Core Principles of the California Current Acidification Network: Linking Chemistry, Physics, and Ecological Effects

• Main Authors: McLaughlin, Karen, Weisberg, Stephen B., Dickson, Andrew G., Hofman, Gretchen E., Newton, Jan A., Aseltine-Neilson, Deborah, Barton, Alan, Cudd, Sue, Feely, Richard A., Jefferds, Ian W., Jewett, Elizabeth B, King, Teri, Langdon, Chris J., McAfee, Skyli, Pleschner-Steele, Diane, Steele, Bruce
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; unknown
• Published: Oceanography Society
• Subjects: Ocean acidification
• Online Access: https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/articles/gf06g471d

Numerous monitoring efforts are underway to improve understanding of ocean acidification and its impacts on coastal environments, but there is a need to develop a coordinated approach that facilitates spatial and temporal comparisons of drivers and responses on a regional scale. Toward that goal, the California Current Acidification Network (C-CAN) held a series of workshops to develop a set of core principles for facilitating integration of ocean acidification monitoring efforts on the US West Coast. The recommended core principles include: (1) monitoring measurements should facilitate determination of aragonite saturation state (Ω[subscript]arag) as the common currency of comparison, allowing a complete description of the inorganic carbon system; (2) maximum uncertainty of ±0.2 in the calculation of Ω[subscript]arag is required to adequately link changes in ocean chemistry to changes in ecosystem function; (3) inclusion of a variety of monitoring platforms and levels of effort in the network will insure collection of high-frequency temporal data at fixed locations as well as spatial mapping across locations; (4) physical and chemical oceanographic monitoring should be linked with biological monitoring; and (5) the monitoring network should share data and make it accessible to a broad audience.