An integral part of EPOCA, involves a team of scientists from around Europe travelling to the Arctic to advance our understanding of the biological, ecological, biogeochemical, and societal implications of ocean acidification. This research has been carried out in two sections, begining with a Benthic campaign in May 2009 and followed by a Pelagic campaign in the summer of 2010.

EPOCA’s Arctic experiment uses an experimental platform provided independently from EPOCA by IFM-GEOMAR, a marine research institute based in Kiel, Germany. IFM-GEOMAR uses its own resources as well the assistance of external parties, including Greenpeace, to transport its own equipment and staff from Kiel to Ny-Ålesund, deploy this equipment in a suitable location, recover it at the end of the experiment and transport it back to Kiel.

This experimental platform is offered at no cost to individual scientists. At this stage, it is anticipated that scientists from EPOCA, MESOAQUA, the German project BIOACID and a Chinese project make use of the platform. The EPOCA scientists that are participating are based at the international station of Ny-Ålesund.

Look at the gallery from Svalbard

Svalbard campaign 2010