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Santos, Nathalia: Ocean Acidification in the Indian Ocean sector of the Southern Ocean

Nathalia Santos

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Title: Ocean Acidification in the Indian Ocean sector of the Southern Ocean

Name: Nathalia Santos

Home Institute: Pace University

Programs: RISE program, NRT – Coastal Climate Risk and Resilience (C2R2)

Other contributors: Elisabeth Sikes

Abstract: Ocean acidification (OA) is the change in the chemistry of the oceans caused by the increase of atmospheric CO2 levels. This problem is especially harmful to marine calcifying organisms such as corals, which utilize dissolved carbonate and calcium to produce their shells and skeletons. To analyze the change in OA in the Southeastern Indian Ocean over time, the saturation state () of the surface water was calculated using the levels of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and pH obtained on the CROCCA-2S (Coring to Reconstruct Ocean Circulation and Carbon Dioxide Across 2 Seas) cruise in November-December 2018. The results were compared to those obtained during the CLIVAR (Climate and Ocean: Variability, Predictability and Change) voyage done in 2007-2009 and WOCE (World Ocean Circulation Experiment) in 1994-95. We predict an increase in OA over the last 3 decades.

Biography: I am a Brazilian woman who is completely in love with the Earth and the chemistry of it. I also read a lot, so I decided to share one of my favorite quotes by L. M. Montgomery: “Isn’t it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about?”.