A diverse, international team, aboard the NOAA ship Ronald H. Brown, will survey from Baja California to Haida Gwaii, British Columbia.
PMEL scientists are leading the most integrated research cruise that launches May 5th from San Diego. The research cruise takes place every couple years and allows NOAA to create a unique time series of carbon measurements in areas expected to be highly impacted by ocean acidification. Some 36 scientists from the United States, Mexico, Canada and Europe will be aboard the NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown throughout the month long cruise to get a better understanding of changing ocean conditions and biological responses.
Scientists from NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center and the Romberg Tiburon Center will study how ocean acidification contributes to harmful algal blooms. For the first time on this expedition, NOAA is collaborating with the Department of Interior’s National Park Service who will assist in collecting on-shore samples at three different parks: Cabrillo National Monument, Channel Islands National Park, and Olympic National Park. PMEL has continued to partner with the West Coast National Marine Sanctuaries to also collect on shore samples. Sampling on-shore while the ship is nearby will allow scientists to understand the relationship between nearshore and offshore conditions.
Follow along with the expedition through the cruise’s blog. To read more visit NOAA.gov and the Carbon program's page.