helps the public learn and gain trust with what researchers do. Scientists can sign up for free at http://thinkable.org/Signup/Researcher to endorse or comment on ideas and products, and build their own research profile to start engaging a much wider audience for their work.

Continue reading ‘A new online opportunity to promote your research on ocean acidification’

The NOAA Ocean Acidification Program and the NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science have announced a new availability for grant funds for the fiscal year 2015. The funding opportunity, titled “Regional Ecosystem Prediction Program; Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research, Multiple effects of ocean acidification and nutrient loading to coastal marine ecosystems” addresses state, city, township or Native American tribal governments, NGOs, small businesses and private as well as public or state controlled institutions of higher education.

Deadline for submission of letter of intent: 11 August 2014.
Closing date for the full application: 23 October 2014.

Continue reading ‘NOAA grant opportunity: OA in the context of eutrophication, hypoxia and other stresses in coastal environments’

California Sea Grant (CASG) is soliciting proposals to conduct research related to impacts of ocean acidification and hypoxia on California’s coastal ecosystems. CASG is issuing this Request for Proposals (RFP) on behalf of the California Ocean Protection Council (OPC) (http://www.opc.ca.gov/), and in cooperation with OPC and the California Ocean Science Trust (OST) (http://calost.org).(…)

Funding is available from the OPC to begin to address research and monitoring needs relevant to managers’ questions about ocean acidification and hypoxia in California. Proposed projects may address ocean acidification or hypoxia, and proposals to examine the synergistic effects of acidification and hypoxia are encouraged. Specifically, proposals are requested that address one (or more) of the following topics:

• Impacts of ocean acidification and/or hypoxia on organisms and ecosystems critical to California’s ocean stewardship.
• Monitoring the local, dynamic nature of oxygen and/or carbonate chemistry in California coastal waters with precision and accuracy and in accordance with community standards.
• Understanding the impacts of local or regional forcing on the carbonate chemistry of coastal waters. Continue reading ‘OPC Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia Call 2014’

Numerous papers report the effects of ocean acidification on marine organisms and communities, but it has been difficult to compare the results since the carbonate chemistry and ancillary data are often reported in different units and scales, and calculated using different sets of constants. 

In response to this problem, a data compilation on the biological response to ocean acidification initiated by the EU projects EUR-OCEANS and EPOCA is now resuming in the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) project “Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre (OA-ICC)”.

If you are a scientist publishing on the biological response to ocean acidification, you will likely be contacted in the future. The OA-ICC thanks you in advance for sharing your data, it is a great way to get more cited!

Continue reading ‘Scientists, contribute to the OA-ICC data compilation on the biological response to ocean acidification!’

As the CO₂ content of the atmosphere rises, part of this CO₂ will dissolve into the ocean. Since CO₂ is a weak acid, it will lower the ocean waters pH. Currently, most of the oceans surface waters have pH values between 7.8 and 8.1, but this could be reduced by 0.4 pH units by the end of this century. The impacts of this pH shift on marine life currently is uncertain. Although most efforts have been directed toward studying the impacts on calcifying organisms, non-calcifying plankton may also be affected. The copepod, Calanus finmarchicus, dominates the biomass of small zooplankton across the coastal and deep North Atlantic Ocean. Previous work showed that the ability of C. finmarchicus eggs to hatch became severely limited when exposed to significantly acidic seawaters. In the Gulf of Maine, C. finmarchicus is at the southern-most extent of its geographic range and hypothesized future warming of the Gulf coupled with decline of the waters’ pH values could make survival of this species in the Gulf of Maine difficult. Here, we obtained this research funding to examine, both in the laboratory and in the field, whether pH shifts would have a significant impact on the life cycle of this copepod.

Continue reading ‘Ocean Acidification: Impact of ocean acidification on survival of early life stages of planktonic copepods in the genus Calanus in the northern oceans’

The U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®) is a national and regional partnership working to provide observations, data and new tools and forecasts to improve safety, enhance the economy, and protect our environment. To deliver these tools and forecasts, more ocean, coastal and Great Lakes observations are needed. To increase observational capabilities we need smart investments in innovative marine sensors and other advanced observing technologies that will improve our ability to monitor these waters with greater efficiency. The NOAA Ocean Acidification Program (OAP), in close partnership with U.S. IOOS, oversees and coordinates ocean acidification monitoring which contributes to the conservation of marine ecosystems. The U.S. IOOS Program and the NOAA Ocean Acidification Program (Programs) are seeking to jointly fund projects, subject to the availability of funds, which advance new or existing marine sensors and other observing technologies that address long standing and emerging coastal observing challenges.

