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.

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:

  1. 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.
  2. Guidelines for Data Management – This chapter outlines how to set up, manage and submit data across a range of data types.
  3. Column Header Names – Recommendations are provided for column header names for use in data files.
  4. Controlled Vocabularies – Definitions are provided for controlled vocabularies, including OAE-specific fields.
  5. Deprecated Standards and Practices – Versioning control for the Data Protocol is outlined here.

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Key Acronyms and Abbreviations

mCDRMarine carbon dioxide removal
OAEOcean alkalinity enhancement
DOIDigital object identifier
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MetadataMetadata 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 standardsData 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 namesStandardized column header terms describing a parameter, these may be an abbreviation of the measured parameter. 
Controlled vocabularyControlled 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 enhancementOcean 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. 
PlatformAny 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 dataSensors 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 controlMethods 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 dataThe 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 fileRefers 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.
BaselineBaseline 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.
InterventionAn 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.
CounterfactualA counterfactual model experiment simulates what would have happened in the absence of a particular intervention, i.e. assuming baseline conditions.
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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

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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.

mCDR Project Metadata The project metadata contains high level project information that stays constant across all experiments and datasets within a project
Fields

All fields are required if applicable to your project, unless noted as recommended.

Input descriptions for each metadata field are provided below, inputs shown in ‘quotes’ denote controlled vocabularies and must match the exact vocabulary providedIf a required field is not applicable to your project, put ‘NA’. Illustrative example (not based on a real study).
Project ID: The project to which the submitted data belong. A unique project identifier that can be used to link project data across data submissions, and link baseline data to intervention data, for example. 

If no Project ID has been assigned, one may be generated by combining the following fields, as described in Cross-linking Data Sets with Common Identifiers.

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: Carbon Dive
  • Project beginning August 05, 2025
  • Hvalfjordur, Iceland

Carbondive_20250805_Hvalfjordur

Temporal coverage: Start date and end date (if unknown put ‘NA’) of the project in ISO-8601 format YYYY-MM-DD [2023-04-28, 2025-02-19]
Spatial coverage: Latitude/longitude bounds of project site (e.g., boundary domain of observations or relevant activities) provided in decimal degrees as westernmost longitude, southernmost latitude, easternmost longitude, northernmost latitude. [S, W, N, E] [64.227, -22.190, 64.411, -21.350]
Vertical coverage: Minimum and maximum depths of observation in meters. [0, 76]
Sea names (recommended): Names of the seas where the data collection takes place, See Controlled Vocabularies section for definitions. North Atlantic Ocean
Project description:  A narrative description of the project. For example, what were the goals of the project? What were the research questions? What were the processes to achieve these goals and answer these questions? Who were the key stakeholders, organizers, project leaders? Was this building off a previous or ongoing project, or is this a new region/experiment/mechanistic study? 

If there are relevant regulatory parameters and/or limits to dosing trials at this location, these may be described here.

Hvalfjordur MRV System Pilot Study

A baseline study beginning in 2024 captured the physical, biogeochemical, atmospheric and biological data of the site over the course of a year. It included autonomous and vessel-based samples as well as public data sources. Building on this year-long baseline study, Dual Tracer study, and Dye Tracer Study, an interdisciplinary project team under the leadership of Dr. Jane Doe conducted research to establish and test a prototype MRV System Pilot. The research questions were: 1) Can adding NaOH effectively increase seawater alkalinity, 2) Can increased alkalinity reduce surface ocean pCO₂, 3) Does reducing surface ocean pCO₂ result in CDR, and 4) is there an impact on local species and natural communities as a result? 

Physical site description: Provide information to help characterize the field site and provide context when interpreting the data. For example, descriptions of tidal patterns, climatological conditions, notable geological characteristics, the geographical and marine setting (coastal, intertidal, island region, sheltered environment), and characteristic meteorological events. If possible based on the file type of this submission, please include useful maps or figures here. 

Links to relevant datasets, cruise reports, etc may be provided here. 

Hvalfjordur, Iceland

The proposed field site is in Hvalfjordur, Iceland. The fjord is approximately 35 km long, 3.5 km wide and 15 – 50 m deep. The site has a sheltered physical environment with predictable circulation and water residence time. The flow in the fjord is characterized by inflow at depth and outflow at the surface, with primarily counterclockwise circulation. Water temp ranges from 0° C in winter and 10° C in summer. Hvalfjordur experiences a subpolar oceanic climate characterized by strong downslope winds, increased rainfall due to its fjord-mountain landscape, and maritime temperature moderation from the North Atlantic current. 

Social context site description: Details may include:

-Commercial, recreational, ecological, and cultural uses of study site

-Industrial site history

-Demographics of site area

-Notable events that may impact local sentiment to mCDR (for example: site had significant toxic spill in past decade, local positive support for offshore wind farming, frequent HAB site) -Ecologically protected species, economically significant operations in the marine environment

-In study areas with nearby state or federal jurisdiction borders, potential conflicts with other countries or permits from foreign governments should be described.

-Links to relevant social science surveys, engaged community groups, etc.

The local community is represented in project governance (board) and is engaged actively via town halls, information sessions, a website (www.communityexample.earth) and newsletter (www.exampleletter.com). Cultural activities in the fjord include mussel harvesting, though the toxicity of the mussels is monitored by the food agency in Iceland and is not always permitted. 

Global Attitude Surveys were conducted in 2010 and 2020 and reported in the Bjarnadóttir et al report What do Icelanders think about the environment and climate change? 

Economic activity in the fjord includes several areas zoned for sediment mining, a port in Grundertangi and an aluminum smelting plant, among others. Moderate harbour seal population has rebounded in recent years. Usually no pelagic fish in fishable quantities with the exception of winter 1947 – 1948 where large schools of summer spawning herring led to high catches. 

