The Gulf of Mexico Ocean Acidification Network’s mission is to identify direct and indirect impacts of ocean acidification on the Gulf of Mexico’s large marine ecosystem and to develop strategies to mitigate these impacts by fostering collaborations and increasing ocean observations across the region.

GCAN, hosted by GCOOS, is a collaboration of regional efforts among the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Ocean Acidification Program (OAP), as well as other federal and state resource managers, industry partners, researchers and other stakeholders throughout the Gulf of Mexico.

For more information about GCAN or to join, email GCOOS Research Associate and GCAN Coordinator Jennifer Vreeland-Dawson.

GCAN hosts an ongoing webinar series and sponsors and participates in regional workshops and other activities. We also encourage participation in the NOAA-sponsored Ocean Acidification Information Exchange.

Upcoming Workshops/Events

GCAN Webinar Series: Next Episode Aug. 21
GCOOS’s Coastal Acidification Network (GCAN) will present Dr. Xinping Hu of TAMU & Dr. Leticia Barbero of AOML/NOAA during our next webinar at noon (CENTRAL) on Wednesday, Aug. 21. Their topic is “Ocean Acidification in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico.”

Leticia Barbero is an assistant scientist at the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS) from the University of Miami and conducts her work at the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) of NOAA. Her area of expertise is the CO2 system in the ocean. Her current research focuses on ocean acidification and its impact in coastal areas of the United States. As part of her work, she has participated and led several cruises aimed at studying OA conditions in coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico and eastern coast of the US.

Xinping Hu is an associate professor in chemical oceanography and a Ruth A. Campbell Professor in Coastal and Marine System Science at Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi. His research interest includes coastal and estuarine carbon cycle, ocean and estuarine acidification, and their interactions in the context of changing climate and hydrological cycle. Over the years, his research has been funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, Texas Sea Grant, Texas Water Development Board, Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program, Texas General Land Office Coastal Management Program, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Gulf Research Program, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and National Science Foundation. He is a recipient of the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation.

• When: Noon (central) Wednesday, Aug. 21
• Join the webinar

GCAN Members and Steering Committee

Name               Affiliation         Membership      Year Joined