FOCE: The evolution of in situ Free Ocean CO<inf>2</inf> Enrichment experiments

Abstract

Ocean acidification (OA) is widely recognized as a significant oceanic threat in connection with other oceanic stressors, including warming and deoxygenation. Recent work shows that ocean acidification will negatively affect calcification processes for many species, including reef-building corals. It is possible that OA may cause diminished fish respiratory stress and impact sensory capabilities. To date most all of these scientific findings are from short-term experiments in laboratory aquaria on limited sets of organisms. The question posed, how can scientists perform long-term in situ CO 2 experiments like those performed on land as part of the Free CO 2 Air Enrichment (FACE) experiments? The desire is for experiments that can confirm conclusions drawn from laboratory experiments.