Free-ocean CO2 enrichment (FOCE) systems: Present status and future developments

• Published in: Biogeosciences
• Main Authors: Gattuso, Jean-Pierre, Hendriks, Iris E., Brewer, Peter G.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: European Geosciences Union 2014
• Subjects: Pacific; Queensland; Ocean acidification
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10261/115508; https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-4057-2014

Jean-Pierre Gattuso et al. Free-ocean CO2 enrichment (FOCE) systems are designed to assess the impact of ocean acidification on biological communities in situ for extended periods of time (weeks to months). They overcome some of the drawbacks of laboratory experiments and field observations by enabling (1) precise control of CO2 enrichment by monitoring pH as an offset of ambient pH, (2) consideration of indirect effects such as those mediated through interspecific relationships and food webs, and (3) relatively long experiments with intact communities. Bringing perturbation experiments from the laboratory to the field is, however, extremely challenging. The main goal of this paper is to provide guidelines on the general design, engineering, and sensor options required to conduct FOCE experiments. Another goal is to introduce xFOCE, a community-led initiative to promote awareness, provide resources for in situ perturbation experiments, and build a user community. Present and existing FOCE systems are briefly described and examples of data collected presented. Future developments are also addressed as it is anticipated that the next generation of FOCE systems will include, in addition to pH, options for oxygen and/or temperature control. FOCE systems should become an important experimental approach for projecting the future response of marine ecosystems to environmental change. © Author(s) 2014. CC Attribution 3.0 License. The BNP Paribas Foundation is gratefully acknowledged for its support of the 2012 and 2013 xFOCE meetings and for supporting a 52 min eFOCE documentary. Additional support for the 2013 meeting was provided by the French Embassy in Washington DC. dpFOCE was supported by MBARI; cpFOCE by the Australian Research Council, the Pacific Blue Foundation, and the University of Queensland; eFOCE by the BNP Paribas Foundation, CNRS, and Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6; and swFOCE by MBARI, the Center for Solutions, and Hopkins Marine Station; antFOCE by the Australian Research Council, the ...