The Gulf of America is a natural laboratory for understanding how ocean and coastal systems respond to multiple stressors. Among the most pressing challenges are ocean and coastal acidification (OA/COA), which are transforming the chemistry of Gulf waters and threatening the health of corals, shellfish, and other marine life that sustain the region’s fisheries, biodiversity, and economies. Understanding and responding to these changes is critical — not only for maintaining ecosystem resilience but also for protecting the coastal communities and cultures that depend on the Gulf’s living resources.

The GCAN Webinar series focuses on the OA/COA issues of concern to Gulf stakeholders. Please mark your calendar/register for these upcoming webinars!

• Sept. 29: “Building capacity to produce and characterize Atlantic seawater inorganic carbon reference material,” with speaker Katelyn Schockman, Ph.D., University of Miami/NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML). 1-2 p.m. EST (Noon-1 p.m. CST). Register here

Webinar Recording

Abstract: Accurate measurements of the seawater inorganic carbon system seawater (i.e., total alkalinity (TA), total dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), pH, and fugacity of CO2 (fCO2)) are required for high-quality assessments of ocean acidification, carbon fluxes, and for use in global carbon budget models. Best-practice measurements of TA and DIC require use of certified reference materials (CRMs) to calibrate instruments and allow for comparisons between laboratories and throughout time. Currently, CRMs are only available from Dr. Andrew Dickson’s laboratory at Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO). It has been recognized that demand for CRMs has been increasing, and in response, many researchers and organizations have called for additional facilities capable of making reference materials to improve the robustness of production and distribution. NOAA-AOML has developed a reference material (RM) facility following the general design of SIO, with some enhancements. The AOML-RM system currently produces ~200 bottles per batch, with eight batches of RMs produced to date. AOML-RMs are unique in that they are sourced from open-ocean Atlantic Gulfstream seawater (rather than coastal Pacific seawater), providing a lower nutrient, higher salinity RM compared to the SIO-CRMs. AOML-RMs are characterized with respect to the inorganic carbon parameters, salinity, nutrients, and biological aspects. Tests of the AOML-RM batches span the course of two years from the bottling date to ensure homogeneity and stability. Data from the AOML-RM batches with respect to measurements of TA, DIC, pH, and fCO2 will be presented. Additionally, information on biological cell viability collected from the source water, throughout the bottling process, and throughout the RM batch shelf life will be discussed.

• Nov. 2: “Measuring and Modeling Ocean Acidification in the Gulf of America,” with speakers Macarena Martín Mayor, Ph.D. Candidate University of South Florida and Hafez Ahmad, Ph.D., Mississippi State University. 1-2 p.m. EST (Noon-1 p.m. CST) Register here.
  • This webinar will feature two presentations highlighting approaches to measuring and modeling ocean acidification and water quality in the Gulf of America, presented by two GCAN Fellows. Together, these presentations will showcase how field observations, autonomous technologies, remote sensing, and advanced modeling approaches can improve our understanding of changing carbonate chemistry and water quality conditions across the Gulf. Macarena Martín-Mayor, Ph.D. Candidate at the University of South Florida, will present “Evaluation of Spatial and Temporal Variations in pH and Dissolved Inorganic Carbon in the Gulf of America.” Dr. Hafez Ahmad, Postdoctoral Fellow at Mississippi State University, will present “Integrating Autonomous Surface Vessel Datasets with Remote Sensing and Machine Learning to Assess Long-Term Water Quality Dynamics in the Western Mississippi Sound.”

• Dec. 7: “Let it snow. Plankton Responses to Acidification and Environmental Change,” with speakers Alyssa Antolak, Ph.D. Candidate, Texas A&M University. 1-2 p.m. EST (Noon-1 p.m. CST)

Note: Additional registration links will be posted here closer to the webinar dates.