• Energy Research

This data was collected as a part of a mesocosm study to investigate the ecosystem impacts of ocean alkalinity enhancement, within the EU H2020 OceanNETs project. Nine mesocosms were deployed in Taliarte Harbour (Gran Canaria, Spain) and were regularly sampled using integrated water samplers between 10th September-25th October 2021. A gradient design was used in this experiment with a total of nine different alkalinity concentrations. Seawater alkalinity ranged between ambient (0 µeq kg-1 added alkalinity, OAE0) and 2400 µeq kg-1 additional alkalinity (OAE2400). The alkalinity levels increased in equal intervals of 300 µeq kg-1 across nine mesocosms (OAE0, OAE300, OAE600, OAE900, OAE1200, OAE1500, OAE1800, OAE2100, OAE2400). This data set contains metazoan zooplankton biomass (µgC per L) from these nine mesocosms. Biomass was calculated based on zooplankton abundances transformed using carbon mass conversion factors. Metazoan zooplankton were sampled with apstein net (ø17cm, mesh size 55µm, 64.06285L) hauls taken every two days (except for days 5 and 9). Zooplankton were size fractioned and assessed in the correspondent size class (small: 55-200µm; medium: 200-500µm; large: 500µm-3mm). Within each size class, all organisms were counted and identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level, and developmental stages were differentiated where possible. Zooplankton abundances (individuals per L) converted to carbon biomass (µgC per L) using biomass conversion factors. Conversion factors are obtained from different sources (Sanchez et al. (in prep)). Briefly: i) metazoan zooplankton functional groups were sampled and measured for carbon biomass using an elemental analyser at specific points throughout the experiment, ii) individual zooplankton were photographed, measured, and their biovolumes and carbon masses derived using standard conversions cited in the literature, iii) zooplankton conversion factors from KOSMOS Gran Canaria 2019 (https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.971765). The experiment, which lasted 33 days, was divided into four response phases (see Sánchez et al. (in prep)): i) pretreatment (days 1 to 4, treatment was implemented on day 4), ii) immediate (days 5-10), iii) shorter term (days 11-22), iv) longer term (days 23 to 33). This data set is associated to the submission by Paul et al. (in review) (https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.966941), so we refer to this data set for basic parameters like water temperature, salinity, pH and carbonate chemistry, to avoid repetition.

Ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) is a nature-based technology for CO 2 removal and storage, but little is known about its environmental safety. We tested a CO 2 -equilibrated OAE deployment in a close-to-natural community using in situ mesocosms in the oligotrophic subtropical North Atlantic and assessed metazoan zooplankton to inform about food web stability, structure, and production. In addition, a literature review complemented experimental results by summarizing physiological responses of marine animals to decreasing proton concentrations, or increased pH. The food web studied proved resistant, and zooplankton physiologically tolerant, to the OAE tested. We observed short-term effects of OAE on zooplankton reproduction and productivity, which were likely trophically mediated. Yet, these did not affect zooplankton populations or their nutritional value as food for fish. Our study demonstrates an environmentally safe OAE application, but also stresses the risks of more intense OAE options, and the vulnerabilities of other marine ecosystems.