A global study of coastal Deoxygenation, Ocean Acidification and Productivity at selected sites (2017-underway)

Environmental conditions throughout the world ocean are changing in response to fossil fuel emissions and greenhouse warming in the atmosphere. Climate change and high carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are causing a domino-like series of changes in ocean conditions, including increased temperature, decreased oxygen content and acidification.

Continuous time-series measurements at fixed locations are pre-requisites for forecasting and warning operations as well as for a variety of basic and applied research studies. Despite active oceanographic research related to climate change, there remain significant gaps in our capacity to observe the ocean, particularly in the coast of developing nations.

NANO-DOAP project is establishing a network of coastal monitoring stations particularly at these sites, taking advantage of NANO members’ global distribution. This global research project aims to advance knowledge and observation of the coastal ocean by consolidating existing, or establishing new, monitoring stations for essential ocean variables (EOVs) in the alumni locations.

Objectives

The NANO-DOAP Project began in April 2017 as the continuity of the previous regional observation projects funded by NF-POGO. The general objectives of NANO-DOAP are:

  • Support in-situ measurements of selected Essential Oceanographic Variables (EOVs) at participant study sites.
  • Compile data submitted by the participants into a NANO global database of selected EOV and support comparative analyses among study sites, focusing on levels of productivity, acidification and deoxygenation.
  • Provide capacity building opportunities to the project participants on marine data management and observation and data analysis methods through workshops and webinars.
  • Initiate and promote outreach and citizen-science activities to raise awareness about the importance of the marine environment and the threats facing it.

Specific objectives for the current year (April 2021 – March 2022) are:

  • Continue to support the on-going monthly/bimonthly sampling in active sampling sites;
  • Use the 2020-21 budget allocated for the cancelled in person workshop to offer the opportunity to members to apply for funding to purchase small equipment that would allow them to measure mandatory or additional parameters in 2021-22 (e.g. carbonate chemistry, microplastics…);
  • Improve NANO-DOAP measurement network by involving more NANO members;
  • Compile and analyse the data collected by all participants and work on a joint manuscript for publication in an international journal;
  • Continue the NANO-DOAP Webinar Series;
  • Hold virtual meetings to establish a standardisation of sampling methods;
  • Collaborate with POGO-OpenMODs and NANO-SAGITTA projects on long-term monitoring of EOVs using low-cost equipment;
  • If travel restrictions improve, organize the second in person workshop to present and discuss: (a) data from field work, (b) satellite time-series, (c) results of eventual comparative studies, (d) a repository for the global project data (where, how?).

Study location / Sample sites