Ocean Acidification International

Coordination Centre (OA-ICC) Communicating, promoting and facilitating global actions

in a changing ocean world

David Osborn

Director

Lina Hansson

OA-ICC Project Officer

IAEA Environment Laboratories

International Atomic Energy Agency

Principality of Monaco

iaea.org/ocean-acidification

news-oceanacidification-icc.org

Why is the IAEA involved in ocean acidification studies? By mandate, the IAEA is active in the field of monitoring and

protecting the environment from ionising radiation, but also in any

field where isotopic and nuclear applications can be used to

understand and/or mitigate environmental issues.

Isotopic and nuclear techniques are

unique tools e.g. to:

• study the impact of ocean acidification

on primary production, growth and

calcification rate, using e.g. C-14 and

Ca-45

• reconstruct past pH, using the isotopic

ratio B-11/B-10 as a proxy

Background • Recommendation by the SOLAS

IMBER Ocean Acidification Working

Group and the Ocean Acidification

international Reference User Group

• Increasing concern of IAEA Member

States

• Need for increased international

cooperation to work jointly towards

sustainable development and use of

the oceans.

Rio+20 outcome document, paragraph 166:

“We call for support to initiatives that address ocean acidification

and the impacts of climate change on marine and coastal

ecosystems and resources. In this regard, we reiterate the need to

work collectively to prevent further ocean acidification, as well as

enhance the resilience of marine ecosystems and of the

communities whose livelihoods depend on them, and to support

marine scientific research, monitoring and observation of ocean

acidification and particularly vulnerable ecosystems, including

through enhanced international cooperation in this regard.”

Advisory Board

•Project:

IAEA Peaceful Uses Initiative (PUI) project,

supported by direct and in-kind

contributions from 9 (+ 2) Member States

and research projects on ocean

acidification.

•Objective:

Act as a hub to communicate, promote

and facilitate overarching international

activities on ocean acidification

•End Users:

Scientific community and science users

(e.g., policy makers, media, general public)

Advisory Board

•Functioning:

Operated by IAEA Environment Laboratories in

Monaco. Launched in summer 2012 (fully

operational in 2013; initial duration of 3 years).

Project Team:

L. Hansson, PO, O. Anghelici, PA,

M. Warnau, PM.

Scientific Coordinator (J. Orr, CEA; in-kind

contribution of France)

Data Curator (Y. Yang, Xiamen Univ; in-kind

contribution of China (pledge pending)).

Advisory Board:

Representatives from UN Agencies, key

institutions and leading scientists in the field of OA (Chair: C. Turley; first meeting in May 2013).

An international partnership

Supported by the IAEA ‘Peaceful Uses Initiative’ (PUI) through direct

and in-kind contributions from several IAEA Member States and

research projects on ocean acidification:

Australia, France, Italy (ENEA), Japan, New Zealand, United

Kingdom, United States, Integrated Marine Biogeochemistry and

Ecosystem Research (IMBER), Surface Ocean Lower Atmosphere

Study (SOLAS), Biological Impacts of Ocean Acidification (BIOACID),

Mediterranean Sea Acidification in a Changing Climate (MedSeA), UK

Ocean Acidification Programme (UKOA) and the NOAA Ocean

Acidification Program (NOAA OAP).

Total budget: ca. USD 2.17 M (1.13 M cash and 1.037 M in-kind)

SCIENCE

Global observing network R. Feely, USA & L. Jewett, USA

Joint platforms & experiments

U. Riebesell, Germany & J. Barry, USA

The human dimension

J. Bijma, Germany & S. Cooley, USA

Intercomparison exercises

M. Dai, China

Best practices J.-P. Gattuso, France & U. Riebesell, Germany

On-line bibliographic database J.-P. Gattuso, France

Data management J.-P. Gattuso, France

‘Promote activities to help advance ocean

acidification research’

CAPACITY BUILDING

Training courses Lisa Robbins, USA

Exchange of students &

postdocs Jelle Bijma, Germany

‘Help train tomorrow’s experts on

ocean acidification’

COMMUNICATION

Exhibits, publications (in

cooperation with the Ocean

Acidification International

Reference User Group; OA-

iRUG) Dan Laffoley, UK & Carol

Turley, UK

Web site & news stream

(former EPOCA blog)

‘Serve as a hub of information for different

audiences (policy makers, media…)’

1 – Global observing network Focal points: Richard Feely, NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, USA and

Libby Jewett, NOAA Ocean Acidification Program, USA

Aim

Facilitate merging of regional and national efforts

that monitor ocean acidification into one global

observing network, while identifying areas of

common concern, optimizing use of resources,

and improving data quality and comparability.

Approach • Promote workshops to unite community (GOA-

ON), reports, guidelines and best practices

Cathy Cosca, NOAA

1 – Global observing network Focal points: Richard Feely, NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, USA and

Libby Jewett, NOAA Ocean Acidification Program, USA

Aim

Facilitate merging of regional and national efforts

that monitor ocean acidification into one global

observing network, while identifying areas of

common concern, optimizing use of resources,

and improving data quality and comparability.

Approach • Promote workshops to unite community (GOA-

ON), reports, guidelines and best practices

Cathy Cosca, NOAA

2 – Joint platforms and facilities Focal point: Ulf Riebesell, GEOMAR | Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel,

Germany

Aim

Encourage and support international cooperation

by providing common access to research

platforms and large-scale facilities.

Approach • Support researchers to travel to pre-defined

platforms and facilities (2014/2015)

• Share information to encourage collaboration

(web site and news stream) Nick Cobbing (c)

3 – Collaboration between natural and social sciences Focal points: Jelle Bijma, Alfred Wegener Institute for polar and marine research,

Germany and Sarah Cooley, Woods Hole, USA

Aim Promote interactions between natural and

social sciences as an important step towards

understanding the impacts of ocean acidification

on human society, and developing mitigation

and adaptation strategies.