Social research conducted to date: A description of any social research conducted to date. If provided as a separate file, list filename here. Information may include:

-Description of Community engagement research approach conducted and results

-Stakeholder mapping method and link to output

Stakeholder mapping is provided in file icealand_stakeholders.pdf
mCDR pathway: Please select any of the following that describe the submitted data:

‘ocean alkalinity enhancement’, ‘biomass sinking’, ‘direct ocean capture’, ‘ocean nutrient fertilization’, ‘artificial upwelling and downwelling’, ‘marine ecosystem recovery’, ‘other’ 

See Controlled Vocabularies section for definitions.

ocean alkalinity enhancement
Previous or on-going mCDR research in the area: This field is required for co-located operations that potentially impact the project results. If previous or on-going mCDR field operations have occurred in the study domain by any project developer, they may be mentioned here either as a description, and/or if a reference to the study exists in the form of a data set, publication, etc, the DOI or other identifying information should be provided. Please provide direct links to data when available. mCDR company Algae Lock was headquartered near the fjord and conducted some proprietary carbonate chemistry and algae farming research in the fjord (http://doi.org/xx.xxx). Algae farming operations were active from August 2022 to December 2023.
Co-located operations: A description is required if any nearby operations exist that may influence the waters over the time period covered by this data. This might be a nearby mCDR project, a facility that discharges water with different characteristics than the inflow (e.g., a desalination plant), frequent boating operations, etc.  Aluminum smelting plant co-located in fjord at latitude/longitude 64.5°N, -21.3°W, activities and plans unknown.
Permit number: Associated permit number(s). permit #XYZ (permit pending, example is illustrative)
Permit approval document: Link to permit or document reference. permit #XYZ (permit pending, example is illustrative)
Permitting authority: Name of organization or authority related to permitting, if applicable. Ministry for Foreign Affairs (Utanríkisráðuneytið)

Environmental Agency of Iceland (Umhverfisstofnun)

Public comments (recommended): Provide the link to any public comments that were generated in response to this study (e.g., for permitting), or if uploaded separately as a pdf, provide the file name here. Public comment files have been compiled into one pdf titled ‘Carbondive_20250805_Hvalfjordur_public_comments.pdf’ and available at http://doi.XXX.
Research project: Project, which the data collection is part of. For example, West Coast Ocean Acidification (WCOA) Project. NA
Funding info: Include the name of the funder, funder country, project title, project ID, the project start and end dates, and whether the funding is public vs private. If there is no funding source (e.g., in the case of commercial projects), put ‘NA’. NA
Datasets and experiments that should be cross linked to this one: All datasets submitted under this Project ID should be listed here. For example, if some data were submitted to other repositories, this will link the data. If all data for this Project ID are included in the resulting DOI from this submission, please indicate that “All data for the current experiment are provided in this submission”. Also include links to any other experimental data (e.g., Experiment IDs) produced within this Project ID. For model experiments, project datasets that are directly used to force, inform or validate the model are required. References to other associated datasets are recommended but not required. All data for the current experiment (CarbonModel_20250805_Hvalfjordur_intervention01) are provided in this submission, with the current draft doi: http://doi.org/xx.xxx 

Additional experimental project data include:

Baseline study: Carbondive_20250805_Hvalfjordur_baseline01 

http://doi.org/xx.xxx

Dye Tracer Study: CarbonModel_20250805_Hvalfjordur_intervention02 

http://doi.org/xx.xxx

Counterfactual model run:

CarbonModel_01012024_iceland_modeloutput01

http://doi.org/xx.xxx

Earlier biological research relevant to mCDR operations can be found via the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute.

Additional details: Open text area to include additional information. These may include information for sediment processes data, biological data, or any other required information if not included in the main metadata or data files; see Guidelines for Data Submission for relevant sections of your data. Additional informational files, such as digitized laboratory notebooks, blogs, etc., may be linked here. See https://samplewebsite.is/data for a field blog and additional data from this site.

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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.

Experiment Metadata Experiment metadata applies to a specific study but remains consistent across datasets.
Fields

All fields are required if applicable to your project, unless noted as recommended.

Input descriptions for each metadata field are provided below, inputs shown in ‘quotes’ denote controlled vocabularies and must match the exact vocabulary providedIf a required field is not applicable to your project, put ‘NA’. Illustrative example (not based on a real study).
Project ID: Project ID must be included in the Experiment-level metadata in order to link all experiments to the main project. 

The project to which the submitted data belong. A unique project identifier that can be used to link project data across data submissions, and link baseline data to intervention data, for example. 

If no Project ID has been assigned, one may be generated by combining the following fields, as described in Cross-linking Data Sets with Common Identifiers.

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: Carbon Dive
  • Project beginning August 05, 2025
  • Hvalfjordur, Iceland

Carbondive_20250805_Hvalfjordur

mCDR experiment type: ‘baseline’, ‘control’, ‘intervention’, ‘model’, ‘other’

See Controlled Vocabularies section for definitions.

intervention
Experiment ID: The experiment to which the data belong. Any naming convention that produces a unique ID is usable. The recommended naming convention is:

  • Project ID
  • Experiment type
  • Optional numerical indicator to differentiate between various experiments of the same type for a project. A two digit consecutive number beginning with 01
First intervention (experiment type = intervention) for this project

Carbondive_20250805_Hvalfjordur_intervention01

Investigators: Provide details for each investigator including: Name, institutional information (name, address), phone, email, ID type (e.g., ORCID, etc), researcher ID, and role. Jane Doe, University of Europa, 2345 Galactic Way, Centauri, CA, 98750, (+019-091-346-2938), ORCID, 9x938429x, Chief scientist for cruise data, data submitter.
Start date and time: Start date and time of experiment in UTC ISO-8601 2025-08-05T01:20:30Z
End date and time:  End date and time of experiment in UTC ISO-8601 2025-08-07T11:00:00Z
Spatial coverage: Latitude/longitude bounds of observed data in experiment, provided in decimal degrees as westernmost longitude, southernmost latitude, easternmost longitude, northernmost latitude. [S, W, N, E] [64.227, -22.190, 64.411, -21.350]
Vertical coverage: Minimum and maximum depths of observations in meters. [0, 76]
Experiment description: A narrative description of the experiment. For example, what part of the project do these data represent (e.g., baseline, intervention, control) and what do they contribute to the overall project? Are all project research questions listed in Project description relevant? What were the processes to achieve these goals and answer these questions? Data submitters are encouraged to note any significant changes to the original experimental plan due to unforeseen circumstances here. On August 5, 2025 the project team released 23 tons of diluted NaOH solution over 96 hours and observed the results for 14 days. This experiment represented the first intervention conducted in the region and for this project. All project research questions above are relevant as the intervention will allow these questions to be answered. To effectively monitor these study regions in order to answer these questions, 10 repeat ship surveys were conducted to collect grab samples, underway sensor data, and profile data from rosettes. 12 buoys were deployed with sensor arrays including temperature, salinity, oxygen, chlorophyll, particulate information, pH, and pCO₂. These data will be used to monitor the change in seawater pCO₂ and local species impact due to aqueous alkalinity addition.
Data conflicts and unreported data: If data exist that are or have been used by the project but are not provided due to conflicts (e.g., geopolitical or other), data availability (e.g., a dataset is no longer available), it may be noted here. Data from a citizen-based water quality effort were available between the years 2021 – 2023 and are informed by Carbon Dive project planning, but are no longer accessible. 
Meteorological and tidal data: Include links to relevant open datasets if referenced in the experiment but not provided in the submission. Wind data: Vindatlas.vedur.is

Bathymetry data: Coast Guard Data from Atlas.lmi.is

Land and water usage map: Vefsja.is

Tide & weather data (sea level, wind, air pressure, temperature, salinity: Vedur.mogt.is)

Additional details: Open text area to include additional information. These may include information for sediment processes data, biological data, or any other required information if not included in the main metadata or data files; see Guidelines for Data Management for relevant sections of your data. Additional informational files, such as digitized laboratory notebooks, blogs, etc., may be linked here. See https://samplewebsite.is/data for a field blog and additional data from this site.
Experiment Metadata for OAE Interventions OAE Intervention Metadata are additional Experiment Metadata that apply to experiments where an intervention, such as an alkalinity addition, was conducted.
Alkalinity feedstock processing: Select all that apply: ‘electrochemistry’, ‘synthetically derived’, ‘mineral mining’, ‘blended’, ‘other’

See Controlled Vocabularies section for definitions.

