Oceans are the largest reservoirs and sinks of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). Its uptake increases seawater acidity and lowers the saturation state of waters with respect to calcite (ΩC) and aragonite (ΩA), the two most common CaCO3 polymorphs that constitute the shells and skeletons of many marine organisms. Ocean acidification can have deleterious effects on carbonate-secreting organisms (e.g. mollusks and crustaceans) and certain physiological processes in non-calcifying organisms.
As part of the eDrivers project, we used ΩA to characterize ocean acidification in the bottom waters of the St. Lawrence. The data come from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ (DFO) Atlantic Zone Monitoring Program surveys and DFO’s multispecies surveys collected in August-September of 2017. ΩA, pH, and dissolved oxygen (O2) were measured at 117 stations in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence in the summer of 2018. The majority of sampling stations were located in the Southern Gulf (n = 84), the Estuary and Northern Gulf (n = 33).
It is possible to consult the scientific report of the eDrivers project: Characterizing Exposure to and Sharing Knowledge of Drivers of Environmental Change in the St. Lawrence System in Canada and the additional data. It is possible to consult the application eDrivers.
