Seasonal and long-term changes in pH in the Dutch coastal zone

• Published in: Biogeosciences
• Main Authors: Provoost, P., Heuven, S., Soetaert, K., Laane, R. W. P. M., Middelburg, J. J.
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: Ocean acidification
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-7-3869-2010; https://www.biogeosciences.net/7/3869/2010/

Recent observations and modelling studies suggest that biogeochemical changes can mask atmospheric CO 2 -induced pH decreases. Data collected by the Dutch monitoring authorities in different coastal systems (North Sea, Wadden Sea, Ems-Dollard, Eastern Scheldt and Scheldt estuary) since 1975 provide an excellent opportunity to test whether this is the case in the Dutch coastal zone. The time-series were analysed using Multi-Resolution Analysis (MRA) which resulted in the identification of system-dependent patterns on both seasonal and intra-annual time scales. The observed rates of pH change greatly exceed those expected from enhanced CO 2 uptake, thus suggesting that other biogeochemical processes, possibly related to changes in nutrient loading, can play a dominant role in ocean acidification.