The Marine acidification research programme produces chemical and biological indicators on the acidification of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea.
The results will be used in a programme for monitoring acidification impacts on species, habitats and ecosystems.
During the past century, the oceans have taken up about 40 percent of the carbon dioxide that has been added to the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels. This has led to an increase in the level of carbon dioxide in the oceans. When the oceans absorb carbon dioxide pH values decrease. A lower pH value is the same as saying that the ocean becomes more acidic. In the Baltic Sea and the North Sea a decrease in the pH value has been observed over the past decades.
A shift towards more acidic oceans and the amount of calcium carbonate causes changes in chemical and biological processes. This affects the marine ecosystem. Studies of marine organisms indicate that this is likely to cause serious effects in a hundred years.
It is not known how things are as regards the carbonate system in the seas around Sweden. The purpose of this project is to investigate how things are now with the Baltic and North Sea carbonate systems.
The purpose of this research is to:
- Explore the carbonate system’s variation in time and space to get a reference to future changes.
- Develop knowledge of the biological effects of marine acidification in the Nordic sea areas.
- Provide recommendations on methodology and measurement variables, procedure descriptions of marine acidification and its biological effects, including the quality assurance of these.
- Provide recommendations on appropriate monitoring of acidification in different sub-areas in view of their oceanographic characteristics and potential effects on key habitats/ecosystems.
The project is run in partnership between SMHI and the University of Gothenburg. Along with these, proposals for indicators for acidification of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea will be produced. The results will contribute to the understanding of the role the coastal areas play in the global carbon cycle.
The EPA will contribute SEK 5 million to the programme, which will run from 2009 to 2012.
Contact
SMHI
Elisabeth Sahlsten, programme manager
Phone: +46 (0)31 751 8990
E-mail: elisabeth.sahlsten@smhi.se