OSPAR request - Monitoring methodologies for ocean acidification

A coordinated ocean acidification (OA) monitoring programme is needed that integrates physical, biogeochemical, and biological measurements to concurrently observe the variability and trends in ocean carbon chemistry and evaluate species and ecosystems response to this changes. For the physico-chemical parameters there is a good basis for initiating monitoring although there are some technical issues that still need to be resolved. However, the science needed to develop a monitoring programme for impacts of ocean acidification is less developed and for the moment ICES is not in a position to give detailed advice on this issue.