Approach • International workshops to bridge gap

between ocean acidification impacts and

economic valuation (CSM & IAEA)

• Broaden concept to include social sciences

other than economics (2014 or 2015)

4 – Intercomparison exercises Focal point: Minhan Dai, State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen

University, China

Aim

Facilitate and promote intercomparison of

key measured and derived ocean acidification

variables to support development of a

rigorous unified global data set.

Approach • Support international intercomparison

exercises:

• In cooperation with IOCCP: carbonate

chemistry software packages

• Boron isotope measurements (2015)

Jean-Louis Teyssié, IAEA

5 – Joint ocean acidification experiments Focal point: James Barry, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, USA

Aim

Promote and facilitate international

collaboration and joint experiments, in

particular efforts focusing on key fisheries or

ecosystems.

Approach • Support of scientific visits and encourage

collaboration (activities 2 and 10)

• Listing existing international joint OA

experiments (web site and news stream) Francis Louis, CNRS-UPMC

6 – Best practices in ocean acidification research Focal points: Jean-Pierre Gattuso, Laboratoire d’océanographie de Villefranche, France

and Ulf Riebesell, GEOMAR | Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Germany

Aim

Facilitate the development of internationally

standardized protocols for observational and

experimental approaches, carbonate chemistry

manipulations and measurements, and data

reporting, to ensure quality and

comparability of results.

Approach

• Workshop and revised Best Practices

publication (tbc; 2015)

• Share information (distribution of hard copies,

web site and news centre)

7 – On-line bibliographic database Focal point: Jean-Pierre Gattuso, Laboratoire d’océanographie de Villefranche, France

Aim

Provide access for all researchers to a

comprehensive list of bibliographic

references on ocean acidification.

Approach

Regular maintenance and on-line sharing

of a searchable bibliographic database

(currently more than 1700 entries)

8 – Data management Focal point: Jean-Pierre Gattuso, Laboratoire d’océanographie de Villefranche, France

Aim

Facilitate actions to develop common

international experimental data formats,

coordinate existing efforts and promote data

sharing. Compile published data on the

biological impacts of ocean acidification and

make them openly accessible.

Approach

• Continue data compilation started by

EPOCA/EUROCEANS (Pangaea); work

resumed by Data Curator end of June

• Workshop on international data management

(biological response data).

9 – Capacity building Focal point: Lisa Robbins, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, U.S.

Geological Survey, USA

Aim

Offer the possibility to students and scientists

entering the field, in particular from under-

resourced countries, to quickly get access to

high-quality training in order to be able to set

up pertinent experiments, avoid typical pitfalls

and ensure comparability with other studies.

Approach

• Co-support training courses

• Share information (web site and news stream)

Lisa Robbins, USGS

10 – Exchange of students and postdocs Focal point: Jelle Bijma, Alfred Wegener Institute for polar and marine research, Germany

Aim

Promote effective capacity building,

knowledge exchange, collaboration

opportunities and the use of best research

practices amongst countries through

exchange of students and postdocs.

Approach • Support short-term visits of early-career

researchers to pre-identified host laboratories

(2014/2015)

• Share information (web site and news

stream)

Anne-Marin Nisumaa, CNRS-UPMC

11 – Information sharing and communication Focal points: Dan Laffoley, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Switzerland

and Carol Turley, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK

Aim

Ensure that high-quality information on ocean

acidification is communicated to end users in an

effective way.

Approach

• Web site and news stream

• Brochures (close collaboration with OA-iRUG,

funded by Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco)

• Participation in international partnership

bringing ocean acidification to UNFCCC COP

meetings and similar events (lead: UKOA/PML) www.iaea.org/ocean-acidification

www.iaea.org/ocean-acidification/news-stream

11 – Information sharing and communication Focal points: Dan Laffoley, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Switzerland

and Carol Turley, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK

Aim

Ensure that high-quality information on ocean

acidification is communicated to end users in an

effective way.

Approach

• Web site and news stream

• Brochures (close collaboration with OA-iRUG,

funded by Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco)

• Participation in international partnership

bringing ocean acidification to UNFCCC COP

meetings and similar events (lead: UKOA/PML) http://unfccc.int/meetings/warsaw_nov_2013/mee

ting/7649/php/view/webcasts.php

• First meeting of the OA-ICC Advisory Board, May 2013

• Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network (GOA-ON), July 2013

(UKOA, NOAA, IOC and many other partners)

• IAEA Scientific Forum, September 2013

• First intercomparison exercise finalized (co-supported together with the

International Ocean Carbon Coordination Project, IOCCP)

• Side event at UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP) 19 (with

IOC/UNESCO, PML, IGBP, IMO, WMO and SCOR), Nov 2013

• OAiRUG meeting, 2-4 December 2013

• Group on Earth Observations (GEO) summit side event, Jan 2014 (tbc)

• Data management workshop, April 2014

• Training workshop for Latin American community, Nov 2014

Snapshot of recent and upcoming activities

Contact

Lina Hansson, OA-ICC Project Officer

IAEA Environment Laboratories

4 Quai Antoine 1er

MC-98000 Principality of Monaco

Phone: +377 97 97 72 06

Email: l.hansson@iaea.org

Contact

Lina Hansson, OA-ICC Project Officer

IAEA Environment Laboratories

4 Quai Antoine 1er

MC-98000 Principality of Monaco

Phone: +377 97 97 72 06

Email: l.hansson@iaea.org

iaea.org/ocean-acidification

news-oceanacidification-icc.org