The Oceanic CO2 Monitor

During Phase I, AOS produced a prototype, equilibrator-based p(CO2) monitor and performed extensive research in the laboratory and in the field to verify its operation. It is compact, has minimal environmental loading and is suitable for autonomous deployments from research vessels and oceanic platforms of opportunity. We deployed it three times on day cruises from Monterey Bay, CA; agreement was acceptable between the AOS system and the platform¿s working system constructed and maintained by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. Laboratory testing showed that the AOS analyzer operates with negligible systematic bias and system noise is 0.2 ppm/sec. We demonstrated that the same system provides good waterside and airside measurements. During Phase II, AOS proposes to deploy oceanic p(CO2) monitors in two different oceanic environments. The first will be repeated shipboard deployments with the goal of developing expert protocols to facilitate oceanic CO2 measurements, particularly in the dynamic coastal regions. The second will be a system running constantly at a fixed point to determine and solve problems involved with environmental loading on extended deployments. The information obtained from these platforms will be used to produce a robust, turn-key product that can be deployed by unskilled personnel on oceanic platforms worldwide.