
OAE Data Management Protocol
The OAE Data Management Protocol outlines recommendations for producing consistent data and metadata for Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) research projects.
With broad adoption, this protocol will make it possible to compare and interpret field research and more quickly advance our understanding of the field.
In collaboration with Submarine Scientific, NOAA and dozens of ocean researchers, we present this protocol after several rounds of feedback.
If you have questions or concerns, please email data@carbontosea.org.
Versions
Table of Contents
Background
Introduction
This document outlines recommendations for producing consistent data and metadata for Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) field trial projects. Its first iteration was produced in partnership with the OAE community (see Acknowledgements), with the intention to remain a living document and continually improve to reflect best known scientific practice. Initially the document will be revised and updated in line with the latest OAE research approximately once per year, incorporating learnings and feedback from the OAE community and led by the Data Management Coordination Team. All major updates will undergo review and all previous versions will be maintained for transparency (see Deprecated Standards and Practices for a detailed description of versioning).
Objectives & Guiding Principles
The objective of the OAE Data Management Guidelines and this OAE Data Management Protocol document are to enable marine Carbon Dioxide Removal (mCDR)-OAE data collected from academia, government, non-profit, and industry to be documented in a consistent way, and make them findable and discoverable from shared data repositories to facilitate future data synthesis efforts. The guidelines here support FAIR data sharing principles, in effort to make data findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable.
OAE introduces unique challenges and opportunities for data standardization. Traditional oceanographic data standards, while robust, require updates to address the specific needs of OAE projects.
The main updates and recommendations are driven by these Guiding Principles:
- Project Comparability: Developing guidelines that ensure data from different OAE projects are intercomparable, enabling meta-analyses and large-scale assessments of OAE effectiveness and environmental impact.
- Minimal Burden on Data Providers: Establishing streamlined protocols and tools that simplify data submission while ensuring high-quality, standardized outputs.
- Flexibility for Innovation: Allowing for innovation in project designs by creating standards that accommodate diverse methodologies and intervention scales without imposing restrictive requirements.
- Transparency and Accessibility: Promoting open and transparent data sharing, with appropriate metadata, to facilitate peer review, collaboration, and public trust in OAE efforts.
By building on existing standards and addressing these updates, the goal is to create a system that supports rigorous science while remaining practical and adaptable for data providers. This ensures that OAE projects contribute meaningfully to the collective understanding of marine carbon dioxide removal while fostering collaboration across the community.
Methodology
This protocol was developed by the OAE community in a multi-process method, starting with a workshop during OCEANS 2024 with participants representing academia, government, non-profit, and industry to gather initial feedback and input for sensor output, model output, and discrete carbonate and nutrient data. This feedback was developed into an outlined draft of recommendations, which were reviewed by attendees and developed into the first draft OAE Data Management Protocol 0.1.0.
Working Groups were formed to capture input from biological sciences, sediment processes, and social science data, each hosting virtual meetings to gather community feedback, which further informed the initial draft. The recommended variable column header names and controlled vocabularies are made to mirror existing naming conventions, and long-standing recommendations by the Ocean Acidification Community. The draft was then provided to the Steering Committee members for internal review. The resulting draft was presented at a second workshop during AGU in December 2024 for additional mCDR-community feedback, followed by additional internal revisions to create the draft that was presented during an open public review period. This document represents the final conclusions developed by the OAE community to ensure projects will be standardized by data providers, and findable, openly accessible, and intercomparable by data end-users.
This work was performed under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between NOAA and Carbon to Sea. However, the views expressed herein are not necessarily those of NOAA, the Department of Commerce or the U.S. Government.
We are grateful for the contributions of the workshop participants, working group members, the Steering Committee and those who provided comments during the open review period. For a list of contributors and contributing authors, please see the Acknowledgements section.
Intended Users
This protocol is designed to support data producers, granting agencies, institutions, registries, regulatory and verifying bodies working on OAE field projects that generate model output and/or field data from various sources, including commercially available sensors, discrete observations, social sciences, sediment processes, and biological processes. It provides a standardized approach for documenting datasets while offering guidance on selecting appropriate repositories, submission timelines, controlled vocabularies, and best practices to facilitate field data intercomparison. The level of detail provided to guide various fields of research and observing systems varies, as protocols and recommendations have been better defined in some areas than others by the general oceanographic community. Future work to develop these areas pertinent to the scope of this protocol are outlined in Emerging Standards. Data from field projects include any observations made by measuring the natural environment as well as its response to alkalinity addition, versus controlled laboratory experiments.
The protocol provides best practices around data management that may be adopted by any user to help develop their data management plan. Projects referencing compliance to this protocol must meet the minimum requirements outlined below, though additional recommendations provided here are strongly encouraged. While developed for OAE, these guidelines may also be relevant to other marine Carbon Dioxide Removal (mCDR) methods. Please reach out to data@carbontosea.org with any questions, comments, or suggestions regarding the protocol.
The protocol is organized into five chapters:
- Metadata & Templates – Building on existing metadata guidelines that accompany each repository, this protocol requires mCDR-specific Metadata & Templates to provide essential context unique to OAE field trials. It also includes Model Metadata to introduce and define key fields for documenting model and model output data details.
- Guidelines for Data Management – This chapter outlines how to set up, manage and submit data across a range of data types.
- Column Header Names – Recommendations are provided for column header names for use in data files.
- Controlled Vocabularies – Definitions are provided for controlled vocabularies, including OAE-specific fields.
- Deprecated Standards and Practices – Versioning control for the Data Protocol is outlined here.
