The scientists believe that the targets for human-produced carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions - a maximum 2 degree global temperature rise - are not strict enough. They have found that regional 'carbon sinks' in the North Atlantic and Southern Ocean – areas which absorb more CO2 than they release – are less stable than previously thought and have decreased since the early 2000s. The film is part of the project and available online on here .
After five years, the €14.5 million European Commission project Carboocean has concluded that rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations will accelerate ocean acidification and potentially weaken important marine carbon sink areas.
The participants of the Carboocean consortium are looking into the role of the ocean in CO2 uptake and in sink formation. This will be crucial for making realistic climate simulations in the future.
Results from time series measurements, surface and deep section measurements undertaken by the project show that seawater is becoming more acidic. This affects not only the organic and inorganic carbon cycles but also marine organisms with calcareous shells. An additional Carboocean spin-off: “European Project on Ocean Acidification” (EPOCA) is also examining the impact of changes in carbonate chemistry on the oceans.
Carboocean included 35 partners from Europe, Morocco, and North America. The resulting database is a major step forward in our ability to quantify the ocean carbon sinks and sets a new standard for collaborative data reporting.
The 50 minutes information film about Carbooceans is available here .
Carboocean findings are published and available on the web: “Integrated assessment of the European and North Atlantic carbon Balance- key results, policy implications for post 2012 and research needs ”.
For more information, also visit the website: http://www.CarboOcean.org
Contact of the project coordinator:
Christoph Heinze
University of Bergen, Geophysical Institute & Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research
E-mail: christoph.heinze@gfi.uib.no, Tel: +47 55589844, Fax: +47 55589883
European Commission Contacts
Anastasios Kentarchos, anastasios.kentarchos@ec.europa.eu Tel: +32 2 29 86733
Florian Frank, florian.frank@ec.europa.eu, Tel: +32 2 29 97934