The magazine of the european research area European Commission Copenhagen, a missed chance?

 

   EPOCA

 

 27 partners – 9 countries  

 (BE-CH-DE-FR-IS-NL-NO-SE-UK)

 www.epoca-project.eu 

    

BIOACID

 

19 partners (DE)

 http://bioacid.ifm-geomar.de 

   

CARBOOCEAN

 

 47 partners – 14 countries (BE-CH-DE, 

DK-ES-FR-IS-MO-NL-NO-PO-SE-UK-US)

 www.carboocean.org

An ocean at saturation 

point

A 

physical process is at the origin of 

the essential absorption of CO

2

 by the 

oceans. This mechanism, commonly 

referred to as the ‘physical pump’, (

1

) is based in 

particular on calcareous algae. These fix the CO

2

 

in their shell by photosynthesis and transport it 

to the seabed when they die. We do not at 

present know to what extent the response of 

these organisms to ocean acidification could 

upset the functioning of this oceanic carbon sink. 

CARBOOCEAN, a vast European project whose 

aim was to quantify the carbon storage capacity 

of oceans, ended in 2009. Results show a slow-

ing of the capacity to absorb CO

2

 in the North 

Atlantic and Southern Ocean. It now remains to 

find the explanation for this phenomenon. 

“These changes could be the result of physical 

phenomena, a temperature increase for exam-

ple, or a difference in the circulation of marine 

currents. But the cause could also be biological,” 

says Ulf Riebesell. “The basic mechanisms of the 

physical pump are relatively well known. But 

while some scientists say that acidification could 

boost its efficiency, others forecast the opposite. 

It is essential to understand and to quantify these 

phenomena to increase the efficiency of the 

models used for forecasting the future climate.”  

(1)  For more details on the physical and biological pumps, 

see article “CO

2

 between sea and sky”, in the December 2007 

special issue of research*eu.