Continue reading ‘Grant opportunity: FY2014 Marine sensor and other advanced observing technologies transition project’

The next request for proposals on ocean acidification has been released by the National Science Foundation. Proposals are due December 3, 2013.

Continue reading ‘Next request for proposals on ocean acidification released by the National Science Foundation’

Une équipe internationale de chercheurs, coordonnées par Patrizia Ziveri, de l’Université Autonome de Barcelone, vient d’achever une croisière scientifique sur la mer Méditerranée afin de réaliser un sondage des conditions actuelles de l’environnement marin en relation avec les concentrations élevées de CO2 atmosphériques. L’objectif était également de relever et détecter les autres impacts anthropogéniques perceptibles également dans l’océan, comme la distribution de micro plastiques.

C’est à travers le projet européen MEDSEA, co-financé par le 7° programme cadre de l’Union Européenne (PCRDT) et par le Ministère de l’Economie et de la Compétitivité (MINECO) que cette excursion aura permis de réaliser une prospection complète des changements chimiques, climatiques et biologiques ayant lieu en mer Méditerranée, en conséquence de l’augmentation de la part de Dioxyde de Carbone. Elle révèle en particulier l’impact de l’acidification sur les organismes marins mais aussi les impacts socio-économiques de ces changements.

Continue reading ‘Acidification et réchauffement global en mer Méditerranée (in French)’

Tracking the effects of ocean warming for the survival of coral species

Scientists believe that many coral species – which are important for sustaining tourism, fishing and human activity – may not survive beyond the end of this century. Evaluating the effects of ocean warming and acidification on the future of corals and reefs is then crucial for more than 50 tropical countries and their coastal communities.

Continue reading ‘Tracking the effects of ocean warming for the survival of coral species’

The NODC Ocean Acidification Scientific Data Stewardship (OADS) team has developed ocean acidification (OA) data and metadata submission guidelines and documentation designed for optimized data discovery, transparent access, data sharing, long-term archival and scientific management of NOAA Ocean Acidification Program (OAP) funded data projects. This document addresses OA data from ships of opportunity, autonomous sensor data (e.g., moorings), gliders, research ships (e.g., discrete water samples from Niskins, CTD data, underway), laboratory and field experiments, and models. All of the NODC archived data are available via our geoportal and other interoperable NODC data services. In addition, our OADS Team is working toward developing a dedicated online OA data selection tool with enhanced search capabilities based on our rich OA metadata using ISO 19115-2.

Continue reading ‘NODC ocean acidification scientific data stewardship – data and metadata submission and documentation guidelines’

Plus de 160 chercheurs de 10 pays européens ont uni leurs forces dans le cadre du tout premier projet international se concentrant sur l’acidification des océans et ses conséquences.

D’après les partenaires du projet EPOCA («European Project on Ocean Acidification»), la recherche marine était un domaine relativement nouveau lorsqu’ils ont commencé le projet il y a quatre ans. Ce dernier a réuni des scientifiques se préoccupant des dangers potentiels liés à l’acidification des océans pour les organismes et les écosystèmes marins.

Ces préoccupations étaient survenues après qu’il ait été démontré qu’au cours des 250 années passées, l’océan avait absorbé environ un tiers des émissions de dioxyde de carbone résultant des activités humaines. Par conséquent, les niveaux de CO2 ont affecté la chimie de l’océan, augmentant l’acidité de l’eau de mer. On appelle souvent l’acidification des océans «l’autre problème du CO2».

Continue reading ‘Une étude paneuropéenne majeure sur l’acidification des océans (in French)’

More than 160 researchers across 10 European countries joined together, in what is being hailed as the first international project to focus on ocean acidification and its consequences.

According to the partners in the EPOCA project (‘European Project on Ocean Acidification’) marine research was a relatively new field when they initiated the project four years ago. It brought together scientists who were concerned about the possible risks associated with ocean acidification for marine organisms and ecosystems.

Continue reading ‘Major pan-European study conducted on ocean acidification’

The Chair and Deputy Chair of the new Ocean Acidification international Reference User Group (OA-iRUG) welcome nominations for members of this group before 6 May.

Continue reading ‘Call for members for the new Ocean Acidification international Reference User Group (OA-iRUG)’