Purpose:

ttttttttttThe Dominion foundation-University of Connecticut Carbon and Oxygen (DUCOS) time series measures and records dissolved carbon dioxide and oxygen levels in the Long Island Sound (LIS). This pioneering time series is based at the University of Connecticut’s Avery Point campus. Our goal is to further investigate the influence of rising CO₂ levels in the atmosphere on the surface waters of the Sound and therefore the LIS ecosystem. It is important to track the rising CO₂ levels in the LIS surface waters to be able to predict the future resilience of this economic and natural resource.

Methodology:

          The time series is being run in the Rankin Seawater Facility located at UConn’s Avery Point campus. A Eureka Manta+ 40 probe with a fitted Turner C-sense has been mounted onto a direct water intake in the facility allowing for the continuous flow of fresh seawater at about 55 mL/s through the system. The Manta probe measures pH, Temperature, Salinity and Dissolved Oxygen. The additional installation of the C-sense allows for the measurement of pCO₂ of the seawater. The probe is set up to read and log data in 5-minute intervals. The log edits a back-end database which updates in real-time and can be viewed here.