Synthetically derived
Alkalinity feedstock form: The phase upon delivery to the ocean: ‘solid’, ‘aqueous’, ‘slurry’

See Controlled Vocabularies section for definitions.

aqueous
Alkalinity feedstock: Examples may include: olivine, potassium hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, lime, portlandite, calcium carbonate, anorthite, dolomite, periclase, brucite, magnesite, forsterite, sodium hydroxide, natrite, nahcolite, akermanite, akermanite, alunoakermanite, etc.

See Controlled Vocabularies section for selected examples (this list is not exhaustive, you may need to include your unique feedstock).

sodium hydroxide
Alkalinity feedstock CO₂ removal potential: Maximum CO₂ removal potential of a mineral/rock feedstock material. We recommend using an adjusted version of the Steinour equation (Gunning et al., 2010), which uses bulk elemental oxide composition to estimate the maximum CO₂ removal potential of a feedstock material. The calculation output is in the form of kg of CO₂ per tonne of feedstock and represents the quantitative hypothetical potential of the material to capture CO₂ as bicarbonate or carbonate.

See Isometric’s CO2 removal potential module for details.

N/A
Alkalinity feedstock description: Information such as feedstock source, characteristics, impurities, dilution prior to dosing, and concentration. For feedstock other than NaOH: trace metal composition and particulate grain size. Any variable information must be provided in the dosing data file, in this case include the data file and column header names here provided as variables. See Intervention Data for details. 30% NaOH solution (commercially acquired) mixed with freshwater to achieve 1050 kg/m3 density. Tagged with 32g of inert gas SF6, dissolved in 1000 liters of freshwater. 
Equilibration: Pre-equilibrated or Unequilibrated unequilibrated
Dosing location: Provide latitude and longitude in decimal degrees. Depending on your method of dispersal, this information may be provided as a point source, vector, or bounding box. If provided as a vector, the latitude and longitude values should be included in the dosing data file.  [64.394426, -21.465808]
Dosing dispersal hydrologic location: Descriptive dosing location, select from the following: ‘coastal surface’, ‘offshore surface’, ‘river’, ‘wetland’, ‘seafloor’ coastal surface
Dosing delivery type: ‘static point source’, ‘variable point source’, ‘static distributed’, ‘variable distributed’. See Controlled Vocabularies for definitions. static point source
Dosing depth(s): Depth(s) in meters. If this is variable, please include the schedule of depth changes and depths, or as a vector in meters with the data, named ‘dosing_depth’. Please note here that ‘dosing depth is provided as a variable’. 3 meters below surface
Dosing description: Please be descriptive. Information about the dosing mechanism must be included (e.g., outflow from pipe, diffuser, doser, manual placement)

E.g., outflow from existing facility pipe directly to ocean, manual riverine introduction, coastal distribution at three separate 30 meter long sections, pier-based diffuser to intercoastal bay, distributed from stationary barge 10 miles offshore.

Static pier-based diffuser. Three meter long steel diffuser oriented parallel to shore.
Dosing regimen:  At a minimum, please provide the schedule and timeline of dosing, including the time between doses, the duration of treatment and the amount used each time. More optimally, this information would be provided as a vector of binary data in the data file where 1 = dosing ‘on’ 0 = dosing ‘off’, using the column header name ‘dosing_onoff’. If provided as a vector state here as ‘dosing regimen is provided as a variable’ and include the file name. See Intervention Data for details.  August 5, 2025: 3 IBC Test 09:00 – 12:00

August 6, 2025: 7 IBC dosing 09:00 – 16:00

August 7, 2025: 13 IBC dosing 09:00 – 22:00

August 8, 2025: 7 IBC dosing 09:00 – 16:00

Dosing regimen is also provided in variable ‘dosing_onoff’ in data file: Carbondive_20250805_Hvalfjordur_intervention01_dosing.csv

Dosing data:  Dosing data include: flow rate, dosing rate, alkalinity dosing effluent density, and mineral mass addition rate. If any of these are constant, values may be provided here rather than in the dosing data file. To link dosing data that have been provided as vector data provide the source or filename. Please include whether dosing effluent density is directly measured or a derived value. See Intervention Data for details.

Provide a description of the units for dosing rate provided as this will vary depending on the method.

Alkalinity dosing effluent density = 1050 kg/m3 density, measured directly.

All other dosing data are provided in the current data submission in file: Carbondive_20250805_Hvalfjordur_intervention01_dosing.csv

Variables include: flow_rate (L/s), and dosing_rate (mol/L).

Dosing rate is provided in moles NaOH per L of effluent water.

 

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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’.
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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. 

Fields Input descriptions for each metadata field are provided below, inputs shown in ‘quotes’ denote controlled vocabularies and must match the exact vocabulary providedIf a required field is not applicable to your project, put ‘NA’. Illustrative example (not a real project).
Project ID: The project to which the submitted data belong. A unique project identifier that can be used to link project data across data submissions, and link baseline data to intervention data, for example. 

If no Project ID has been assigned, one may be generated by combining the following fields, as described in Cross-linking Data Sets with Common Identifiers.

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: Carbon Dive
  • Project beginning August 05, 2025
  • Hvalfjordur, Iceland

Carbondive_20250805_Hvalfjordur

mCDR experiment type: ‘Baseline’, ‘control’, ‘intervention’, ‘model’, ‘other’

See Controlled Vocabularies section for definitions.

model
Experiment ID: The experiment to which the data belong. Any naming convention that produces a unique ID is usable. A The recommended naming convention is:

  • Project ID
  • Experiment type
  • Optional numerical indicator to differentiate between various experiments of the same type for a project. A two digit consecutive number beginning with 01
One of three model runs (nearfield, regional, global) output data provided (experiment type = model) for this project

Carbondive_20250805_Hvalfjordur_model01

Investigators: Provide details for each investigator including: Name, institutional information (name, address), phone, email, ID type (e.g., ORCID, etc), researcher ID, and role.

