Carbon Sinks and Ocean Acidification in Canadian Coastal Waters

加拿大沿海水域的碳汇和海洋酸化

• 批准号: RGPIN-2022-03851
• 负责人: Else, Brent
• 金额: $ 3.13万
• 依托单位: University of Calgary
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=754785
• 关键词: Carbon; Sinks; Ocean; Acidification; Canadian

Oceans absorb a significant amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. This slows the rate of climate change, but causes ocean acidification. Ocean acidification has negative impacts on certain marine organisms, including some economically important species of shellfish and crustaceans. The cycling of CO2 in seawater is complex, and often involves other greenhouse gases like methane (CH4). This project uses complementary tools and approaches focused on coastal community engagement to study all three aspects (CO2, CH4, and ocean acidification) in both Arctic and southern Canadian seas. In the Arctic, marine CO2 and CH4 cycles are poorly understood. Sea ice is thought to play an important role, but we lack the fundamental studies to properly include gas exchange in models of icy oceans. Rivers are also important, but it is uncertain how much CO2 and CH4 they deliver to the coastal ocean. This project will study gas exchange in the presence of sea ice using an innovative weather station we have built in collaboration with community partners on a small island near Cambridge Bay (Nunavut, Canada). By directly measuring CO2 exchange at this station, we can assess the sea ice and ocean conditions that drive gas transport. Using a community-based sampling approach, we will collect measurements of dissolved CO2 and CH4 beneath Arctic lakes, in rivers, and in estuaries. These studies will allow us to investigate the movement of greenhouse gases from freshwater systems to the ocean, and what happens once they arrive there. This project will also investigate ocean acidification on southern Canadian coasts. Although in a very different environment, this research is linked to our Arctic work through a common topic (CO2 absorption in seawater), common tools, and a common focus on coastal communities. We will work with aquaculture operators and other harvesters to test the ability of low-cost sensors to detect dangerous ocean acidification events. We will also develop new methods of sample collection that will enable "citizen scientists" to collect high quality ocean acidification data. By linking high quality measurements with mortality events observed by harvesters, we will investigate the emerging risks to aquaculture and wild fisheries in Canada. The impacts of this research will be: 1) improved budgets of greenhouse gas cycles in Arctic seas, a critical component of Canada's Paris Agreement obligations; 2) new methods for modeling gas exchange in the presence of sea ice that can be applied to the circumpolar Arctic and Antarctic; 3) new strategies for monitoring and mitigating the effects of ocean acidification. All aspects of this research program rely on coastal communities, and provide space for meaningful collaborations. The project is designed to learn from Indigenous (particularly Inuit) communities to find ways for natural science to advance community priorities and build local capacity for environmental monitoring and research.

海洋从大气中吸收大量二氧化碳 (CO2)。这减缓了气候变化的速度，但导致海洋酸化。海洋酸化对某些海洋生物产生负面影响，包括一些经济上重要的贝类和甲壳类动物。海水中二氧化碳的循环很复杂，并且经常涉及甲烷 (CH4) 等其他温室气体。该项目使用侧重于沿海社区参与的补充工具和方法来研究北极和加拿大南部海域的所有三个方面（二氧化碳、甲烷和海洋酸化）。在北极，人们对海洋二氧化碳和甲烷循环知之甚少。海冰被认为发挥着重要作用，但我们缺乏基础研究来正确地将气体交换纳入冰冷海洋模型中。河流也很重要，但尚不确定它们向沿海海洋输送了多少二氧化碳和甲烷。该项目将使用我们与社区合作伙伴在剑桥湾（加拿大努勒维特）附近的一个小岛上合作建造的创新气象站来研究海冰存在下的气体交换。通过直接测量该站的二氧化碳交换，我们可以评估驱动气体运输的海冰和海洋条件。使用基于社区的采样方法，我们将收集北极湖泊、河流和河口下方溶解的二氧化碳和甲烷的测量结果。这些研究将使我们能够调查温室气体从淡水系统到海洋的移动，以及它们到达那里后会发生什么。该项目还将调查加拿大南部海岸的海洋酸化情况。尽管环境截然不同，但这项研究通过共同的主题（海水中二氧化碳的吸收）、共同的工具以及对沿海社区的共同关注，与我们的北极工作联系在一起。我们将与水产养殖经营者和其他捕捞者合作，测试低成本传感器检测危险海洋酸化事件的能力。我们还将开发新的样本收集方法，使“公民科学家”能够收集高质量的海洋酸化数据。通过将高质量测量结果与捕捞者观察到的死亡事件联系起来，我们将调查加拿大水产养殖和野生渔业面临的新风险。这项研究的影响将是：1）改善北冰洋温室气体循环的预算，这是加拿大《巴黎协定》义务的重要组成部分； 2）在海冰存在的情况下模拟气体交换的新方法，可应用于环极地北极和南极； 3）监测和减轻海洋酸化影响的新策略。该研究计划的所有方面都依赖于沿海社区，并为有意义的合作提供空间。该项目旨在向土著（特别是因纽特人）社区学习，寻找自然科学的方法来推进社区优先事项并建设当地的环境监测和研究能力。