Pivers Island Coastal Observatory
Carbon dioxide is rising at ~3% per year in the atmosphere and oceans leading to increases in dissolved inorganic carbon and a reduction in pH. This trend is expected to continue for the foreseeable future and ocean pH is predicted to decrease substantially making the ocean more acidic, potentially affecting the marine ecosystem. However, coastal estuaries are highly dynamic systems that often experience dramatic changes in environmental variables over short periods of times. In this study, we are measuring key variables of the marine carbon system along with other potential forcing variables and characteristics of the ecosystem that may be affected by these pH changes. The goal of this project is to determine the time-scales and magnitude of natural variability that will be superimposed on any long term trends in ocean chemistry. Our long term goal is to understand this variability, the mechanisms that drive it and to make management recommendations for increasing ocean acidity. PICO is part of the International Ocean Carbon-UNESCO Biogeochemical Time Series network. Data is freely accessible through BCO-DMO.