^ Return to tABLE OF CONTENTS ^
Acronyms and Abbreviations
Key Acronyms and Abbreviations
mCDR | Marine carbon dioxide removal |
OAE | Ocean alkalinity enhancement |
DOI | Digital object identifier |
^ Return to tABLE OF CONTENTS ^
Definitions of Selected Terms
Metadata | Metadata is structured information that describes and provides context for a data resource, helping to ensure that the dataset remains discoverable and usable in the future. |
Data standards | Data standards are a set of agreed-upon rules, formats, and conventions used to define and structure data, ensuring consistency, interoperability, and clarity across different systems, datasets, and organizations. They help maintain data quality, facilitate data sharing, and enable effective analysis by establishing uniformity in how data are managed. |
Column header names | Standardized column header terms describing a parameter, these may be an abbreviation of the measured parameter. |
Controlled vocabulary | Controlled vocabularies are standardized lists of terms and definitions used to ensure consistency in the naming and classification of concepts within a specific domain. By limiting the use of predefined terms, controlled vocabularies help avoid ambiguity, enhance data interoperability, and improve the accuracy of data retrieval and analysis across different systems and datasets. |
Ocean alkalinity enhancement | Ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) is a climate change mitigation strategy that involves increasing the alkalinity of seawater to enhance its capacity to absorb and store atmospheric carbon dioxide. |
Platform | Any physical structure or system used to support and deploy instruments, sensors, or other equipment for collecting data in the ocean. Platforms can include research vessels, ships of opportunity (SOOP), profiling floats, buoys, underwater vehicles, and moorings. |
Sensor data | Sensors refer to instruments or devices used to measure and collect data on various oceanographic parameters and are typically deployed on ships from rosettes or underway systems, buoys, underwater vehicles, or autonomous, aerial, or space-born platforms. Data collected from these systems are considered sensor data and do not refer to data from autosampling devices. |
Quality control | Methods or procedures involving validating and verifying collected data to identify and correct errors, inconsistencies, or outliers, ensuring that the measurements are accurate and suitable for analysis. This typically includes tasks such as instrument calibration, data validation checks, and cross-referencing with other datasets to maintain the integrity of scientific results. |
Model data | The model data referenced in this protocol refers to code, configuration and output from mathematical simulations that discretise the equations for fluid motion and energy transfer and integrate these over time on a realistic three-dimensional grid. This encompasses model output relevant to OAE projects on nearfield and regional scales, as well as global circulation models (GCMs) and Earth System Models (ESMs). This could include ocean circulation models with or without coupling to biogeochemical, sediment, sea ice, or atmospheric models. This does not currently cover data standards for conceptual, process models, 1D or 2D models, or simplified plume mixing zone models. |
Data file | Refers to a file containing values of some measurements. File format type may vary (e.g., NetCDF, xlsx, xml), however all data files will contain quantitative values with associated column header names. |
Baseline | Baseline refers to the initial set of data or conditions that are representative of the marine environment without interventions or modifications made. This baseline field data serve as a reference point for comparing intervention measurements, allowing for the assessment of the effectiveness and impacts of the interventions over time, such as changes in ocean alkalinity, CO₂ absorption, or ecosystem health. |
Intervention | An intervention refers to the intentional action or process applied to the ocean to alter its chemical or physical properties in order to enhance its capacity for carbon dioxide removal. This could include adding alkaline substances to the water or implementing other methods aimed at increasing ocean alkalinity and improving the ocean’s ability to absorb and store atmospheric CO₂. |
Control | A control site refers to a designated area in proximity to an intervention site, with shared characteristic waters, but that remains unaffected by the intervention, serving as a ‘control’ for comparison during and following intervention. The purpose of a control site is to isolate and account for natural variability in oceanographic conditions, biogeochemical processes, and carbon fluxes, enabling the evaluation of changes directly attributable to intervention activities. |
Counterfactual | A counterfactual model experiment simulates what would have happened in the absence of a particular intervention, i.e. assuming baseline conditions. |
^ Return to tABLE OF CONTENTS ^
Metadata and Templates
Metadata is “data about data”— it describes the who, what, when, where, why, and how of a dataset. For oceanographic and climate research, metadata helps make data understandable, discoverable, and reusable by both humans and machines. It includes key details like the method of collection, units, location, timestamps, data quality, and even licensing. Well-structured metadata is essential for transparency, comparability, and long-term usefulness—especially in collaborative and AI-enabled environments like those supporting Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE).
When preparing for project data submission, please note that data from unique experiments (e.g., baseline, intervention, control, model, socioeconomic) will be submitted separately (see Guidelines for Data Management).
How to fill out your metadata
The metadata information in this protocol should be submitted using the spreadsheet templates provided for each metadata subset (Project, Experiment, Dataset, and Model), saved as xlsx (recommended if metadata include links or formatting) or csv. The recommended naming convention for metadata files is to use the unique identifier for that dataset, appended with ‘_metadata’. For example, if you are submitting the Project-level metadata for Project ID ‘Carbondive_20250805_Hvalfjordur’, the associated metadata filename should be ‘Carbondive_20250805_Hvalfjordur_project_metadata.xlsx’. For specific dataset metadata, for example if the above project were submitting baseline bottle data (data type = bottle) from rosette casts, the resulting metadata file name should include the mCDR data type to be easily linked with the associated data files, e.g., ‘Carbondive_20250805_Hvalfjordur_baseline_bottle_metadata.xlsx’.
Project-level metadata should be applicable to all experiment metadata and model metadata within a project, and within an Experiment there will be associated Dataset metadata that vary depending on the observed properties.
We are actively working on other data formats that are more compatible for APIs and software systems, such as JSON and XML. If you would like to engage in this on-going work to increase standardization and findability, please reach out to data@carbontosea.org.
^ Return to tABLE OF CONTENTS ^
Project Metadata
Project-level metadata captures the overall context of a research effort, including its goals, timeline, participants, and funding. It links multiple experiments under a unified framework and ensures that experimental data can be traced back to the broader project—supporting transparency, coordination, and long-term synthesis. Project-level metadata should be re-used across all data submissions in a project.
Depending on your choice of repository (see When, Where, and How to Submit Data), there may be a structured metadata interface required with data submission that includes fields to describe the investigators, project site, etc. Below we have provided these general fields, with the addition of new fields specific to mCDR and OAE projects.
Projects focused on mCDR, particularly OAE, involve the investigation of perturbations to study their effects. Given the diversity of approaches to raising alkalinity or reducing acidity, along with the site-specific nature of OAE field data, additional metadata fields are needed on top of existing metadata templates that are designed for ocean carbon and acidification studies. The mCDR Project Metadata leverages existing oceanographic core metadata from NOAA’s Ocean Carbon and Acidification Data System (OCADS) and provides the necessary context for the research community to effectively find, interpret, compare, and use OAE field data across different studies and methodologies.
^ Return to tABLE OF CONTENTS ^
Experiment Metadata
Experiment-level metadata captures the broader context of a study or field trial. It describes the purpose, design, location, timing, and overall methodology of the experiment, along with key variables being measured and the types of interventions applied. This metadata provides an essential background that helps others interpret the data correctly, compare across studies, and evaluate reproducibility. For Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE), experiment-level metadata include details such as alkalinity feedstock descriptions and dispersal methods — offering a high-level snapshot that connects individual datasets to the bigger picture.
