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
Project Achievements
The aim for the first year was to shape the project objectives and deliverables based on direct feedbacks from a survey among NANO members.
In 2018, a workshop started the project where participants committed to join the project and sampling strategies were defined. Since then, fieldwork has been conducted at study sites and outreach activities have been conducted by participants, often relying on the project’s financial support.
In 2019 NANO-DOAP initiated its own outreach project with the NANO Global Project Webinar Series.
In 2020 we have expanded to 14 stations in 11 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America
Coordinators (period)
Houssem Smeti (2017-2019)
Subrata Sarker (2021 – present)
Participants
Participant | Institution/Country | Role |
---|---|---|
Subrata Sarker | Shahjalal University of Science and Technology/Bangladesh | Representative of study site/Project Coordinator |
Mohamed Ahmed | Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute/Kenya | Representative of study site |
Akintoye Akinnigbagbe | Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research/Nigeria | Representative of study site |
Carla Berghoff | National Institute of Fisheries and Development/Argentina | Representative of study site |
Lamona Bernawis | Dept. Oceanography, Faculty of Earth Science and Technology, Institut Teknologi bandung/Indonesia | Representative of study site |
Stella Betancur | Ministry of Defence; General Maritime Directorate/Colombia | Representative of study site |
Ousmane Diankha | Université Iba Der Thaim de Thiès/Senegal | Representative of study site |
LuÃs Escudero | Maritime Institute of Peru/Peru | Representative of study site |
Adriana Gonzalez | Autonomous University of Baja California/Mexico | Representative of study site |
Abed El Rahman Hassoun | National Council for Scientific Research in Lebanon | Representative of study site |
Yosra Khammeri | National Institute of Marine Sciences and Technologies/Tunisia | Representative of study site |
Samina Kidwai | National Institute of Oceanography/Pakistan | Representative of study site |
Edem Mahu | University of Ghana/Ghana | Representative of study site |
Nandini Menon | Nansen Environmental Research Centre/India | Representative of study site |
Rodrigo Hernandez Moresino | Centre for the Study of Marine Systems, in the National Scientific and Technical Research Council/Argentina | Representative of study site |
MaurÃcio Noernberg | Centre for Marine Studies/Brazil | Representative of study site |
Essowè Panassa | University of Kara/Togo | Representative of study site |
Noir Primadona Purba | Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Fishery and Marine Science/Indonesia | Representative of study site |
Houssem Smeti | University of Tunis | Representative of study site |
Maria Tapia | Oceanographic Institute of the Navy/Ecuador | Representative of study site |
Webinar Series
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