The data submitter must provide contact information.

Jane Doe, University of Europa, 2345 Galactic Way, Centauri, CA, 98750, (+019-091-346-2938), ORCID, 9x938429x, data submitter.
Model configuration: Links to model configuration files (e.g. roms_application.h, roms.in, and build_roms.sh files for a ROMS simulation) https://github.com/parkermac/LO_roms_user/tree/main/upwelling
Model Physics Component
Name: Name of model (e.g. ROMS, Oceananigans) ucla-roms
Version: Model release version tag-1
Codebase: Link to model code repository  https://github.com/CESR-lab/ucla-roms
Model physics description: A description of the physical model characteristics, including version of equations being solved (hydrostatic vs non-hydrostatic), tracer advection scheme, how bottom drag is represented, mixed layer parameterizations, sub-grid mixing parameterizations if applicable, etc. Associated links to data, DOIs, or publications can be noted here, but should be supplemental. The circulation model is a regional implementation of the Regional Ocean Modelling System (ucla-roms)

Configured for the North Atlantic, centered on Iceland. The outer grid has a 3.3 km horizontal resolution and 100 vertical layers, while an inner nested grid has 40 m resolution and 100 vertical layers. ROMS is a free-surface, terrain-following, primitive equations ocean model, the hydrostatic primitive equations for momentum are solved using a split-explicit time-stepping scheme. All 2D and 3D equations are time-discretized using a third-order accurate predictor (Leap-Frog) and corrector (Adams-Molton) time-stepping algorithm. The primitive equations are discretized over variable topography using stretched terrain-following coordinates.

The circulation model

uses the 3rd-order upstream-biased (horizontal) and 4th-order centered differences (vertical) advection schemes for temperature and salinity. The model includes 12 freshwater inputs and is forced by the ERA5 atmospheric product (https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.3803) at the surface and by GLORYS at the boundaries. Vertical mixing is parameterized using the K-profile parameterization (KPP) from Large et al. 1994, and the air-sea interaction boundary layer in ROMS is based on the bulk parameterization of Fairall et al. (1996). Bathymetry is from GLORYS, the model T and S are initialized from GLORYS, and the model includes tides from the TPXO atlas.

References: Reference for model physics description https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocemod.2004.08.002
Model BGC/Ecosystem Component
Name: Name of BGC/Ecosystem component MARBL
Version: Version of BGC/Ecosystem component used Cesm2.2-n00 (imbedded in C-Star)
Codebase: Url link to where code can be found, the link to the specific commit (GitHub) or version should be provided. https://github.com/marbl-ecosys/MARBL.git
Model BGC description: A description of the biogeochemical/biological model characteristics, including which parameters are modeled explicitly, derived carbonate system parameters, advection scheme for biological tracers, CO₂ solver protocol (e.g., CO₂SYS), links to data/code with biological model parameters (e.g., growth and mortality rates), etc. Equations for each explicitly modeled parameter should be provided (can be links to publications), and it should be noted if any equations or parameter values (e.g. growth rates) were modified. Description and/or references of air-sea CO₂ flux parameterization used, gas transfer velocity formulation and atmospheric CO₂ details (e.g., fixed or time varying, and if time varying which data were used). Also include details on whether dissolution and precipitation of calcium carbonate are considered, how exchanges between sediment and overlying water are represented (if applicable), and whether active feedbacks between biological processes and the carbonate system are represented. Associated links to data, DOIs, or publications can be noted here, but should be supplemental. The Marine Biogeochemistry Library (MARBL) is a prognostic ocean biogeochemistry model that simulates marine ecosystem dynamics and the coupled cycles of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, iron, silicon, and oxygen and is a component of the Community System Earth Model 2 (CESM2). The ecosystem includes multiple phytoplankton functional groups (diatoms, diazotrophs, small phytoplankton, and coccolithophores) and multiple potentially growth limiting nutrients (nitrate, ammonium, phosphate, silicate, and iron. There is one zooplankton group, dissolved organic material (semi-labile), sinking particulate pools and explicit simulation of the biogeochemical cycling of key elements (C, N, P, Fe, Si, O, plus alkalinity) (Moore et al. 2004).  The ecosystem component is coupled with a carbonate chemistry module based on the Ocean Carbon Model Intercomparison Project (OCMIP) (Doney et al. 2009) allowing dynamic computation of surface ocean pCO₂ and air-sea CO₂ flux. Photoadaptation is calculated as a variable phytoplankton ratio of chlorophyll to nitrogen based on Geider et al. 1998. Phytoplankton N/P ratios are fixed at the Redfield value of 16, but the diazotroph group has a higher N/P atomic ratio of 50. The model  parameterizes a prognostic phytoplankton calcifier in MARBL that is modeled on coccolithophore physiology (Krumhardt et al., 2019). The ratio of calcification to photosynthesis by the coccolithophore functional type is responsive to environmental conditions, where the calcification to photosynthesis ratio is a function of temperature, nutrients, and CO₂. Carbonate chemistry is explicit and there are two parallel carbonate systems including DIC and alkalinity tracers; applying fixed-preindustrial and time-evolving atmospheric CO₂ to these parallel systems enables cleanly computing anthropogenic CO₂ concentrations. MARBL computes burial and denitrification losses of material at the seafloor according to empirical relationships. Particulate organic carbon burial is computed using a relationship between burial efficiency and POC flux from Dunne et al. (2007), with an imposed maximum burial efficiency of 80%. Burial of SiO2 at the seafloor is based on observations in Ragueneau et al. (2000). In MARBL, 4% of Si incidents on the seafloor are buried, except where the incident flux of Si to the seafloor exceeds 2 mmol m−2 d−1; then, 20% of Si is buried. As described above, sedimentary denitrification depends on the incident POC flux and is computed based on an empirical relationship from Bohlen et al. (2012). Burial of CaCO3 on the ocean floor occurs where Ω > Ωcrit in the model’s bottom layer; where Ω < Ωcrit, all CaCO3 reaching the model’s bottom layer is dissolved. All CaCO3 is assumed to be calcite, thus ignoring the distinction between the mineral forms calcite and aragonite, which may be important in modulating dissolution depths (Gangstø et al., 2008). Air-sea CO₂ gas exchange is parameterised as a function of temperature (T) and wind speed (u10), and the concentration of the gas in the air (Ca) and in the surface water (Cw) in the form:

F = k(u10 T)(Cw-Ca), where k is the gas transfer velocity. Gas transfer velocity is parameterized using the 4th order polynomial formulation of Wanninkhof (2014). Quadratic k₆₆₀ parameterisation is calibrated to give 16.5 cm/hr global average (recommended Naegler, 2009)

for the ERA5 wind product by SeaFlux/Luke Gregor et al. (2023).

