Oceanic, Coastal, and Estuarine Ocean Acidification Observing Networks: North Atlantic Ocean, East and Gulf Coast
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What We Do
In this project we are developing the North Atlantic Ocean, East and Gulf Coast ocean acidification (OA) observing system in response to the requirements of the Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring (FOARAM) Act. The observing system will be used to determine patterns and trends in key geochemical indicators of ocean acidification. The observing network of the East and Gulf Coast is based on the following elements: :
- Surface water measurements using autonomous systems on six ships of opportunity (SOOP-CO2).
- Dedicated Gulf of Mexico and East Coast Carbon (GOMECC) cruises with surface and subsurface measurements on the NOAA ship Ronald H Brown. This will improve process level understanding of the controls on ocean acidification.
- Moorings with autonomous instruments to determine the rapid temporal changes and causes thereof.
- The continued development of the observing system with new instrumentation and protocols.
Who We Are
Our Research
AOML leads the SOOP-CO2 effort, and the dedicated research cruises along the East and Gulf Coast. PMEL and academic partners maintain three moorings that are an integral part of the effort. The scientific component includes analysis of total alkalinity (TA) and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) samples taken on the SOOP and mooring efforts. Data reduction, quality control and data management of the large data sets are a critical component of the observing system. Data products and algorithms to extrapolate the OA indices in time and space will be developed as part of the effort.
John T. Morris, Ian C. Enochs, et al.
Coral reef habitat is created when calcium carbonate production by calcifiers exceeds removal by physical and biological erosion. Carbonate budget surveys provide a means of quantifying the framework-altering actions of diverse assemblages of marine species to determine net carbonate production, a single metric that encapsulates reef habitat persistence. In this study, carbonate budgets were calculated for 723 sites across the Florida Reef Tract (FRT) using benthic cover and parrot fish demographic data from NOAA’s National Coral Reef Monitoring Program, as well as high resolution LiDAR topobathymetry. Results highlight the erosional state of the majority of the study sites, with a trend towards more vulnerable habitat in the northern FRT, especially in the Southeast Florida region (− 0.51 kg CaCO3m−2 year−1), which is in close proximity to urban centers. Detailed comparison of reef types reveals that mid-channel reefs in the Florida Keys have the highest net carbonate production (0.84 kg CaCO3 m−2 year− 1) and indicates that these reefs may be hold-outs for reef development throughout the region. This study reports that Florida reefs, specifically their physical structure, are in a net erosional state. As these reefs lose structure, the ecosystem services they provide will be diminished, signifying the importance of increased protections and management efforts to offset these trends.
Data & Logistics for Coastal Cruises
Partners
