Ocean Acidification Research in Latin America and The Caribbean by the REMARCO Network

SANCHEZ-CABEZA JA; BERNAL C; GÓMEZ BATISTA M; MARTÍNEZ-GALARZA RA; ESPINOSA-DÍAZ LF; PÉREZ PÉREZ E; SÁNCHEZ-NOGUERA C; LOMOVASKY B; YUSSEPPONE MS; GRACO M; CARHUAPOMA W; HERRERA MERLO J; AMARAL V; VALIÑAS V; REATEGUI K; ALFONSO J; AMAYA O; QUINTANILLA R; VALLADAREZ JG; ALONSO-HERNÁNDEZ CA

Simposio; 5TH INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON THE OCEAN IN A HIGH CO2 WORLD; 2022

REMARCO (Marine and Coastal Stressors Research Network in Latin America and TheCaribbean, www.remarco.org) is a collaborative network in science and communication that connects institutions and scientists of 18 countries to provide solid regional scientific informationon chemical and microplastics contamination, eutrophication, harmful algal blooms and oceanacidification (OA), to decision-makers and society. REMARCO aims to strengthen capabilities tomeasure the marine carbonate system and to generate scientific knowledge in the region. Since2014, the IAEA has supported regional projects that included OA, leading to implementing coastalstations to monitor OA and contributing to SDG 14. We have defined and are distributing theREMARCO-OA kit, and have published freely available methodological manuals in Spanish forspecific equipment and procedures (including estimation of analytical uncertainties), adapted tosome common regional conditions and constraints. This knowledge is shared through in-personand virtual meetings, courses, and scientific visits by experts. Results are disseminated ininternational conferences, published in scientific journals, and shared with decision-makers and society by the communications working group. Since 2021, three laboratories successfullyparticipate in international intercomparison activities and submit data to IOC/UNESCO tocontribute to the SDG 14.3.1 indicator (marine acidity). Joint work with national decision-makersfor reporting the indicator has been achieved in most countries. Some ongoing activities includedeveloping a regional capability for the purification of m-cresol purple, evaluating the effect ofdissolved organic matter in the measurement of the carbonate system, studying open ocean waters, using isotopes to study coral calcification and sediment cores to reconstruct pH conditions, and laboratory experiments with marine organisms. The work by REMARCO provides new knowledge on our marine and coastal region, where processes affected by OA remain still largelyunknown.