Atmospheric CO₂ is assumed fixed and spatially uniform at 428 ppm.

References: Links or DOIs to any reference(s) relevant to the model components/development, specific model configuration, model validation etc.  https://doi.org/10.1029/2021MS002647
Other model components: Additional model components such as sea ice, sediment, atmosphere, etc., if applicable. These fields should repeat the same structure as for physics and biogeochemical model components (e.g., Name, Version, Codebase, Description, References). Not applicable
Grid Details:
Grid type: Descriptive structure of grid (e.g., latitude-longitude grid, unstructured triangular, tripolar). Georeferencing information must be included here.  Rectangular x-y grid with rotation:

 

    Central longitude: -19
    Central latitude: 65

    Grid Rotation: 20

Model region: A description of the region modeled. North Atlantic centered on Iceland
Spatial coverage: Latitude/longitude bounds of observed data in experiment, provided in decimal degrees (negative for southern and western hemispheres) as westernmost longitude, southernmost latitude, easternmost longitude, northernmost latitude. [S, W, N, E] [-20, 70, -17, 60]
Arrangement: The grid arrangement of orthogonal physical quantities (e.g. Arakawa A, Arakawa B, Arakawa C) Arakawa C-grid
Nx: Number of x grid points 800
Ny: Number of y grid points 800
Nz: Number of vertical coordinate levels 100
N nodes:  Number of grid nodes (if using an unstructured grid) 5285 
Horizontal resolution range: Range of horizontal resolution (in m or km) 3.3 km (for the outer nest)
Vertical resolution range: Range of vertical resolution (in meters) Max. 4 m (topography following vertical grid)
Input Details:
Bathymetry: Data source for bathymetry used (including links to data if available) GLORYS bathymetry data (Copernicus Marine Service Product ID: GLOBAL_MULTIYEAR_ PHY_001_030) https://doi.org/10.48670/moi-00021
Initial conditions: Data sources for initial conditions of all model state variables (including links to data if available) Initial conditions from GLORYS (Copernicus Marine Service Product ID: GLOBAL_MULTIYEAR_ PHY_001_030) https://doi.org/10.48670/moi-00021
Boundary conditions: Data source for boundary conditions for all model state variables (including links to data if available) GLORYS (Copernicus Marine Service Product ID: GLOBAL_MULTIYEAR_ PHY_001_030) https://doi.org/10.48670/moi-00021
Atmospheric forcing: Data sources for atmospheric forcing if applicable (including links to data if available). Examples of atmospheric forcing for physics models include wind fields, shortwave and longwave radiation, air temperature, and humidity. Examples of atmospheric forcing for biogeochemical models include atmospheric CO₂ and dust deposition.   ERA5 hourly (https://doi.org/10.24381/cds.143582cf)
Tidal forcing: Data source for tidal forcing (including links to data if available) TPXO atlas (https://www.tpxo.net/global/tpxo10-atlas)
River & sediment flux details: Description of river and sediment flux data used to force the model (including links to data if available) River fluxes for the inner nest sourced from the Icelandic Met Office (https://en.vedur.is/) for 12 rivers, no river fluxes used for the outer nest. No sediment fluxes applied.
Processing of input data:  If applicable, describe any processing of raw forcing and input data listed in the fields above.  NA
Experiment Details:
Spin-up protocol: A description of the spin up process chosen for the model initiation, including an explanation for how appropriate spin up was defined to be achieved. 2 weeks per nest
Start date and time: Start date and time of model experiment in UTC ISO-8601 2024-01-01T01:20:30Z
End date and time:  End date and time of model experiment in UTC ISO-8601 2034-01-23T01:20:30Z
Output frequency: Time frequency at which model fields are saved (e.g. hourly mean, daily mean) Monthly means
Time stepping scheme and parameters: Method used to discretize time domain (e.g., Euler, Runge-Kutta, leapfrog) and time step used Runge-Kutta scheme, 10 second for spin-up – up to 3 minutes per timestep for outer nest
Description of alkalinity addition: A description of how alkalinity perturbation was applied in the model Applied over multiple grid cells in initial conditions to ALK_ALT_CO₂ variable in MARBL (only in inner nest, no Alk experiment in outer nest)
Hardware Configuration (all recommended):
Machine: Machine name of hardware used to run model Perlmutter
Operating system: Operating system of hardware used to run model Linux
CPU/GPU details: Details on CPU or GPU hardware Details here:
https://docs.nersc.gov/systems/perlmutter/architecture/#cpu-nodes
Memory: Memory capacity of machine 512 GB of DDR4 memory total
Storage: Storage capacity of operating system 44 PB
Parallelization: Description of processors used in parallel, including number or processors and MPI version if used. 3 nodes and 108 ntasks per node

 

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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.

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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:

TriggerSectorDeadline to archive data
A peer-reviewed publication is acceptedAcademic, non-profit, privateUpon publication (in compliance with FAIR data standards)
An Experiment has endedAcademic, non-profitWithin 4 months of the end of an Experiment or within 3 months* of the receipt of all Experimental data sample processing
Submission for verificationPrivateWithin 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 ExperimentAcademic, non-profitAnnual 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.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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
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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.

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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.

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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.  

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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.

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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.
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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.

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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.

Column Header Standards for General and Chemical Oceanographic Data
Abbreviation [unit] Full unit DP Description
station_id N/A N/A Station identification. Numerical Station_IDs without letters are recommended to facilitate future QC efforts.
cast_number N/A N/A Cast number, where a cast is the lowering of equipment over the side at one station, e.g., CTD, net tow, etc. Cast_number should be sequential and restart with 1 for each station.
rosette_position N/A N/A Rosette position refers to the position number around the CTD-rosette (e.g., 1 of a 1-12, or 1-24, or 1-36 number).
niskin_id N/A N/A Niskin_ID is a unique alphanumeric identifier assigned to only that Niskin bottle over the duration of the expedition.
niskin_flag N/A N/A Quality control flag for tracking problems with Niskin closure and integrity.
sample_id N/A N/A A sample identifier (Sample_ID), which uniquely identifies a row of data during the subsequent QC and interpretation process, is often generated by concatenating the Station_ID, Cast_number, and Rosette_position, according to: Sample_ID = Station_ID × 10000 + Cast_number × 100 + Rosette_position. For example, at station 15, the 2nd cast, a Rosette_position of 3 will have a Sample_ID of 150203.
year_utc YYYY 0 Calendar year in UTC when Niskin bottles at a specific depth are triggered
month_utc MM 0 Calendar month in UTC when Niskin bottles at a specific depth are triggered
day_utc DD 0 Calendar day in UTC when Niskin bottles at a specific depth are triggered
time_utc HHMMSS N/A Time in UTC (hh:mm:ss) when Niskin bottles at a specific depth are triggered
yearday_utc N/A 2 Yearday refers to the day number in an annual cycle. (e.g., 06:00 on Jan 1 means yearday = 1.25, 18:00 on Dec 31 means yearday = 366.75 in a leap year). Note, Yearday_UTC starts with 1, instead of 0. It can be calculated according to this equation: Yearday_UTC = datefunction(Year_UTC, Month_UTC, Day_UTC) – datefunction(Year_UTC, 1, 1) + Time_UTC + 1, where, “datefunction” is the date function of a program (e.g., in Excel, the data function would be “DATE”).
latitude decimal