^ Return to tABLE OF CONTENTS ^
Dataset Metadata
Dataset metadata are specific to the observed properties collected during an experiment. For example, these may include dataset files from a rosette sensor array, discrete samples collected on rosette casts, underway sampling, or a collection of sensor measurements sampled from unmanned vehicles. For a list of controlled vocabularies for mCDR data types see Controlled Vocabularies.
The Dataset metadata available for download here must be filled out for each mCDR Data Type. The observed properties metadata must also be completed for each dataset, which includes details on calibrations, sensor IDs, quality control methods, etc. The metadata fields for observed properties can be repeated for each measured or non-measured variable in a dataset within the same metadata file. For some observed properties, such as the carbonate parameters, specific metadata are required and included as separate tabs in the Dataset metadata file, which may be removed prior to submission if not applicable. These include:
- Dissolved inorganic carbon metadata
- pCO₂/fCO₂ discrete metadata
- xCO₂/pCO₂/fCO₂ continuous or calculated metadata
- pH metadata
- Total alkalinity metadata
- Socioeconomic metadata
- Sediment metadata
- Physiological metadata
- ADCP metadata fields are provided by Ocean Networks Canada under the Matlab structure example for ‘config’ and ‘meta’.
^ Return to tABLE OF CONTENTS ^
Model Metadata
The following template outlines key fields and examples for documenting model and model output data details in OAE research. It provides a structured framework to ensure clarity, consistency, and completeness in describing model components, grid details, boundary conditions, and project-specific protocols. This standardized approach supports the required model reproducibility goals of the Protocol. Note that the model description template here applies to ‘Model data’ as defined in the Definitions of Selected Terms, which includes any model simulations with physics with or without biogeochemistry solved on a realistic three-dimensional grid. Other types of models relevant to OAE research and CDR quantification, like reaction transport/mineral dissolution models, sediment and particle transport models, as well as ecotoxicological models, are not covered by this model description template and will be addressed in future versions of the OAE Data Management Protocol.
^ Return to tABLE OF CONTENTS ^
Guidelines for Data Management
This section outlines the specific requirements and recommendations for submitting data associated with OAE research. It covers general guidelines for adjusted and raw data, in situ sensor data, model data, sediment processes, and derived variables. Additionally, it provides instructions for creating unique Project and Experiment IDs to facilitate cross-linking of datasets, particularly for research cruises and other projects, and timelines for archiving data. These standards ensure data consistency, reproducibility, and compatibility across studies while allowing for flexibility to include necessary details in the Metadata & Templates when repository fields are insufficient.
In this section, a ✦ indicates requirements in order to be considered compliant with this protocol. “Recommendations” (noted with a ﹢) are strongly suggested best practices to support quality data sharing, but may not always be possible.
^ Return to tABLE OF CONTENTS ^
When, Where, and How to Submit Data
When to submit data:
Deadlines for submitting data depend on the intended use of the data. For example, data submitted for regulatory purposes often requires a faster turnaround to meet the demands of project development, while data for academic investigations may not face the same external pressures. However, the results of academic projects are fundamental to advancing mCDR safely and responsibly and have therefore been allocated appropriate timelines to reflect this importance.
Project developers must fulfill all delivery requirements set by the project funders, regulators, registry, and other stakeholders. We recommend the following timelines for project developers, project funders, regulators, registries, and other stakeholders to have quality-controlled project data archived:
Trigger | Sector | Deadline to archive data |
A peer-reviewed publication is accepted | Academic, non-profit, private | Upon publication (in compliance with FAIR data standards) |
An Experiment has ended | Academic, non-profit | Within 4 months of the end of an Experiment or within 3 months* of the receipt of all Experimental data sample processing |
Submission for verification | Private | Within a timeframe so that the data are available by the start of the verification period |
It has been 1 year since the start of the Experiment or the last data submission for this Experiment | Academic, non-profit | Annual submissions are required, though 6 month cycles are ideal |
*Because sample analysis lag times vary greatly depending on sample type and whether samples were analyzed at an external laboratory or in-house, the deadline trigger can be moved from the end of an experiment to the receipt of processed samples. This extension must be cleared with your funding agency by providing a reasonable explanation for the delay (e.g., ‘HPLC samples were sent to NASA’s Horne Point laboratory for analysis, which has a lag time of 3 months) and include confirmation that samples were shipped without unnecessary delay.
Where to archive data:
Data can be stored in any scientific data repository that provides long-term preservation of data (ideally with version control capabilities), metadata hosting, and that provides data citations with a unique DOI. Data may be stored in more than one repository if necessary, however it is strongly recommended to choose a single repository to aid in discoverability. The choice of data repository may often be dictated by funder requirements. However, we make the following suggested recommendations for data repositories.
- Discrete and sensor data, along with data from field trial studies are recommended to be stored at:
- NOAA’s Ocean Carbon and Acidification Data System (OCADS) (includes metadata schema reflecting most of the contents in this protocol, up to 1 GB storage)
- Zenodo (up to 50 GB storage)
- SEANOE
- BCO-DMO (NSF-funded projects only)
- SeaDataNet (must be in an affiliated node)
- NOAA NCEI (must apply for a data agreement)
- Model output data are recommended to be stored at:
- Zenodo (up to 50 GB storage)
- If data are too large to be archived at Zenodo, then a suitable alternative may need to be identified.
It is recommended that data be backed up and stored in secondary locations. For ease of use, a secondary repository with a quicker submission work flow such as Zenodo, Figshare, PANGAEA is recommended, other openly accessible options or other domain-specific archives providing a DOI are also permissible.
Requirements:
✦ To increase findability, any report published is required to have links/references to all data repositories where all datasets related to the project are stored.
If you are representing a data platform or repository and would like to support the mCDR sector, please reach out to data@carbontosea.org for further guidance on setting up your data system for mCDR compliance.
Where to archive code:
Similar to data, model code and data processing code should be archived in a data repository that provides long-term preservation of data and that provides data citations with a unique DOI. Code is recommended to be stored at Zenodo. GitHub integration in Zenodo makes code archiving straightforward for those who manage their code using Git. Project or institution websites and online revision control sites such as GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket are made for code development but not suitable for archiving frozen code versions. It is encouraged to provide links to a website or revision control system as a preferred download location, so long as this is in addition to, and not instead of, the citation of an archive. For model code, we refer to the Geoscientific Model Development Archive Standards as an example in best practices for model code archiving.
