Arctic Ocean Acidification: Bering Strait Time Series

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This project, part of the Arctic Observing Network, will collect two years of in situ data pertaining to ocean acidification from an existing mooring in Bering Strait. Oceanic uptake of CO2 lowers pH and changes speciation of several key chemical constituents of seawater with important consequences for the physiology of organisms and transmission of sound in seawater. Global coupled climate models that take into account rising levels of CO2 in the atmosphere predict that the Arctic Ocean will be the first and most strongly impacted of the world?s oceans by acidification. High quality observations in key Arctic Ocean locations are needed for both the global and regional modeling communities to test and improve their predictive capabilities. Instruments for the project include indicator based (SAMI) pCO2 and pH sensors as well as a solid state IS-FET pH sensor with dissolved oxygen optode and conductivity sensors. Calibration will be achieved through a hydrographic measurement and sampling program for pCO2, DIC, alkalinity and O2 conducted in conjunction with all deployment and recoveries. This will be the first extended co-deployment of indicator and solid-state pH sensors in the oceans and thus the first comparison of their performance under realistic field conditions. Such information is needed to more fully characterize the solid-state systems whose lower power requirements are desirable for extended glider, float and mooring deployment. Insights from comparative exercises such as this will inform the design of the Arctic Observing Network and an eventual global ocean acidification observation network. The PIs will address ocean acidification in a range of their on-going educational and informal outreach activities. They will also leverage the Teacher-At-Sea program for the existing Arctic Observing Network-Bering Strait project by soliciting participation by Oregon classrooms. Undergraduates in the OSU honors program will be exposed to this emerging real world problem and gain training through entrainment in the laboratory components of the project. Data will be deposited with the Cooperative Arctic Data and Information Service (CADIS).