degrees

4 Latitude in decimal degrees North (negative for southern hemisphere) when Niskin bottles at a specific depth are triggered
longitude decimal

degrees

4 Longitude in decimal degrees East (negative for western hemisphere) when Niskin bottles at a specific depth are triggered
depth_bottom m 0 Bottom water depth of the sampling station
ctdpres dbar 1 Hydrostatic pressure recorded from CTD at the depth where the sample is taken
depth m 1 Depth at which a sample is taken. It can be approximated from CTDPRES and Latitude using the TEOS-10 equation.
salinity_pss78 N/A 3 Salinity calculated from conductivity measured from discrete bottles using the equation of the Practical Salinity Scale of 1978. Salinity_PSS78 is unitless.
oxygen umol/kg 1 Dissolved oxygen (O2) content measured from discrete-bottle-based Winkler titration
dic umol/kg 1 Total dissolved inorganic carbon content
ta umol/kg 1 Total alkalinity content
ph_t_measured N/A 4 pH measured on Total Scale (T) at measurement temperature and 1 atmosphere pressure (0 dbar applied pressure) using spectrophotometric methods. If the pH is measured on the seawater, free, or NBS scale, replace “T” with SWS, F, or NBS, respectively. For pH measurements made using electrodes, “pH_T_measured_electrode” should be used instead.
temp_ph deg_C 2 Temperature at which the pH_t_measured value is measured
ph_t_insitu N/A 4 pH on total scale at in situ temperature
carbonated_measured umol/kg 1 Dissolved carbonate ion content ([CO32-]) at measurement temperature and 1 atmosphere pressure (0 dbar applied pressure).
temp_carbonate deg_C 2 Temperature at which the Carbonate_measured value is measured
fco2_measured uatm 1 Fugacity of carbon dioxide (fCO₂) in air that is in equilibrium with seawater measured from discrete bottles at measurement temperature and 1 atmosphere pressure (0 dbar applied pressure).
temp_fco2 deg_C 2 Temperature at which the fCO₂_measured value is measured
pco2_insitu Partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO₂) at in situ temperature
omega_aragonite none Aragonite saturation state
omega_calcite none Calcite saturation state
pic mol/m^3 Particulate inorganic carbon
poc mg/m^3 Particulate organic carbon
toc umol/kg Total organic carbon (per mass)
toc_l umol/L Total organic carbon (per volume)
tic Total inorganic carbon
pim mg/L Suspended particulate inorganic matter
pom mg/L Suspended particulate organic matter
spm mg/L Total suspended particulate matter
turbidity NTU turbidity 
silicate umol/kg 2 Silicate (total dissolved inorganic silicate: Si(OH)4, H4SiO4, SiO2, Sil) content
phosphate umol/kg 2 Phosphate (total dissolved inorganic phosphate: H2PO4, HPO42−, PO43−) content
nitrate umol/kg 2 Nitrate (NO3-1) content. This term should not be used to indicate nitrate plus nitrite content, although the distinction is generally small because nitrate >> nitrite.
nitrite umol/kg 2 Nitrite (NO2-1) content
nitrate_and_nitrite umol/kg 2 Nitrate plus nitrite content
ammonium umol/kg 2 Ammonium (NH4+ and NH3) content
wave_height meters The wave height at the station where the data were collected.
wind_speed m/s The wind speed at the station where the data were collected.

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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.

Column Header Standards for Sensor Data
Abbreviation Unit Description
year_utc YYYY Calendar year in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) 
month_utc MM Calendar month in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) 
day_utc DD Calendar day in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) 
time_utc HHMMSS Time in the format of hh:mm:ss
yearday_utc N/A Yearday refers to the day number in an annual cycle. (e.g., 12 pm on Jan 1 means Yearday = 1.50, 6 am on Dec 31 means Yearday = 366.25 in a leap year). Two digits after the decimal point are recommended.
latitude decimal degree Latitude in decimal degrees North (negative for Southern Hemisphere)
longitude decimal degree Longitude in decimal degrees East (negative for Western Hemisphere)
depth meter Depth (in meters) at which the sensor is located
temp_its90 degrees Celsius In situ temperature recorded on the ITS-90 scale. If the temperature scale is IPTS-68, this term should be replaced with “temp_ipts68”.
sal_pss78 N/A Salinity calculated from conductivity using the equation of the Practical Salinity Scale of 1978. 
pressure_atm hPa Sea level atmospheric Pressure
pressure_atm_licor hPa Atmospheric pressure as recorded by LICOR
temperature_licor_its90 degrees Celsius Temperature as recorded by LICOR
xco2_sw_wet μmol/mol Mole fraction of carbon dioxide in seawater in wet gas
xco2_atm_wet μmol/mol Mole fraction of carbon dioxide in air in wet gas
xh2o_sw μmol/mol Mole fraction of H2O in the headspace of the equilibrator
xh2o_atm μmol/mol Mole fraction of H2O in air
xco2_sw_dry μmol/mol Mole fraction of CO₂ in seawater in dry gas
xco2_atm_dry μmol/mol Mole fraction of CO₂ in air in dry gas
fco2_sw_sat μatm Fugacity of CO₂ in seawater at saturated water vapor pressure
fco2_atm_sat μatm Fugacity of CO₂ in air at saturated water vapor pressure
dfco2 μatm Difference of fCO₂ in water and air (fCO₂_SW – fCO₂_Air)
doxy μmol/kg Dissolved oxygen measured from sensor
percent_o2 N/A Percent O2 measurement made in equilibrated air
chl_stimf mg/m^3 Chlorophyll-a derived from a calibrated in situ fluorometer
rhodamine_fl Rhodamine concentration estimate from fluorescence

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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.

