After nearly a decade, the NOAA ocean acidification observing network (NOA-on) is at the maturity level where a sustained effort to refresh and advance technology is necessary to maintain the…

The Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) awarded a $116,098 Cooperative Agreement to the University of Washington to address the need to maintain and advance technology for the NOAA Ocean Acidification Observing Network (NOA-ON). The project will contribute to the development of an autonomous, embedded, low power, modestly priced, mass-producible, climate-quality surface ocean combined pCO2-dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) system deployable on a variety of autonomous platforms and vehicles. This effort aims to replace obsolete instrumentation and improve the accuracy and reliability of a second carbonate system parameter to better constrain ocean acidification. The award was made under NOAA's Cooperative Institute (Inter-Agency Funded Activities) program (CFDA 11.405), which facilitates cooperation between government, university, and nonprofit research institutions to increase the effectiveness of research and develop innovative approaches to environmental science education.

After nearly a decade, the NOAA ocean acidification observing network (NOA-on) is at the maturity level where a sustained effort to refresh and advance technology is necessary to maintain the current level of observations. The core NOA-on MAPCO2 instrument, developed by the NOAA's pacific marine environmental laboratory (PMEL) in the early 2000'S, has reached its end of life. PMEL's BIL funded technology refresh project seeks to address the current need within NOA-on to replace obsolete instrumentation with new technology. There is an additional pressing need to continue developing technology to both improve the accuracy and reliability of a second carbonate system parameter in order to better constrain ocean acidification (OA). This project will contribute to the development of an autonomous, embedded, low power, modestly priced, mass-producible, climate-quality surface ocean combined PCO2-dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) system deployable on a variety of autonomous platforms and VEH