How to submit data files:
Selected data file templates are provided for download here that include common recommended column header names and header information for the following data types:
- Bottle
- Flow through
- Autonomous vehicle
- Physiological
Any of these templates can provide a general set up for creating a data file. Which is that each variable must be a single column with the column header name provided in the top cell, and the units in one cell immediately below the column header name, with data values following.
It is recommended that individual data files are named by combining the Experiment ID with the data type. For example, a file containing data from discrete carbonate bottle samples from rosette casts during the first intervention of project carbondive_20250805_Hvalfjordur will be titled carbondive_20250805_Hvalfjordur_intervention01_bottle.csv. If multiple discrete bottle files will be uploaded, appending a numerical value to the end starting with 01 can differentiate these. However, it is recommended that data of a single type are uploaded together. See Data Type list in Controlled Vocabularies for more examples.
^ Return to tABLE OF CONTENTS ^
General Guidelines for your Data
The following recommendations and requirements are general for both discrete and sensor data.
Requirements:
✦ Include the OAE Data Management Protocol version number used in a ReadMe file.
✦ For data files with more than one variable measured under the same column header name (for example if two dissolved oxygen sensors were deployed on a single mooring), they can be differentiated by adding a numerical suffix. For the mooring example, this would result in a data file with column header names ‘doxy’ and doxy2’.
✦ The unique Experiment ID must be included in each data file. Use the column header name “exp_ID”.
✦ Required metadata fields must be included. If these are not integrated into the metadata system of your chosen repository, they may be uploaded as a separate file titled ‘mCDR metadata’.
✦ When providing date time information, either in metadata or data files, these must be in UTC and using ISO-8601 format (for example, using the format March 18, 2021 at 14:05:35 UTC would be 2021-03-18T14:05:35Z, where ‘T’ is used to separate the date (YYYY-MM-DD) from the time (HH:MM:SS), and appending with ‘Z’ denotes that the datetime is provided in UTC).
✦ Latitude and longitude must be provided in decimal degrees.
✦ When filling out your metadata, refer to the Controlled Vocabularies for inputs.
✦ Field data representing baseline conditions, control conditions, intervention conditions, or model experiments will be uploaded separately. The priority here is to ensure that intervention data are not easily mistaken for baseline oceanographic data by scientists. For this reason, and due to the fact that some intervention datasets may include long periods of no dosing where a ‘return to baseline occurs’, which would put a burden on the data provider to separate out these ‘baseline’ and ‘intervention’ data, it is left to the discretion of the data provider to decide whether to create a new experiment for each ‘return to baseline’ condition or leave it as a continuous time series in an intervention experiment. Once community agreement defining ‘return to baseline’ conditions has been reached, recommendations will be provided in this Protocol. This combination of data must only occur under an intervention experiment designation and never an experiment identified as ‘baseline’ or ‘control’. Given that intervention experimental data include information on dosing, it is recommended that data users apply dosing_rate or dosing_onoff data to interpret intervention data accurately.
✦ Model experiments will always select the Experiment Type ‘model’.
✦ The unique project ID must be included in any data upload’s metadata in order to link e.g., the model output to other affiliated project data, baseline data to intervention data, etc.
✦ Raw data must be provided for nutrient and carbonate bottle data (indicated as <parameter_name>_raw).
✦ A unique sample identification number should be assigned to vector data (use column header name = ‘sample_ID’). These can simply be consecutive numbers.
✦ Missing values should be reported as ‘-999’.
✦ Associated quality flags for measured variables should be indicated as <parameter_name>_flag and follow the following flagging definitions (Jiang et al., 2022; Table 2),
- 0 = interpolated or calculated data
- 1 = not evaluated/quality unknown
- 2 = acceptable
- 3 = questionable
- 4 = known bad
- 6 = median of replicates
- 9 = missing value
Recommendations:
+ For transecting data moving between the outside and inside of an alkaline plume or tracer dye release, it is useful to include a qualitative information with the transect data time series using column header name ‘transect_location’ and options: ‘inside’ for inside the plume, ‘out’ for outside the plume waters, and ‘transit’ for data collected during periods of underway activity between stations or to and from port.
+ If processing software were used, include firmware version in the ReadMe file.
+ Providing meteorological data or data sources that provides context to the results of the project and interpretation of data is strongly encouraged. For example, rain accumulation (as it impacts salinity).
+ Point by point uncertainty/precision values should be included with data (indicated as <parameter_name>_uncertainty or <parameter_name>_precision). For sensor data, if no uncertainty or precision analyses were performed during the project, these may be estimated using the manufacturers calibration sheets, for example, a factory calibrated sensor may have an accuracy specification of “+/-2 uM or 1.5% of measurement, whichever is greater.” This information can be converted into a point-by-point uncertainty value. Provide a brief description of how these values were estimated and types (e.g., instrumental, analytical, sampling) in the ReadMe file.
^ Return to tABLE OF CONTENTS ^
In Situ Sensor Data
Requirements:
✦ Raw data must be provided for sensor data (indicated as <parameter_name>_raw).
✦ Manufacturer calibration files are required with submission.
Recommendations:
+ It is strongly recommended that sensor data are provided in netCDF, especially when reporting data from a multi-sensor platform.
+ Profile data may have associated standard deviation profile or median profile values (indicated as <parameter_name>_std and <parameter_name>_med).
+ For recommended guidelines and standards for ADCP data management, see Ocean Networks Canada Data Products.
^ Return to tABLE OF CONTENTS ^
Model Data
Model output data plays a crucial role in interpreting and predicting the outcomes of mCDR interventions. Adhering to established data standards ensures that model configurations and outputs are consistent, interoperable, and easily integrated with observational data. This section outlines the requirements to maximize the usability and reproducibility of model output, as well as to facilitate meaningful comparisons across studies and datasets.
Requirements:
✦ All model source code, including software versions (e.g., compiler information), model configuration code, experiment code, input/forcing data, and description of model output wherever possible must be shared publicly. Given data storage costs and limitations, it is not expected that large input datasets (e.g. atmospheric forcing data or boundary conditions) that are publicly available elsewhere be archived along with model code, but model code should link to public data repositories containing forcing and any methods and code used to process forcing data to produce actual model inputs (e.g. regridding) should be provided. If model forcing datasets are not already stored publicly, it is recommended that they be publicly archived and linked to the model code wherever possible or alternatively share the methods & code for generating the input/forcing data. See the Data Submission section for guidance on archiving model code.
