The Maria Island acidification mooring is co-located with the Maria Island National Reference Station (NRSMAI) on the east coast of Tasmania. It was first deployed in April 2011.
The mooring's instruments measure surface CO2, temperature and salinity. The hydrochemistry sampling at the National Reference Stations will also provide total alkalinity data, as will future pH sensors on the moorings, allowing for a complete determination of the carbonate system and pH. Current instrumentation: Battele Seaology pCO2 monitor, Aanderaa Oxygen Optode and Sea-bird Electronics, model SBE16plus V2 SEACAT.
The Acidification Moorings sub-facility is responsible for building an ocean carbon and acidification monitoring network for Australian waters. These moorings provide key observations to help us understand and address the problem of increasing ocean acidification.