This week CARICOOS researchers recovered the ocean acidification buoy located at Cayo Enrique, La Parguera Lajas, Puerto Rico, to conduct its scheduled maintenance. This buoy is one of 19 NOAA Ocean Acidification Program supported buoys in coastal waters. Its main purpose is to measure ocean acidification and related parameters in a tropical coral reef environment in order to have a better understanding of how ocean chemistry is changing and how these changes may affect our coastal ecosystems.  

The buoy maintenance is carried out every year and takes approximately one week to complete. As part of this process, the buoy gets cleaned, new sensors are installed, calibrations are made and several technical tests are done to check everything works properly before its redeployment. This is a joint collaboration between CARICOOS and the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory Program. To access ocean acidification buoy data, go to https://www.caricoos.org/oceans/acidification/seawater and https://www.pmel.noaa.gov/co2/story/La+Parguera