✦ Documentation outlining the model components, code versions, configuration, forcing, and parameterizations named ‘model_metadata’ if uploaded separately and provided in, xlsx, netCDF, or plain text format. An example template for this information is provided in the Model Description Template.
✦ Parameter names must refer to Model Output Variables for common naming conventions.
✦ The parameters modeled, spatial, and temporal frequency of model output data will vary substantially for specific model projects, and archiving large quantities of model output is impractical due to data storage limitations and costs. However, in cases where a biogeochemical model is used to quantify gross CDR (using a baseline and intervention experiment), we recommend publicly archiving the following parameters from models from both baseline and intervention model experiments at minimum:
- 2D Air-sea CO₂ flux (mol/m2/s or mmol/m2/day) time series
- 3D Dissolved Inorganic Carbon (μmol/kg) time series
- 3D Total Alkalinity (μmol/kg) time series
- 3D Temperature (°C) time series
- 3D Salinity time series
This minimum set of parameters includes essential parameters needed to calculate CDR from the difference between an intervention and baseline experiment (3D Dissolved Inorganic Carbon time series or 2D air-sea CO₂ flux time series), and the minimum parameter set needed to determine derived carbonate system parameters (Dissolved Inorganic Carbon, Total Alkalinity, Temperature, Salinity). To save space, derived variables do not need to be included, however the inputs needed to derive those variables (e.g. for CO₂SYS) should be included. Methods and equations used for derived variables should be described in a ReadMe file. See Derived Variables for further recommendations. It is recommended that model output is archived on the original model grid, all grid information is included (particularly grid cell area and volume needed to calculate spatially integrated DIC or air-sea CO₂ flux differences) and for models with a sigma, hybrid coordinate or terrain following coordinate system it is recommended either to re-grid to a depth coordinate or else to provide the data and functions needed to re-grid to a depth coordinate. The temporal frequency of the provided model output data is project dependent and left to the data provider to decide what to supply. See the Data Submission section for guidance on where to archive model output data.
Recommendations:
+ The data from a counterfactual experiment and the intervention experiment may each be provided separately, as this can decrease the data storage needed in cases of multiple unique intervention experiments relative to a single counterfactual (for example for sensitivity experiments to assess parametric uncertainty).
+ It is recommended that model outputs are provided in netCDF format, following recommended naming conventions (see Column Header Names for parameter naming conventions).
+ Additional recommended parameters to archive include:
- Physical transport vectors (u, v, w)
- Biological tracers (chlorophyll, phytoplankton, zooplankton, dissolved oxygen, NO3– and NH4+, as available)
- Grid data to transform from model vertical coordinates to z coordinates
^ Return to tABLE OF CONTENTS ^
Intervention Data
An intervention refers to the deliberate action taken to alter ocean chemistry, such as adding alkalinity or reducing acidity, as part of an mCDR project. This section builds on the metadata requirements by detailing the additional intervention-specific data needed to fully document and contextualize the action, ensuring consistency and utility across studies. The following Requirements and Recommendations are given for intervention data, in addition to those listed under General Guidelines for your Data.
Requirements:
✦ Dosing information must be provided as a time series of data, including any of the following column header names that are applicable:
- flow_rate
- dosing_rate
- mineral_mass_addition
- dosing_effluent_density
Include units with each variable. The dosing data filename must be appended with ‘_dosing’, see When, Where, and How to Submit Data for further details on filenaming.
Recommendations:
+ For usability, a binary vector describing whether the dosing is on/off is recommended to include with the data submission, e.g., ‘dosing_onoff’ : 0 = no dosing is occurring, 1 = dosing is active.
^ Return to tABLE OF CONTENTS ^
Sediment Processes Data
Requirements:
✦ A description and/or reference to methods used for total carbon values must be included in a ReadMe file.
✦ Sediment sampling method should also be included in a ReadMe file.
Recommendations:
+ Local sediment type should be included in the Metadata under ‘Site description’.
+ Information on core length should be provided in the ReadMe file.
+ Sediment depth interval(s) should be provided.
^ Return to tABLE OF CONTENTS ^
Derived Variables
Derived variables refer to those that are estimated from measured variables. These may be estimated utilizing software or additional calculations.
Carbonate Parameters
There is no requirement for the method or tool used to calculate carbonate parameters, as many exist and have been shown to produce similar results (see Orr et al., 2015).
One commonly used software package is CO₂Sys. When using CO₂Sys to derive carbonate parameters, the user has a choice of equilibrium constants. Please refer to the documentation in PyCO₂Sys for recommended constants appropriate to your oceanographic conditions. A general recommendation for seawater with temperature between 2° and 35°, and salinity between 19 to 43, is to use the carbonic acid dissociation constants of Leuker et al. (2000) and Waters et al. (2014) for brackish water (with the salinity range 1 to 50 and temperature range 0 – 50). The boron-salinity ratio from Lee et al (2010) is recommended, and for the dissociation constants of bisulfate (HSO4–), Dickson (1990) is recommended. For the dissociation constants of hydrofluoric acid (HF), Perez and Fraga (1987) is recommended. See Jiang et al. (2022) for further discussion of these recommendations and associated uncertainties.
See fields specific for xCO₂/pCO₂/fCO₂ in for additional required metadata for these calculated parameters.
TEOS-10 Calculations
Software to calculate common ocean properties (e.g., density, absolute salinity, potential temperature) based on thermodynamic equations can be downloaded for use with most coding languages here: https://www.teos-10.org/software.htm and for use with excel here: https://github.com/dpierrot/GSW_Sys.
^ Return to tABLE OF CONTENTS ^
Cross-linking Data Sets with Common Identifiers
Project ID
An ID that is unique based on the project’s key attributes may be created using the following fields, separated by an underscore character, however any method that creates a unique ID that will link all project data (e.g., a project’s baseline data to intervention data, and various data submissions within an experiment type) is acceptable.
- Lead organizer surname and first initial, or company name
- A unique date with the primary purpose to ensure a unique Project ID, as such the guidelines here are not strict. Please choose a date most reasonable to the data, for example, this may be the date that data were first collected for this project (likely the beginning of baseline sampling). Provide the date in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) using ISO-8601 format
- Location (descriptive)
Example 1: Carbon Dive is submitting project data beginning January 20, 2023 for their study site in San Francisco Bay where they collected baseline and intervention data, their resulting Project ID is carbondive_20230120_sanfranciscobay.
