Carbonate chemistry of an in-situ free-ocean CO₂ enrichment experiment (antFOCE) in comparison to short term variation in Antarctic coastal waters.

ABSTRACT: Free-ocean CO₂ enrichment (FOCE) experiments have been deployed in marine ecosystems to manipulate carbonate system conditions to those predicted in future oceans. We investigated whether the pH/carbonate chemistry of extremely cold polar waters can be manipulated in an ecologically relevant way, to represent conditions under future atmospheric CO₂ levels, in an in-situ FOCE experiment in Antarctica. We examined spatial and temporal variation in local ambient carbonate chemistry at hourly intervals at two sites between December and February and compared these with experimental conditions. We successfully maintained a mean pH offset in acidified benthic chambers of -0.38 (±0.07) from ambient for approximately 8 weeks. Local diel and seasonal fluctuations in ambient pH

SUBMITTER: Stark JS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5809532 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature