A fundamental component of the effort to understand ocean acidification and the associated climate and ecological effects and feedbacks is a solid understanding of the functioning of the marine carbon cycle. It is also imperative to develop a common methodological approach and rigorous (meta)data reporting skills. To this end a training workshop has been developed, sponsored by the EU projects EPOCA and CARBOOCEAN and the IOC.

This training course, to be held at the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, University of Bergen, Norway on the 24th to 26th February 2009, will focus on the fundamentals of the marine carbon dioxide system.

This work-shop will introduce the IOC-sponsored “Guide of Best Practices for Oceanic CO2 Measurement and Data Reporting” (2007) and provide a comprehensive insight into:

• The marine carbon cycle
• pH scales and dissociation constants
• Instrumentation for measurement of the marine CO2 system
• Ecosystem carbon biogeochemistry:

•    Physiological processes of autotrophic carbon assimilation; 
•    Biogenic calcification and the CaCO3 cycle; and
•    Mediation of the carbon cycle through microbial processes

• Education and outreach

The course is open to all students and researchers involved in ocean acidification research. However, the numbers are limited and priority will be given to PhD and early stage postdoctoral researchers, particularly those associated with the EPOCA and CARBOOCEANS projects.

Applicants are invited to send the date of their PhD diploma, a paragraph on their research topic and associated experimental work and to indicate if they are associated with EPOCA, CARBOOCEAN or whether they are an external candidate.

Participants are expected to cover their own travel, accommodation and subsistence costs for the meeting.

More information on the course can be obtained through the EPOCA project office (lina.hansson (at) obs-vlfr.fr). The deadline for applications to attend the workshop is 19th December 2008 and the decision on acceptance will be given by 9th January 2009.