Development of an Ocean Acidification Testing Facility in the Florida Keys

Mote海洋实验室是一家独立的非营利机构，在海洋研究和科学教育的各个领域进行了近60年的创新，已获得NSF拨款，以加强佛罗里达群岛Mote热带研究实验室（TRL）的海洋酸化研究基础设施。海洋酸化-当二氧化碳溶解到海洋中时，海洋pH值降低-是一种水化学变化，通常被称为“海洋骨质疏松症”，因为它会削弱甚至溶解碳酸钙结构，如珊瑚骨骼和软体动物壳，它可能会影响其他海洋动物和生态系统的广泛范围。因此，由大气中二氧化碳增加引起的海洋酸化可能是世纪珊瑚礁面临的最大风险。海洋酸化对珊瑚礁的影响在佛罗里达引起了极大关注，它拥有地球上第三大珊瑚礁，也是美国大陆唯一的岸堡礁系统。佛罗里达65%以上的珊瑚礁区域位于佛罗里达群岛内国家海洋保护区。珊瑚礁被认为支持了地球上40%的海洋生物。然而，近几十年来，我们目睹了超过90%的本土珊瑚覆盖面积的损失，一些物种失去了超过97%的种群。这尤其令人不安，因为健康的珊瑚礁是佛罗里达重要的经济引擎：每年吸引1600万游客;支持71，000多个当地就业机会;为佛罗里达经济带来63亿美元;保护该州海岸线免受热带风暴和飓风的影响。Mote在海洋酸化的研究中发挥着越来越重要的作用，不仅是来自美国和世界各地的Mote研究人员和知名科学家，还有学生和下一代海洋研究人员。在过去的10年里，50名科学家在Mote TRL进行了NSF资助的研究。教育团体每年使用Mote TRL约75天，每年约有1，020个学生使用日。在过去的五年里，通过Mote TRL所做的工作已经发表了超过83篇研究文章，并在许多国家和国际会议上发表了演讲。这项NSF拨款将使Mote TRL成长为一个真正的国家和国际海洋酸化研究和珊瑚礁生态系统相关教育中心。Mote的TRL校园位于下佛罗里达礁岛群，是美国大陆最南端的海洋实验室。该野外站可直接进入各种海洋系统，包括佛罗里达湾、海草、硬底和红树林栖息地。最重要的是，它位于直接进入佛罗里达的珊瑚礁区，为许多以珊瑚礁为重点的研究和恢复项目提供了重要的运营基地。有了NSF的资助，Mote致力于维持这个专门的海洋酸化实验室的运营，作为与珊瑚礁生态系统相关的海洋酸化研究的国家和国际中心。该设施产生的科学证据将有助于提供越来越准确的数据，用于对海洋酸化的潜在气候驱动趋势及其对珊瑚生长和健康的影响进行建模预测，更有效地指导政策决定，说明应如何将财政资源用于长期保护和恢复珊瑚礁生态系统，长期保护海洋生物多样性和可持续利用佛罗里达和美国的主要经济引擎。有关实验室的更多信息，请访问（http：www.mote.org和http：//isurus.mote.org/Keys/）。

Mote Marine Laboratory, an independent non-profit institution celebrating nearly 60 years of innovation in diverse areas of marine research and science education, has been awarded an NSF grant to enhance the ocean acidification research infrastructure at Mote's Tropical Research Lab (TRL) in the Florida Keys. Ocean acidification - the lowering of ocean pH when carbon dioxide dissolves into the sea - is a water chemistry change that is often called the "osteoporosis of the sea" because it weakens and even dissolves calcium carbonate structures such as coral skeletons and mollusk shells, and it may affect a wide swath of other marine animals and ecosystems. Therefore, ocean acidification, caused by increase carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, is perhaps the greatest risk to coral reefs in the 21st century.Ocean acidification impacts on coral reefs is of great concern in Florida, which hosts the third largest coral reef on the planet and the only bank barrier reef system in the continental U.S. More than 65 percent of Florida's coral reef tract lies within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Coral reefs are believed to support as much as 40 percent of all the marine life on the planet. Yet, over recent decades, we've witnessed losses of more than 90 percent of our indigenous coral coverage with some species losing more than 97 percent of their populations. This is especially troubling since healthy coral reefs serve as an important economic engine in Florida by: attracting 16 million visitors annually; supporting more than 71,000 local jobs; bringing $6.3 billion to Florida's economy; and protecting the state's coastline from tropical storm and hurricane impacts. Mote is serving in an increasingly important role in the study of ocean acidification not just by Mote researchers and established scientists from across the U.S. and around the world, but also by students and the next generation of ocean researchers. Over the past 10 years, 50 scientists have conducted NSF-funded research at Mote TRL. Educational groups utilize Mote TRL approximately 75 days a year with approximately 1,020 student-use days per year. Work done through Mote TRL over the last five years has resulted in the publication of more than 83 research articles and presentations at numerous national and international meetings. This NSF grant award will allow Mote TRL to grow into a truly national and international center for ocean acidification research and education related to coral reef ecosystems. Mote's TRL campus is located in the lower Florida Keys and is the southernmost marine laboratory in the continental U.S. This field station provides direct access to a variety of marine systems including Florida Bay, sea grass, hard-bottom and mangrove habitats. Most important, it is situated with direct access to Florida's reef tract and provides an important base of operations for many research and restoration projects focused on coral reefs.With this NSF grant, Mote is committed to maintaining operations of this dedicated ocean acidification laboratory as a national and international center for ocean acidification research related to coral reef ecosystems. Scientific evidence generated at this facility will help provide increasingly accurate data for modeling forecasts of potential climate-driven trends in ocean acidification and its effect on coral growth and health, and in turn, more effectively guide policy decisions on how financial resources should be directed to protect and restore coral reef ecosystems for long- term conservation of marine biodiversity and sustainable use of a major economic engine for Florida and the U.S. For more information about the labs please visit (http://www.mote.org and http://isurus.mote.org/Keys/).