The European Project on Ocean Acidification (EPOCA) will be launched on 10 June 2008. Its goal is to document ocean acidification, investigate its impact on biological processes, predict its consequences over the next 100 years, and advise policy-makers on potential thresholds or tipping points that should not be exceeded.
The World’s oceans cover over 70% of the planet’s surface, contribute half of its primary production and contain an enormous diversity of life. Thus it is not surprising that they provide invaluable resources to human society. They also play a vital role in Earth’s life support system due to their impact on climate and global biogeochemical cycles and due to their capacity to absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2).
The oceans currently absorb half of the CO2 produced by burning fossil fuels. Put simply, climate change would be far worse if it was not for the oceans. However, there is a cost to the oceans. When carbon dioxide dissolves in seawater, it forms carbonic acid. As more CO2 is taken up by the oceans surface, the pH (a measure of acidity, the lower the pH the greater the acidity) decreases, moving towards a more acidic state. This change is called “ocean acidification” and is happening at a rate that has not been experienced for at least 400,000 years and probably for the last 20 million years.
Led by the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), the EU Framework 7 Collaborative Project EPOCA is run by a consortium of 27 partners across 9 countries involving many of the leading oceanographic institutions across Europe and more than 100 permanent scientists. The budget of this 4 year project is 16.5 M€ with a contribution from the European Commission of 6.5 M€.
Kickoff meeting:
EPOCA will officially be launched during a kickoff meeting in Nice (France), 10-13 June 2008.
Contacts at the University of Bergen - BCCR:
Christoph Heinze, professor in chemical oceanography
University of Bergen, Geophysical Institute and Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research
Allégaten 70
N-5007 Bergen
Phone: 55589844 (mobile: 97557119)
Email: christoph.heinze@gfi.uib.no
Tron Frede Thingstad, professor in biology
University of Bergen, Institute for Biology
Jahnebk. 5
N-5007 Bergen
Phone: 55582683
Email: frede.thingstad@bio.uib.no
Richard Bellerby, PhD
Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research and University of Bergen, Geophysical Institute
Allégaten 55
N-5007 Bergen
Phone: 55582565
Email: richard.bellerby@bjerknes.uib.no