Ocean acidification and the Southern Ocean

http://www.aad.gov.au/default.asp?casid=33583

"Scientists at the Australian Antarctic Division and the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre,based in Hobart, are conducting a range of experiments on plankton andsediments from the Southern Ocean, to determine the effect ofincreasing CO₂ on marine organisms and the impacts this will have on the ecosystem. A research voyages in 2007, the Sub-Antarctic Zone Sensitivity to Environmental Change conducted ship-board experiments and brought back samples for laboratory analysis.

Why is Southern Ocean research so important?

The Southern Ocean contains more CO₂ than other oceans because cooler water absorbs more CO₂ than warmer water. Thus, the impacts of ocean acidification will appear first in the Southern Ocean."

http://www.acecrc.org.au/drawpage.cgi?pid=about_ace

The Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre (ACECRC) provides a focus for Australia’s national effort to understand thevariability of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean and their role inAustralia’s future. The ACE CRC is a partnership dedicated tosustainable management of Antarctic marine ecosystem resources and thestudy of atmospheric and oceanic processes of the Southern Ocean andtheir role in global and regional climate change.