Session 1: Ecophysiological Responses of Calcifiers to Increased pCO2: Current Knowledge and Pressing Questions

Two subgroups:

A. Benthic Calcifying Organisms
Chair: Marlin Atkinson
Rapporteur: Kim Yates

B. Planktonic Calcifying Organisms
Chair: Howie Spero
Rapporteur: Jelle Bijma

• Controls on calcification (only briefly cover this if necessary)
  
• What is the evidence that CO2 chemistry controls calcification in the natural environment?
• Is calcification response to CO3 2– linear, or asymptotic (i.e., is there a threshold response)?
• What are the relative roles of HCO3 – and CO3 2– in the calcification process?
• What is the relationship between photosynthesis and calcification?
• What is the impact of temperature on calcification?
• Do we need more experimental data from more species, or from more groups of calcifiers to better predict the response of ecosystems to predicted changes is CO2 ?
• Can we expect calcifiers to adapt to rising pCO2 and if so, by what mechanisms? over what time scales ?
• Technological considerations
• What are the technological capabilities and challenges for CO2 system measurements and calcification measurements?
• What questions are best addressed in field studies, lab studies, or mesocosms?
• What questions can be addressed through modeling? What important ecophysiological parameters are not currently included in models because of lack of data?
• Standardization of measurements
• What are advantages/disadvantages of existing research designs, sampling, manipulation of CO2 chemistry, etc?
• Can we recommend “standards” within this arena?
• How can different measures of calcification be related/standardized?

Session 2: Ecosystem Responses to Elevated pCO2 : Existing and Future Field Monitoring and Experimental Research

Two subgroups:

A: Neritic Ecosystem Response
Chair: Pamela Hallock
Rapporteur: Alexandra Amat

B: Pelagic Ecosystem Response
Chair: Barney Balch
Rapporteur: Chris Sabine

• Ecological responses:
• Will calcifying organisms be outcompeted by noncalcifiers? If so, what impacts to ecosystem structure and function would occur?
• What changes, if any, may occur in food webs and other species interactions?
• How could such ecological responses affect the cycling of organic and inorganic C?
• Regional considerations:
• What information can be obtained by conducting studies in regions with natural variability in pCO2?
• What regions would be most promising in terms of better characterizing CO2 -chemistry environment?
• Which regions do models indicate will likely experience the greatest changes in seawater carbonate chemistry? Over what time scales?

Session 3: Design of Experimental and Monitoring Systems

One Room

Chair: J-P Gattuso
Rapporteur: Chris Langdon

• What experimental designs are needed to address the pressing questions?
• What can be done now, with existing technology (both pelagic and neritic regions)?
• What can be done within next 5-10 years, with emerging technology?
• What are the coastal needs/concerns, versus those of open ocean (e.g., precision, contamination, etc.)?
• Can we capitalize on existing monitoring/research efforts to obtain more/better data? where? how?
• How can we measure dissolution within the water column and within sediments? What is the potential role of dissolution in buffering the system?
• How can remote sensing be integrated into the overall monitoring and experimental designs? Are there pressing needs to develop new remote sensing technology?
  

Session 4: Modeling Needs

One Room

Chair: Fred Mackenzie
Rapporteur: Jim Orr

• What are the priorities in modeling the CO2-calcification questions? (carbon cycle? ecosystem/community interactions? physiological modeling? sediment/water interactions? etc.)
  
• What important questions can be addressed with existing models?  Which will require model development?
  
• Which modeling questions would be well constrained versus poorly constrained by existing data?