Mission Log: Chris Martens 10-17-08
Today we moved our ocean acidification study site from a seafloor site dominated by encrusting sponges to a sandy patch near Aquarius. We hypothesize that respiration by the sponges is causing the increase in ocean acidity near the bottom at our first site. Sponges are animals like us and they produce carbon dioxide when they respire. The carbon dioxide reacts with water to make acid. We want to see if there are any processes in the sandy sediments that can produce a similar effect. If we want to distinguish global scale ocean acidification from fossil fuel CO2 in the atmosphere we’ll have to be able to tell local from global scale impacts- think globally act locally!
To move the equipment to our new site we took off our fins, released air from our BCDs (Buoyancy Compensation Devices) and walked each heavy piece across the seafloor stepping only on sandy spots. We usually use BCDs to stay neutrally buoyant in the water column like a hot air balloon- this makes it possible to float around above the reef surface without touching corals and other living organisms. When you get “heavy” by expelling air you settle to the bottom but only experience a fraction of normal gravity and so it’s like walking on the moon. That’s why astronauts often train at Aquarius. You’ll see our new site on the web soon- we’ll call it Moonbase”!
Aquanaut Chris Martens
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