Climate change is altering the chemical makeup of sea water through the increased absorption of CO2 as well as increasing ocean surface temperatures. To facilitate the understanding of how these changes are impacting marine life, Mote has designed and built a unique aquatic research system named the Climate and Acidification Ocean Simulator (CAOS). The CAOS system is capable of manipulating seawater parameters to simulate future ocean conditions predicted conditions of the ocean. This system simultaneously controls and monitors temperature and pH of seawater independently in any of its 18 raceways. The system can be operated in flow-through or static configurations, offering a multitude of options for various types of research including, but not limited to, coral health and disease experiments. At the heart of this system is a specialized membrane filter which effectively strips dissolved CO2 from seawater without altering other constituents. CO2 can then be added back into the seawater at a controlled rate, effectively manipulating pH without the use of buffering chemicals.
The focus of this presentation is to describe the CAOS system’s design, applications, and the strategies it can implore in detail. The advantages, disadvantages, limitations, and potential future modifications of the membrane filter within the CAOS system will also be explored through examples of possible research designs.