Post-doctoral position, “Effects of ocean acidification on benthic communities in the Mediterranean Sea”

A 2-years post-doctoral position is available within the project eFOCE (European Free-Ocean Carbon dioxide Enrichment experiments) funded by the BNP-Paribas Foundation; http://efoce.eu/

Ocean acidification and its impacts on organisms are the subject of growing research interest. Most of the data acquired so far have been obtained through perturbation experiments in the laboratory. It is critical to perform long-term experiments in situ to assess the effects of ocean acidification on the structure and functioning of natural communities. In the framework of the eFOCE project, an in situ benthic experimental system, that allows the continuous regulation of pH in coastal areas, is currently constructed and tested to assess the effect of ocean acidification on key benthic communities of the Mediterranean Sea.

Real science in virtual school labs

Up-to-date marine data enables students to carry out scientifically valid virtual experiments. The method yields insights on how scientific knowledge is created and developed, according to research from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Researchers from the University of Gothenburg followed upper-secondary students from the Swedish town of Lysekil for one year. The study was part of the research project I2I, Inquiry to Insight.

Using scientific data provided by the marine researchers involved in the project, the students explored the marine environment of the Gullmar Fjord on the Swedish west coast. The students used a virtual ocean acidification lab to conduct studies on acidification of the marine environment, studies with impressive validity based on the latest authentic data.

Ocean acidification- a purpose-built experimental facility (video)

Graeme Moss from NIWA’s Mahanga Bay aquaculture facility explaining about a purpose-built experimental facility for testing Ocean Acidification. Increased CO2 means a lowering of the Ocean’s pH. Animals at a lower pH actually loss shell weight, which meant the shells are dissolving under the more acidic conditions, or they aren’t generating new shell as quickly as they would have under normal conditions.

Research turns to acidification and warming in the Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea Acidification in a changing climate (MedSeA), a project funded by the European Commission under the 7th Framework Programme, assesses uncertainties, risks and thresholds related to Mediterranean acidification and warming at organism, ecosystem and economic scales. Eighteen institutions in 11 countries, mainly from the Mediterranean, are collaborating to identify where the impacts of acidification on Mediterranean waters will be most severe, taking into account the complete chain of causes and effects, from ocean chemistry through marine biology to socio-economic costs (Fig. 18). Policy measures for adaptation and mitigation that may vary geographically, and at the same time require coordination between regions or countries, will be proposed.