During the expedition , scientists will study the impact of the changing chemistry on marine organisms and ecosystems , on the cycling of carbon and nutrients in the sea and on how the sea interacts with the atmosphere to influence climate .
Parallel investigations
Firstly , the researchers will look at how ecosystems vary between locations where the chemistry of seawater is naturally more acidic and those where it is more alkaline . This approach will provide insights on how acidification may affect organisms living in their natural environment , where natural selection and adaptation have had time to play out .
A second approach is experimental , using tanks of natural seawater collected from the upper ocean and brought into controlled conditions on deck . This natural seawater will be subjected to various levels of carbon dioxide that are likely to occur in the future .
Dr Geraint Tarling , a British Antarctic Survey Researcher and the leader of this expedition says : “ This is the most comprehensive investigation into the response of the Southern Ocean ecosystem to ocean acidification yet mounted . The investigative team encompasses some of the most experienced marine researchers from the UK . The team will not only look at how different parts of the ecosystem respond in isolation , but also see how effects interact to produce an ecosystem-level response . The work on this expedition will build on recent evidence of ocean acidification dissolving the shells of marine snails , known as pteropods , in the Southern Ocean that was recently published in Nature Geoscience (* for reference , please see notes ).
Professor Toby Tyrrell from the National Oceanography Centre and coordinator of the UKOA Sea Surface Consortium added : “ Another reason for visiting the Southern Ocean is that it is also an unusually stable environment , with surprisingly little seasonal variation . The sea remains extremely cold even in summer . As the local organisms are not exposed to much natural variation , they could be more susceptible to human-induced variations . It is important for us to find out whether this supposition is correct .”
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