At present, the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) is vastly undersampled throughout the oceans. This is due to conventional sampling approaches that rely primarily on discrete water sample collections from dedicated research cruises, underway measurements of surface ocean properties from transiting vessels, or time series measurements from in situ sensors on fixed moorings. This sparse sampling coverage greatly limits the understanding of the spatial and temporal variability of carbon dioxide, the processes that control its cycling, and how its accumulation in the ocean impacts marine life via ocean acidification. We developed a Carbon Dioxide Seaglider that autonomously measures pCO2 at high resolution throughout the water column by integrating the newly redesigned HydroC CO2T onto an M1 Seaglider. Here we present data from our 2022 sea trials in the Gulf of Alaska through a lens of data validation methods and data quality, that has led to high spatial and temporal resolution weather quality pCO2 data successfully collected on multiday underwater glider missions. We also present next steps and our vision of how a fleet of such Carbon Dioxide Seagliders, in combination with other oceanographic tools, will advance the understanding of regional manifestation of ocean acidification and the ocean’s role in mitigating climate change.

Primary Presenter: Claudine Hauri, University of Alaska Fairbanks (chauri@alaska.edu)

Authors:

Brita Irving,   (bkirving@alaska.edu)

Ehsan Abdi,   (e.abdi@cyprus-subsea.com)

Joeran Kemme,   (kemme@4h-jena.de)

Nadja Kinski,   (kinski@4h-jena.de)

Dan Hayes,   (hayesdan@cyprus-subsea.com)