Experiment ID
An experiment ID is provided for each unique mCDR Experiment type as well as unique experiments within a single mCDR Experiment type. One option is to generate this by combining the following:
- Project ID (see above for how to generate)
- Experiment type (see Controlled Vocabularies)
- A numerical indicator starting at 01 to differentiate between experiments of the same type for a project.
In the example for Carbon Dive above, their Project ID is carbondive_20240120_sanfranciscobay.
Carbon Dive collected baseline and intervention data during this project.
For the baseline experiment, the Experiment ID is carbondive_20240120_sanfranciscobay_baseline, and the Experiment ID for their intervention is carbondive_20240120_sanfransiscobay_intervention01.
They also conducted an intervention experiment that was deemed reasonably distinct from the first (e.g., the Experiment metadata for carbondive_sanfransiscobay_intervention01 were not representative of this intervention experiment, however it was still considered to be under the same project), the resulting Experiment ID is carbondive_20240120_sanfransiscobay_intervention02.
Example 2: Dr. Jane Smith is providing model output from two global studies, one from a counterfactual model run and one from a baseline model run, their resulting Project ID is smith_20241004_global, and Experiment IDs are smith_20241004_global_model01 and smith_20241004_global_model02.
^ Return to tABLE OF CONTENTS ^
Emerging Standards
This section describes in-work standards, file structures, etc., that are supplementary or complimentary to the OAE Data Management Protocol.
Because field research is often interdisciplinary, this protocol covers a wide range of observing methods, which have varied levels of standardized practices development. There are multiple areas that are currently under development or have not been covered within the current version of the protocol. However, work is ongoing to broaden the current protocol to be a more robust resource for the OAE community.
If you are interested in providing input or leadership on the development of data management guidelines for these emerging areas, please reach out to Irene Polnyi, Director of Strategy and Partnerships at Carbon to Sea Initiative (irene@carbontosea.org). For suggestions on data schemas or supplemental metadata additions which could extend this protocol, please contact data@carbontosea.org.
Content expanded in updated protocol versions may include:
- Sensor quality control recommendations: Consensus on the best practices for sensor quality control and calibration will be documented as available, with the goal to provide a list of useful resources (guides, publications, tools, software, etc.), starting with the common biogeochemical sensors (nitrate, pH, pCO₂, dissolved oxygen, particle backscatter, chlorophyll fluorescence, and irradiance).
- Biological experimental best practices: During the drafting of the current protocol, the OAE Data Standards Biological Working Group highlighted the need for standardized best practices in methods, calibrations, and sampling specific to OAE projects. Insights and outcomes from focused efforts in this area will be integrated into future iterations of the protocol.
- Sediment processes data best practices: Work is in progress by the sediment processes community to standardize methodological approaches. Guidelines will be added to this protocol as their work develops.
- Social sciences data best practices: Work is in progress by the social science community to develop further recommendations. Guidelines will be added to this protocol as these recommendations develop.
- Laboratory and mesocosm studies: Although the current protocol focuses on field data, laboratory and mesocosm experiments play a crucial role in advancing OAE research. These data come with unique standardization challenges that need to be addressed. As recommendations become available, future iterations of this protocol will incorporate tailored guidelines for laboratory and mesocosm data, informed by input from experts in these areas.
- Expanded metadata examples: Further example projects will be generated to provide additional input examples for metadata fields for various OAE methods.
- Data submission version control: A section on “recommendations for version control” that includes recommendations for updating data due to errors found in previous versions, updated methods, and/or bad data found will be discussed in future versions of the protocol.
- Governance of controlled vocabularies: A structured path to defining how controlled vocabularies are governed, updated, and/or versioned is a priority for this initiative. As new science and mCDR pathways emerge, a mechanism to allow for community contributions and extensions to exist will be an important aspect for ongoing development.
^ Return to tABLE OF CONTENTS ^
Column Header Names
A fundamental principle of data standardization is ensuring consistent naming across data submissions, projects, and repositories. If your chosen repository does not enforce a vocabulary, please refer to the references below for recommended naming conventions. Recommended units are also frequently provided for each variable, which significantly eases the process of synthesizing data across projects when standardization is maintained.
Column header names are the labels given to specific data types, variables, or measurements in a data set, commonly presented as abbreviated names in column headers. Standardizing column header names significantly eases syntheses projects and ensures that a user can find data of interest.
Data file templates are provided for download here that include common recommended column header names and header information.
^ Return to tABLE OF CONTENTS ^
General and Chemical Oceanographic Variables
This table provides column header names for chemical oceanographic variables sampled discretely through bottle measurements, or by sensors. In cases where a column header name is reserved for discrete bottle measurements, it is noted in the description. In this table, CTD refers to the group of instruments for measuring conductivity (salinity), temperature, and depth, and CTD-rosette to the complete system of Niskin bottles (used for seawater sampling) on a frame together with the CTD. “N/A” means not applicable. “DP” is short for decimal places, or the number of digits after the decimal point. Recommended column header abbreviations, recommended units and brief descriptions, for chemical oceanographic observations were taken from Jiang et al., 2022 (specifically Table1) and are provided below.
For data regarding pigment, productivity, or optical measurements, see the standardized fields and units provided by NASA SeaBASS.
^ Return to tABLE OF CONTENTS ^
Sensor-observed Variables
Column header abbreviations, their preferred units and brief descriptions for continuous measurements of oceanographic variables using sensors (for example on autonomous or remotely operated platforms, e.g., time-series mooring, uncrewed surface vehicles, underwater gliders, and profiling floats). “N/A” is short for “not applicable”.
See General and Chemical Oceanographic Variables for additional chemical variable header names that are applicable to both bottle and sensor data (e.g., DIC, TA, pH, and nutrient data).
For data resulting from pigment or optical measurements, see the standardized fields and units provided by NASA SeaBASS.
ADCP output variable name examples are provided by Ocean Networks Canada under the Matlab structure example ‘adcp’, with recommended units provided under ‘units’.
Further naming conventions of less-common and diagnostic variables are provided by Argo.
^ Return to tABLE OF CONTENTS ^
Underway pCO₂ Variables
Column header abbreviations, their preferred units, and brief descriptions for surface underway based chemical oceanographic data. “N/A” is short for “not applicable”. See Sensor-observed Variables and General and Chemical Oceanographic Variables for applicable variable column header names of all parameters measured by underway systems.
For data resulting from pigment or optical measurements, see the standardized fields and units provided by NASA SeaBASS.
