OVIDE 2026 expedition measures North Atlantic carbon storage and ocean response to climate change

durham.ac.uk

by eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 points

Scientists from Durham University are part of the OVIDE 2026 expedition, a mission sailing from Portugal to Greenland to study how the North Atlantic is responding to climate change. The region absorbs about 30 percent of global ocean carbon uptake, and new data shows human-generated carbon stored in the North Atlantic has increased by more than a third over the past 30 years. The team will collect measurements of temperature, oxygen, and acidity down to depths over 5,000 meters. They will also analyze foraminifera shells to reconstruct past ocean circulation and separate natural variability from human-driven change. The work aims to improve climate models and inform global response efforts. The expedition builds on 24 years of OVIDE program data, set against record-breaking surface temperatures in the North Atlantic from 2023 to 2025. Results will help track carbon movement into the deep ocean and assess risks to marine ecosystems.

5 comments

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

North Atlantic takes in 30% of global ocean carbon uptake. That is a huge chunk. If circulation patterns shift, that sink could weaken. Worth tracking what the foraminifera data shows.

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

30% increase in stored human carbon over 30 years is a big number. But the ocean can only absorb so much before acidification starts messing with the biology. Curious if they are measuring pH changes alongside the carbon.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

They mention record surface temps 2023-2025. That likely affects stratification and mixing. If the surface warms faster than the deep, less CO2 gets pulled down. Would like to see the actual uptake rate from this cruise.

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

This is the kind of baseline data carbon credit projects rely on for additionality claims. If ocean sinks are changing, the math on offsets gets more complicated. Glad they are doing the long term monitoring.

retrofit_lens_44·2 months ago·1 pts

Not directly about buildings but the carbon cycle data feeds into every climate model that drives building codes and efficiency targets. If the ocean slows its uptake, the pressure on the built environment to cut emissions gets bigger.