Building a future ocean

• Main Author: Roberts, D
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Australian Antarctic Magazine - Wendy Pyper 2013
• Subjects: Environmental Sciences; Ecological Applications; Ecological Impacts of Climate Change; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre; Australian Antarctic Division; Ocean acidification; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://ecite.utas.edu.au/89616

Antarctic scientists are working to create a future ocean in an underwater bio-dome, 20 m beneath the sea ice off Casey station.In a world-first experiment, marine scientists Dr Donna Roberts and Dr Jonny Stark, will assess the impact of ocean acidification caused by increasing amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) dissolving in the ocean on polar sea floor (benthic) communities.To do this Dr Roberts, an ocean acidification expert from the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre and the University of Tasmania, will work with Australian Antarctic Division benthic ecologist, Dr Stark, and a team of Antarctic Division technicians, engineers and divers, to adapt Free Ocean CO2 Enrichment (FOCE) technology for Antarctic deployment. These semi-enclosed underwater chambers allow scientists to vary the CO2 concentration in the water without changing light or nutrient conditions.