^ Return to tABLE OF CONTENTS ^
Model Output Variables
For model output variable names, please refer to the CF naming conventions.
^ Return to tABLE OF CONTENTS ^
Controlled Vocabularies
Controlled vocabularies are controlled definitions of whole descriptive words used for metadata input. When controlled vocabularies are required, the exact vocabulary below must be used.
^ Return to tABLE OF CONTENTS ^
mCDR Data Type
Selected controlled vocabularies for data types relevant to mCDR have been referenced from NASA’s SeaBASS metadata system and are provided below, for additional data types of optical characteristics see the SeaBASS controlled definitions list. Additional data types have been included to meet the needs of mCDR field projects.
^ Return to tABLE OF CONTENTS ^
Platform Type
Controlled vocabularies for Platform Types are based on Jiang et al., 2023b with minor updates.
^ Return to tABLE OF CONTENTS ^
Instrument Type
Controlled vocabularies for Instrument Types are based on Table 8 of Jiang et al., 2023b with minor updates.
Additional relevant controlled vocabularies may include the following categories:
- Alkalinity feedstock see Renforth and Henderson, 2017 (Table 1); Caserini et al., 2022 for examples.
- Country provided by the NERC vocabulary server
- Sea names provided by SeaDataNet C16 (sea areas)
- Institutions provided by the Research Organization Registry (ROR)
- Research Vessel Platform Codes provided by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES)
^ Return to tABLE OF CONTENTS ^
Deprecated Standards and Practices
Previous versions of this protocol can be found on the host site.
The versioning format is defined as follows,
Update definitions:
MAJOR: Significant changes, such as new sections, substantial revisions, or breaking changes to existing recommendations.
MINOR: Additions or refinements to existing recommendations that are backward-compatible.
REVISION: Small edits like fixing typos, formatting, or minor clarifications without changing the meaning or scope.
Triggers for updates:
1. MAJOR Version (e.g., `2.0.0`):
- Introduced a new framework or restructured the document.
- Added entirely new priority levels or sections.
- Removed or deprecated previous recommendations in a way that could affect adoption.
- Example: Moving from draft to the first official release (`0.1` → `1.0`).
2. MINOR Version (e.g., `1.2.0`):
- Added new recommendations that complement existing ones.
- Updated examples, case studies, or appendices without altering the core content.
- Clarified ambiguities in key recommendations while maintaining backward compatibility.
3. REVISION (e.g., `1.1.3`):
- Corrected grammar, typos, or formatting.
- Reworded text for readability without changing intent.
- Fixed links or citations.
^ Return to tABLE OF CONTENTS ^
Acknowledgements
Coordination Team
The coordination team was responsible for the conceptualization and delivery of the protocol.
Leads:
- Jacki Long, Submarine Scientific
- LiQing Jiang, NOAA
- Veronica Tamsitt, Submarine Scientific
With funding and steering support from:
- Irene Polnyi, Carbon to Sea
- Anna Madlener, Carbon to Sea
- David P. Keller, Carbon to Sea
- Danny Gawlowski, Carbon to Sea
Data Initiative Steering Committee
The steering committee comprises members who are active in OAE field work to provide strategic guidance to the Data Management initiative coordination team as they assess the landscape of field data, surface areas of existing alignment and identify areas of opportunity.
- Gabby Kitch, NOAA Ocean Acidification Program
- David “Roo” Nicholson, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI)
- Ruth Musgrave, Dalhousie University
Advisory and Consultation
Strategic guidance and consultation was provided from a range of experts via interview, document feedback and thought partnership.
- Jing He, Isometric
- Sophie Gill, Isometric
- Audria Dennen, Rost
- Ulla Heede, [C]Worthy
- Tannis Thorlakson, Cascade Climate
- Vilas Rao, Cascade Climate
- Aaron Olson, Planetary Technologies
OAE Data Dive Workshop Participants
Participants of the OAE Data Dive Workshop (Halifax, September 2024) provided valuable input into the first draft of the protocol, including thoughtful discussion around important trade-offs, surfacing key areas of alignment and driving towards internal consensus.
- Grace Andrews, Hourglass Climate
- Dariia Atamanchuk, Dalhousie University
- Alice Benoit-Cattin, HAFRO
- Will Burt, Planetary Technologies
- Brendan Carter, NOAA/PMEL
- Manish Devana, Aquatic Labs
- Brad Covey, Dalhousie University
- Tim Dyson, bluesonde Technologies
- Jessica Foley, iSENSYS
- Carole Graas, IEEE
- Alyssa Griffin, University of California Davis/Bodega Marine Laboratory
- Chandler Griffin, iSENSYS
- David Ho, [C]Worthy
- Max Holloway, Planetary
- Robert Izett, Planetary Technologies
- Kelly Kearney, UW
- Maike Luiken, IEEE
- Alexandra Mackay, NOAA
- Andreas Macrander, HAFRO
- Enrico Milanese, WHOI
- Kate Morkeski, WHOI
- Daan Reijnders, SeaO2
- Mallory Ringham, Ebb Carbon
- Carlos Muñoz Royo, atdepth MRV
- Ruth Musgrave, Dalhousie University
- Laura Stieghorst, Básico Carbon
- Andrew Thompson, bluesonde Technologies
- Anya Waite, Ocean Frontiers Institute
- Liza Wright-Fairbanks, NOAA
- Casey Wilson, Subtidal
- Alicia Karspeck, [C]Worthy
- Julie LaRoche, Dalhousie University
- Matt Long, [C]Worthy
The Biological Working Group for OAE Data Standards
- Keisha Bahr, Harte
- Nina Bednarsek, Oregon State University
- Brad Covey, Dalhousie University
- Jason Graff, Oregon State University
- Alyse Larkin, NOAA
- Julie LaRoche, Dalhousie University
- Melissa Melendez, U. Hawaii
- Shannon Meseck, NOAA
- Charly Moras, University of Hamburg
- Kai Schulz, Southern Cross University
The Sediment Working Group for OAE Data Standards
- Brent Law, DFO-MPO
- Grace Massey, VIMS
- Ole Mikkelsen, Sequoia
- Christina Shultz, Northeastern University
The Social Science Working Group for OAE Data Standards
- Liliana Bastian, Sandia National Laboratories
- Meg Chadsey, Washington Sea Grant
- Brad Covey, Dalhousie University
- Sara Nawaz, American University
- Terre Satterfield, University of British Columbia
- Michael Weir, WHOI
AGU’24 OAE Data Management Guidelines Workshop participants
- Anna-Adriana Anschütz, Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemuende
- Dariia Atamanchuk, Dalhousie University
- Rick Berg, Banyu Carbon
- Kira Biener, Yale University
- Eugene Burger, NOAA/OAR/PMEL
- Will Burt, Planetary Technologies
- Mattias Cape, Environmental Defense Fund
- Meg Chadsey, Washington Sea Grant
- Jessica Cross, DOE-PNNL
- Suhani Dalal, Yale U.