Column Header Standards for Underway pCO₂ Data
Abbreviation Unit Description
temperature_equ_its90 degree Celsius Water temperature recorded in the equilibrator
pressure_equ hPa Pressure inside the headspace of the equilibrator. 1 hPa = 1 mbar.
xco2_equ μmol/mol Mole fraction of carbon dioxide (dry) inside the headspace of the equilibrator
xco2_atm μmol/mol Mole fraction of carbon dioxide (dry) in the atmosphere
xco2_atm_interpolated μmol/mol Interpolated atmospheric xCO₂ to match with water analyses time
fco2_sw_sst μatm Fugacity of seawater carbon dioxide at SST
fco2_atm_interpolated μatm Interpolated atmospheric fCO₂

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For model output variable names, please refer to the CF naming conventions.

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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.

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Controlled Vocabularies for mCDR Pathway
mCDR Pathway Definition
Ocean alkalinity enhancement Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) is a method to help mitigate climate change by increasing the alkalinity of seawater to enhance its capacity to absorb and store atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂).
Biomass Sinking  Biomass Sinking is a method that involves taking terrestrial or ocean biomass and sinking it into the deep ocean surface, subsurface, or anoxic basins, where it is sequestered. This can be accomplished by large-scale seaweed farming or macroalgae cultivation, which incorporates atmospheric CO2 as it grows, and then is sunk to the ocean floor. Alternatively, terrestrial plant biomass can be sunk to the ocean floor.
Direct ocean capture Direct Ocean Capture (DOC) is a method that uses electrochemical processes to remove dissolved carbon dioxide (CO₂) directly from seawater for carbon storage or reuse.
Ocean nutrient fertilization Ocean Fertilization is a method that involves adding nutrients, such as iron, nitrogen, or phosphorus, to the ocean to stimulate the growth of phytoplankton or other microscopic plants that absorb carbon dioxide (CO₂) through photosynthesis. 
Artificial upwelling and downwelling Artificial Upwelling and Downwelling are mCDR methods that involve manipulating ocean water movement to enhance natural carbon sequestration processes. 
Marine ecosystem recovery Marine Ecosystem Recovery refers to the restoration and protection of marine ecosystems to enhance their natural ability to capture and store carbon dioxide (CO₂). This method leverages the natural carbon-sequestering processes of marine habitats such as salt marshes, mangrove forests, coral reefs, kelp forests, seagrass meadows, oyster beds, and deep-sea ecosystems, aiming to rebuild biodiversity, ecosystem functions, and carbon storage capacity.

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Controlled Vocabularies for mCDR Experiment Type
Experiment type Definition
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.
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.
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.
Model  Model refers to the results or data generated by numerical or computational models.
Other Novel or undefined experiments (such as specific socioeconomic experiments) should use ‘other’.

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Controlled Vocabularies for Alkalinity Feedstock Processing
Alkalinity Feedstock Processing Definition
Electrochemistry Alkalinity generated via electrochemical processes (e.g., seawater electrolysis).
Synthetically derived Intentionally industrially manufactured chemical compounds (e.g., Ca(OH)2 via lime kilns).
Mineral mining Mined geological material, including purified mineral or natural rock.
Blended A mix of multiple sources.
Other Unclassified or novel; include a description in Experiment Description.

 

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Controlled Vocabularies for Alkalinity Feedstock Form
Feedstock form Definition
Solid Involves adding alkaline minerals or particulate slurry (such as MgOH2, MgO, or CaO) to seawater or river systems either directly, through coastal outfalls (such as wastewater), or at breaking shorelines to increase its alkalinity. 
Aqueous Aqueous alkalinity addition may use electrochemistry or fully dissolved mineral feedstock to increase seawater alkalinity. 
Slurry Slurry alkalinity additions include a mix of solid and aqueous alkalinity forms, where the solid alkaline particulates are suspended in a solution.

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Controlled Vocabularies for Dosing Delivery Type
Dosing delivery type Definition
Static point source A single dosing location such as an outflow from a static platform with a pipe
Variable point source A mobile dosing regimen described by a single location at each time step, such as an outflow from a mobile platform such as a ship or surface vessel.
Static distributed A set location or locations of dosing that is not a point source, such as a distributed area over the seafloor or a diffusor.
Variable distributed A distributed dosing area that varies in time, such as manually placed alkaline material over different areas at different times.

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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.

Controlled Vocabularies for mCDR Data Types
Data Types Definition
dosing Variables such as dosing_onoff, dosing_rate, and flow_rate should be included here.
cast Vertical profiles (e.g., optical packages, CTD)
bottle Any other types of measurements from water samples collected at discrete depths (e.g., nutrients)
flow_thru Continuous data (e.g., shipboard, underway flow through system)
pigment For laboratory measured pigment data (e.g. fluorometry, spectrophotometry, HPLC)
marine_snow_catcher For various types of marine snow catcher data
mooring Moored and buoy data
drifter Drifter and drogue data
airborne Measurements made via an aircraft
diver For measurements made by a diver
auv Measurements made by an autonomous underwater vehicle
asv Measurements made by an autonomous surface vehicle
experimental Measurements that have a non-geospatial aspect (e.g., incubations or other laboratory measurements, etc.)
sediment_trap Measurements from a sediment trap platform
taxonomy Data whose purpose is the classification or annotation of phytoplankton, zooplankton, or other marine groups.
sediment Measurements from sediment samples (e.g., core samples, grab samples)
model_output Data output from model experiments
socioeconomic Information (quantitative or qualitative) from socioeconomic studies
net_tow For measurements captured via net (e.g., zooplankton via MOCNESS)

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Controlled vocabularies for Platform Types are based on Jiang et al., 2023b with minor updates.

Controlled Vocabularies for Platform Type
Research Vessel A research vessel is a specialized type of ship or boat that is designed and equipped for oceanographic research. It often has autonomous sensors onboard and laboratories with scientific equipment for analyzing samples, and various other facilities to support research operations at sea.
Ship of Opportunity (SOOP) Ships of opportunity (SOOP) are not specifically designed for oceanographic research but are used to collect scientific data from autonomous sensors opportunistically. They can be cargo vessels, container ships, or other types of vessels that travel predetermined routes across the ocean.
Vessel Generic term to describe a ship that is not a SOOP or research vessel.
Mooring A mooring is a collection of instruments used to measure oceanographic variables over an extended period of time at a fixed station. These mooring systems typically comprise a surface or subsurface buoy, to which the instruments are affixed, and a weighted anchor connected by a line.
Drifting buoy Drifting buoys are devices that float on the ocean surface, allowing them to follow the current. Typically, these buoys are equipped with a “drogue” – a device like a parachute or sheet – which enables them to be dragged along by the current.
Profiling float E.g., Argo floats are a type of profiling float, consisting of a cylindrical body that contains sensors for measuring ocean properties and inflatable bladders that allow the float to change its buoyancy and move up and down through the water column. Profiling floats drift with ocean currents and surface periodically to transmit data via satellite.
Surface glider A surface glider is an autonomous, uncrewed surface vehicle (USV) operating at a single depth near the surface using wave or solar energy for propulsion. Example: wave gliders.
Sub-surface glider Sub-surface gliders are a type of autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) that moves through the water using changes in buoyancy and wings to control its movement.
Autonomous Surface Vehicle  A self-propelled surface vehicle operating on the sea surface with no human occupants. Example: Saildrone.
Benthic chamber A sealed platform placed on the seafloor to measure chemical and biological exchanges between sediments and overlying water.
Sediment trap A platform used to collect sinking particles in the ocean to measure vertical fluxes of material like organic carbon.

