Antarctic scientists are working to create a future ocean in an underwater ‘bio-dome’, 20m beneath the sea ice off Casey station.
In a world-first experiment, marine scientists Dr Donna Roberts and Dr Jonny Stark, will assess the impact of ocean acidification — caused by increasing amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) dissolving in the ocean — on polar sea floor (‘benthic’) communities.
To do this Dr Roberts, an ocean acidification expert from the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre and the University of Tasmania, will work with Australian Antarctic Division benthic ecologist, Dr Stark, and a team of Antarctic Division technicians, engineers and divers, to adapt ‘Free Ocean CO2 Enrichment’ (FOCE) technology for Antarctic deployment. These semi-enclosed underwater chambers allow scientists to vary the CO2 concentration in the water without changing light or nutrient conditions.