- Nico Fairbairn, U.S. Senate (Schatz)
- Luke Gloege, Yale University
- Ryan Green, Equatic
- Alyssa Griffin, University of California, Davis/Bodega Marine Laboratory
- Jing He, Isometric
- David Ho, [C]Worthy
- Diane Hoskins, Carbon to Sea
- Linus Kamb, NOAA/Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory
- Gabby Kitch, NOAA OAP
- Nicholas Kleinert, Carbon to Sea
- Kristin Kleisner, Environmental Defense Fund
- Alyson Myers, Fearless Fund
- Josh Perfetto, Ephemeral Carbon
- Mallory Ringham, Ebb Carbon
- Bita Sabbaghzadeh, Ephemeral Carbon
- Jonathan Sharp, University of Washington CICOES / NOAA PMEL
- Kirby Simon, Sequoia Scientific
- Laura Stieghorst, Básico Carbon
- Nicolas Theunissen, Yale University
- Andrew Thompson, bluesonde Technologies
- Jesse Vance, Ebb Carbon
- Sally Walker, Applied Research Laboratories at University of Texas Austin
- Jennifer Yin, Isometric
Contributing Authors during the Open Comment Review Period
- Jean-Pierre Gattuso, CNRS
- Daan Reijnders, SeaO2
- Meg Chadsey, Washington Sea Grant/NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory
- Alicia Karspeck, [C]Worthy
- Rick Berg, Banyu Carbon
- Tim Dyson, Bluesonde Technologies
- Mallory Ringham, Ebb Carbon
- Grace Andrews, Hourglass Climate
- Amelia-Juliette Demery, Ocean Visions
- Jing He, Isometric
- Jennifer Yin, Isometric
- Sophie Gill, Isometric
- Cory Levinson
- Kalina Grabb, WHOI
- Anna-Adriana Anschütz, Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde
- Josh Perfetto, Ephemeral Carbon
^ Return to tABLE OF CONTENTS ^
References
Caserini, S., Storni, N., Grosso, M. (2022). The availability of limestone and other raw materials for ocean alkalinity enhancement. Global Biogeochemical Cycles 36, 5. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GB007246.
Dickson, A. G. (1990). Standard potential of the reaction: AgCl(s) + 0.5 H2(g) = Ag(s) + HCl(aq), and the standard acidity constant of the ion HSO4− in synthetic sea water from 273.15 to 318.15 K. Journal of Chemical Thermodynamics 22, 113–127. doi:10.1016/0021-9614(90)90074-Z.
Frankignoulle, M., Canon, C., and Gattuso, J.-P. (1994). Marine calcification as a source of carbon dioxide: Positive feedback of increasing atmospheric CO₂. Limnology and Oceanography 39, 458–462. doi:10.4319/lo.1994.39.2.0458.
Gunning PJ, Hills CD, Carey PJ. (2010). Accelerated carbonation treatment of industrial wastes. Waste Management, (6):1081-90. doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2010.01.005
Jiang, L. Q., Kozyr, A., Relph, J.M. et al. The Ocean Carbon and Acidification Data System. Sci Data 10, 136 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02042-0
Jiang, L. Q., Subhas, A., Basso, D., Fennel, K., and Gattuso, J.-P. (2023). Data reporting and sharing for ocean alkalinity enhancement research, in: Guide to Best Practices in Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement Research (OAE Guide 23), edited by: Oschlies, A., Stevenson, A., Bach, L., Fennel, K., Rickaby, R., Satterfield, T., Webb, R., and Gattuso, J.-P., Copernicus Publications, State Planet, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-2-oae2023-13-2023.
Jiang, L. Q., Pierrot, D., Wanninkhof, R., et al., (2022). Best Practice Data Standards for Discrete Chemical Oceanographic Observations. Front. Mar. Sci, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.705638.
Jiang, L. Q., O’Connor, S. A., Arzayus, K. M., & Parsons, A. R. (2015). A metadata template for ocean acidification data, Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 7, 117–125.
Lee, K., Kim, T.-W., Byrne, R. H., Millero, F. J., Feely, R. A., and Liu, Y.-M. (2010). The universal ratio of boron to chlorinity for the North Pacific and North Atlantic oceans. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 74, 1801–1811. doi:10.1016/j.gca.2009.12.027.
Lueker, T. J., Dickson, A. G., and Keeling, C. D. (2000). Ocean pCO₂ calculated from dissolved inorganic carbon, alkalinity, and equations for K1 and K2: validation based on laboratory measurements of CO₂ in gas and seawater at equilibrium. Marine Chemistry 70, 105–119. doi:10.1016/S0304-4203(00)00022-0.
Orr J. C., Epitalon J.-M. & Gattuso J.-P.. (2015). Comparison of ten packages that compute ocean carbonate chemistry. Biogeosciences 12, 1483–1510. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-1483-2015.
Renforth P., Henderson G. (2017). Assessing ocean alkalinity for carbon sequestration. Reviews of Geophysics 55 (3), 636-674. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016RG000533.
Waters, J., Millero, F. J., and Woosley, R. J. (2014). Corrigendum to “The free proton concentration scale for seawater pH”, [MARCHE: 149 (2013) 8–22]. Marine Chemistry 165, 66–67. doi:10.1016/j.marchem.2014.07.
^ Return to tABLE OF CONTENTS ^
Revision History
Date | Version | Revision Description | Notes |
03/17/2025 | 1.0.0 | First published document following revisions from open public review during January 23, 2025 – March 07, 2025 | Summary of feedback and responses |
01/23/2025 | 0.1.0 | Original draft document published for public review |
^ Return to tABLE OF CONTENTS ^
EDITOR’S NOTE: This work was performed under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between NOAA and Carbon to Sea. However, the views expressed herein are not necessarily those of NOAA, the Department of Commerce or the U.S. Government.
Carbon to Sea does not conduct project due diligence, participate in independent verification, or endorse any carbon accounting claims. The protocol is a part of a broad range of effort to enable responsible OAE research.