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Controlled vocabularies for Instrument Types are based on Table 8 of Jiang et al., 2023b with minor updates.

Controlled vocabularies for Instrument type
CTD rosette A CTD rosette consists of a metal frame that houses a collection of sensors and water sampling bottles (e.g., Niskin).
CTD sensor The acronym CTD stands for Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth, which are the three primary variables measured by a CTD sensor.
Niskin bottle A Niskin bottle is a type of sampling device used in oceanography to collect water samples at different depths. It is named after the inventor, Shale Niskin, who developed the device in the 1960s.
Flow-through system A flow-through system on a research vessel or ship of opportunity is a system designed to continuously pump seawater from the ocean into the laboratory for scientific research.
Thermosalinograph A Thermosalinograph (TSG) is an instrument used to measure seawater temperature and salinity.
Salinometer for discrete salinity measurement Salinometers work based on the principle of conductivity. They measure the electrical conductivity of the water, which is directly related to its salinity.
DIC analyzers based on Coulometers DIC coulometers are widely used in oceanographic research to measure the concentration of dissolved inorganic carbon in seawater samples. They are often coupled with computer-controlled automated dynamic headspace analyzers that extracts total carbon dioxide from seawater using Single-Operator Multiparameter Metabolic Analyzers (SOMMAs)
DIC analyzers based on CO₂ gas detectors N.A. DIC analyzers based on a CO₂ gas detector including Non-dispersive infrared absorption (NDIR) (e.g., Licor LI-850), Cavity Enhanced Absorption Spectroscopy (e.g., Licor’s LI-7815), and Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy (CRDS) (e.g., Picarro G2131i) detectors.
Autonomous DIC sensor Autonomous dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) sensors are devices that can measure the concentration of DIC in seawater or other natural waters in situ, without the need for manual sampling and laboratory analysis.
Alkalinity titrator An alkalinity titrator is a device used to measure the total alkalinity of a seawater by titration.
Autonomous TA sensor Autonomous total alkalinity (TA) sensors are devices that can measure the concentration of TA in seawater or other natural waters in situ, without the need for manual sampling and laboratory analysis.
Showerhead equilibrator This type of equilibrator works by spraying seawater into a gas chamber, allowing the CO₂ in the water to equilibrate with a gas mixture in the chamber.
Floating air-water equilibrator An “h”-shaped bubble equilibrator assembly commonly used in MAPCO2 systems on moorings. For more information, refer to Friederich et al. (1995).
Membrane equilibrator While seawater is passed through a membrane, CO₂ in the water diffuses across the membrane and equilibrates with the gas mixture, which is then analyzed to determine the CO₂ concentration.
Flask for discrete carbon dioxide measurement Such flasks are typically made of glass and have a capacity of around one liter. Seawater samples are collected from a specific depth using a Niskin bottle or other sampling device and transferred to the flask without exposing them to the air. The flask is then sealed with a stopper and transported to the laboratory for analysis.
Spectrophotometer A spectrophotometer is a scientific instrument used to measure the amount of light absorbed or transmitted by a sample. It is commonly used for high quality pH measurements.
Handheld pH spectrophotometer One example of a handheld pH spectrophotometer is the “pHyter”. Refer to Pardis et al. (2022) for more details.
pH electrode A pH electrode, sometimes referred to as a pH probe or pH sensor, is a glass device used to measure the pH of a solution.
pH non-electrode  An oceanographic instrument that is used to measure the pH of seawater in real-time based on FET or other novel technology.
Oxygen titrator An oxygen titrator is a device used to measure the concentration of dissolved oxygen in a water sample, as required for the Winkler method.
Oxygen sensor An oxygen sensor or probe or sonde, is an electronic device that measures the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the ocean.
YSI YSI (Yellow Springs Instruments) is a company that produces a variety of water quality monitoring instruments. The YSI sensors are designed to measure a wide range of parameters, including temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen.
Nutrient analyzer A nutrient analyzer is a device used to measure the concentration of nutrients, such as nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, phosphate, and silicate, in water samples.
Fluorometers Fluorometers can detect chlorophyll by transmitting an excitation beam of light and detecting the light fluoresced chlorophyll molecules in a sample.
High performance liquid chromatography High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is a powerful analytical technique used in chemistry, biochemistry, and pharmaceutical industries to separate, identify, and quantify individual components in a mixture.
Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP), is a type of instrument used to measure water currents in oceans, rivers, and other bodies of water.
Mass spectrometers A mass spectrometer is an analytical instrument used to measure and identify the mass and abundance of atoms and molecules in a sample.
Isotope ratio mass spectrometers An isotope ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS) is a scientific instrument used to measure the isotopic composition of a sample.
Barometric pressure sensor A barometric pressure sensor is a device that measures atmospheric pressure, which is the pressure exerted by the weight of the Earth’s atmosphere.
Microscopes A microscope is an instrument used to observe and magnify objects that are too small to be seen by the naked eye.
Scanning Electron Microscopes A scanning electron microscope (SEM) is a type of microscope that uses a focused beam of electrons to create high-resolution images of the surface of a specimen.
Biological trawl A biological trawl is a type of fishing net that is towed behind a boat to collect marine organisms from the water column.
Phytoplankton net Phytoplankton net is used to collect and identify phytoplankton, which are microscopic plants that form the base of the marine food web.
Zooplankton net Zooplankton net is used to collect and identify zooplankton, which are microscopic animals that feed on phytoplankton and are important prey for many marine organisms.
Flow cytometers A flow cytometer is a scientific instrument used to analyze and sort cells or particles in a liquid suspension based on their physical and chemical properties.
eDNA sampler Environmental DNA (eDNA) samplers: used to collect and analyze genetic material shed by marine organisms, which can provide information about their distribution, abundance, and diversity.

Additional relevant controlled vocabularies may include the following categories:

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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.
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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
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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.

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DateVersionRevision DescriptionNotes
03/17/20251.0.0First published document following revisions from open public review during January 23, 2025 – March 07, 2025Summary of feedback and responses
01/23/20250.1.0Original draft document published for public review
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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.