Ocean acidification describes the changes in seawater chemistry that result from the uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide by the ocean. The changes this century are predicted to have profound impacts on marine ecosystems with potential flow-on effects to economic and environmental services the ecosystems provide, including fisheries and aquaculture, coastal protection, and tourism. The Global Ocean Acidification - Observing Network (GOA-ON) has been developed in response to the widespread concern of the impacts of ocean acidification. The network is an internationally coordinated effort, combining ‘bottom up’ collaboration by the research community with ‘top down’ encouragement and support from a range of international bodies and organisations, including the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (UNESCO-IOC), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS). The aim is to provide chemical and biological data from local to global scales that can be used to improve understanding of ocean acidification conditions and ecosystem responses, and to provide uniformly collected and quality-controlled data to assist policy making through research products and model-based projections of ecosystem responses. Capability development is a key aspect of the network. The status and future plans of the GOA-ON initiative will be described – providing the opportunity for additional involvement in its implementation.

1. The Global Ocean Acidification
Observing Network
Bronte Tilbrook, CSIRO, AUS; Libby Jewett, NOAA, USA; Phil
Williamson, UEA, UK; Jan Newton, UW, USA; Kirsten Isensee, IOC-
UNESCO & GOA-ON community
Blue Planet Symposium, Cairns, Australia

2. What is GOA-ON?
The Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network
(GOA-ON) is a international partnership to:
1. Document the status and progress of ocean
acidification in open-ocean, coastal, estuarine, and
coral reef environments
2. Understand the impacts of ocean acidification on
diverse marine ecosystems and societies, and
3. Support forecasts of ocean acidification conditions.
www.goa-on.org

3. Two international workshops, with ~100 participants
from ~30 countries, defined an approach to build a
coordinated, integrated global observing network for
ocean acidification:
– Rationale
– Goals
– Design
– Suite of measurement parameters
– Data quality and data distribution strategies
– International program integration
Designing GOA-ON

4. www.goa-on.org
GOA-ON plan now
available:

5. Development of Global Ocean Acidification
Observing Network (GOA-ON)
Goal 1 Understanding of global OA conditions
identify spatial/temporal patterns and assess
generality of response; document and assess
variation to infer driving mechanisms; quantify
rate of change
Goal 2 Understanding of ecosystem response to OA
measure biological responses to physico-chemical
changes; quantify rate of change and identify
areas of vulnerability
Goal 3 Data to optimize OA modeling: acquire and
exchange spatially and temporally resolved data
for model conditions and evaluation

6. Observations across various ecosystems:
– Open ocean: polar, temperate, tropical
– Coasts and estuaries
– Coral reefs
E. Matson

7. Utilising various platforms:
– Ship-based surveys & volunteer observing ships
– Moorings & piers
– Gliders & floats
100 m 2 m

8. • GOA-ON observations will be based on a nested
design:
Level 1: critical minimum measurements
Level 2: measurements for integrated
assessment to enhance interpretation
Level 3: measurements that are not yet fully
ready for standardisation; in development or
evaluation
• Ecosystem responses will only be measured in a
subset of total OA observation stations
Nested system design

9. Level 1 Level 1
Level 2 Level 2
Level 3 Level 3
Coral reefs
Goal 1 Goal 2 Goal 3
OA conditions Ecosystem response OA modelling
Goal 1 Goal 2 Goal 3
OA conditions Ecosystem response OA modeling
Coasts & shelf seas
Open ocean
L1: carbonate-system
constraint, T, S, O,
fluorescence, irradiance
L2: nutrients, bio-optics,
transport, meteorology,
trace metals, PIC...
L3: capability-specific
L1: biomass of functional
groups (phytoplankton, zoo-
plankton & microbes)
L2: species; processes incl.
growth, grazing & respiration
L3: capability-specific
Inputs to
models
GOA-ON nested system
design depends on habitat

10. GOA-ON for temperate
open ocean & shelf seas
Level 1* Carbonate system constraints
Temperature
Salinity
Oxygen
Depth/pressure
Flourescence
Irradiance
Level 2
Nutrients
Bio-optical parameters
Currents
Meteorology
Net community metabolism
Trace metals
18O and 13C
Export production
PIC and POC
Atmospheric pCO2
Phytoplankton species
*Additional measurements for habitats dominated
by calcifiers: biomass of biota; changes in
net ecosystem processes.
Details in GOA-ON Requirements and Governance Plan, 2014 (www.goa-on.org)
Goal 1: OA conditions
GOA-ON for temperate open
ocean & shelf seas
Level 1 Biomass /abundance of :
• Phytoplankton
• Zooplankton
• Benthic producers &
consumers
Calcified: to non-calcified plankton
abundance
Phytoplankton functional types
PIC
Sunlight (PAR)
Level 2
Primary production
Export flux rate
NCP
DOC/DOM
N/P ratios
Satellite imagery
Algal pigments (HPLC)
Current (ADCP)
Zooplankton spatial & temporal
variability
Zooplankton grazing
Goal 2: ecosystem response

11. GOA-ON observing:

12. Globally distributed, high quality data, near-
real-time data, and data synthesis products
that:
– Facilitate research (new knowledge) on OA
– Communicate status of OA and biological
response
– Enable forecasting/prediction of OA conditions
Outcomes from GOA-ON:

13. Surface Ocean CO2 Atlas; www.socat.info

14. End-uses of GOA-ON information:
– International policy development related to carbon
emissions
– Food security and livelihoods
–Fisheries
–Shellfish aquaculture
–Coral reefs
– Shore protection, tsunami protection by coral reefs
– Tourism

15. Ocean acidification is
a global condition with local effects
• We need local through global scale
observations
• This issue requires our coordination,
networked skill, and open analysis

16. Hobart, Tasmania, 3-6 May, 2016
http://www.highco2-iv.org

17. OA
observing
activities, expertise,
data & assets of
global research
community
OA-ICC
International
Coordination
Centre
(of IAEA)
Blue
Planet
task of
GEO/GEOSS
IOCCP
International
Ocean Carbon
Coordination
Project
GOOS
Global Ocean
Observing
System
IOC
Intergovernment-
al Oceanographic
Commission
(of UNESCO)
SCOR
Scientific
Committee on
Oceanic
Research
(of ICSU)
Private
sector and
foundations
IAEA
International
Atomic Energy
Agency
UNESCO
UN Educational,
Scientific and
Cultural
Organization
GEO
Group on Earth
Observations
IGBP
international
Geosphere-
Biosphere
Programme
OAiRUG
OA international
Reference User
Group
GOA-ON outputs and outcomes
common protocols, databases, synthesis products
wider connections
(not comprehensive)Global OA Observing Network
ICSU &
Future Earth
Research
funders
national and
regional
Image:NOAA(Jewett),NERC(Williamson)&others
CBD &
other UN
bodies
OSPAR &
ICES