European Project on Ocean Acidification Launched

10 June 2008: The European Project on Ocean Acidification (EPOCA) was launched on 10 June 2008. This EU research project is a consortium of over 100 scientists from 27 organizations in nine countries to address ocean acidification. Its goal is to document ocean acidification, investigate its impact on biological processes, predict its consequences for the next 100 years, and advise policy-makers on potential thresholds or tipping points that should not be exceeded.

The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has joined EPOCA to ensure that ocean acidification research being carried out through the project is coordinated with the research activities of non-EU scientists. Specifically, the IOC will work with EPOCA and non-EPOCA scientists to develop international agreements on protocols and standards for ocean acidification research experiments. The IOC aims to: develop common methodologies in order to identify differences, or lack thereof, in calcification among various taxa, regions, and over time; and ensure that data be reported in a manner that will be comprehensible and accessible to scientists several decades from now in order to detect changes. [EPOCA Website] [The Ocean Acidification Network website]