Ocean Acidification

Deadline: 20 April 2018

The Ocean Foundation is seeking multi-year proposals under the Ocean Acidification
Monitoring and Mitigation project for blue carbon restoration (seagrass, mangrove,
or salt marsh) in the Pacific Islands. The Ocean Foundation will fund ONE proposal
for the region with a budget not to exceed $90,000 US. The Ocean Foundation is
soliciting multiple proposals which will then be reviewed by an expert panel for
selection. Projects must be focused in one of the following four countries: Fiji,
Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea or Palau and must be coordinated with ocean
acidification monitoring projects recently funded in these same countries by The
Ocean Foundation. Proposals are due by April 20th, 2018. Decisions will be
communicated by May 18th, 2018 for work to commence no later than December
2018.

Continue reading ‘Request for proposal: blue carbon restoration project (The Ocean Foundation)’

When picturing Santa Monica, what comes to mind first and foremost is the ocean – shops, the ferris wheel, the pier – but mostly the ocean. However, what doesn’t usually come to mind is the toll ocean acidification is taking on the marine life and biodiversity just off our shores. The ocean acts as a carbon sink, absorbing a quarter to a third of carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere. As humans continue to emit increasing amounts of carbon dioxide, more and more is absorbed into the ocean. Absorbing this carbon dioxide lowers the seawater’s pH and increases the ocean’s acidity. These seemingly slight changes to the chemistry of our oceans threaten to disrupt the delicate balance of ocean life, resulting in habitat destruction and marine life loss. Ocean acidification is a silent, destructive force and eye grabbing headlines about its impacts usually come too late. One of the most tragic examples of this is the death of large sections of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, which is largely due to warming temperatures and increasing acidity. Unfortunately though, ocean acidification affects us here at home as well. We hope to gather data to curb acidification before it becomes too late.

Continue reading ‘Turning the tides: Santa Monica Bay ocean acidification project’

In the framework of the project CARIOCA (Coral reef acclimatization to ocean acidification at CO₂ seeps) funded by the French National Agency ANR, Riccardo Rodolfo-Metalpa and the team IRD Entropie investigated a new promising CO₂ vents system located in Papua New Guinea.

Continue reading ‘CARIOCA project – coral reef acclimatization to ocean acidification (video; in French and in English)’

SUMMARY
• The factors that determine climate are complex. Oceans store about one quarter of the carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted through human activities, and play an important role in limiting impacts of climate change.
• Increasing carbon emissions and rising temperatures are disrupting oceanic processes,
with potentially major consequences for marine ecosystems, the global climate, shoreline protection and coastal industries such as fisheries and tourism.
• In order to understand and anticipate potential changes in the climate, it is important to understand the processes involved in the global carbon cycle.
• Increasing levels of CO2 in the atmosphere cause global warming leading to ocean temperature increase, but also ocean acidification, sometimes referred to as ‘the other CO2 problem’ alongside climate change.
• The IAEA supports Member States in using radioisotopes to understand the ocean carbon cycle and the ways ocean acidification can affect the marine environment and critical ecosystem services.

Continue reading ‘IAEA Brief: Nuclear and isotopic techniques help assess ocean acidification and climate change impacts’

The Ocean Carbon and Biogeochemistry (OCB) Program is soliciting proposals for OCB activities that will take place during the 2018 calendar year.  OCB seeks proposals for scoping workshops and smaller group activities in OCB-relevant research areas, including ocean acidification.

Continue reading ‘2018 OCB Activity solicitation’