Ocean Acidification
Through its role in supporting the Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network (GOA-ON), the IOC helps the Member States to coordinate the resources from different countries and organizations needed to understand and tackle the problem of ocean acidification.
Through its role in supporting the Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network (GOA-ON), the IOC helps the Member States to coordinate the resources from different countries and organizations needed to understand and tackle the problem of ocean acidification.
Through its role in supporting the Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network (GOA-ON), the IOC helps Member States to coordinate the resources from different countries and organizations needed to understand and tackle the problem of ocean acidification. Every year the ocean absorbs about 25% of human-made carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, increasing acidity as this CO2 dissolves in the seawater. This change is making it difficult for organisms such as corals and molluscs to produce their shells or skeletons, creating major disruption to marine biodiversity. The Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network was established in 2012 together with a number of organizations including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
"It’s important that we understand what’s happening in the ocean from local to global scales. The IOC is central in helping to bring together different countries, identifying the major issues and facilitating responses." - Dr Bronte Tilbrook, Co-Chair of the Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network
The IOC Sub-commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC) has organized training for scientists in the Western Pacific region so that experts and oceanographic institutions from the region and beyond can work together to improve monitoring of ocean acidification and to track changes in coral reef ecosystems. WESTPAC’s training efforts have focused on standardizing the approaches needed to monitor the ecological impacts of ocean acidification on coral reef ecosystems across all countries in the region.
Useful links:
International Ocean Carbon Coordination Project
If interested in IOC activities on Ocean Acidification, please revert to: https://en.unesco.org/ocean-acidification