Benthic research
Benthic Biology & Ecology
Project Manager and Lead Scientist: Jim Barry
Lead Engineer: Craig Okuda
In a series of novel field and laboratory experiments, Jim Barry’s group will continue to explore the tolerance of deep sea organisms for high levels of CO2. Emphasis has shifted to brachiopods as a bellwether species because these shelled organisms are thought to have dropped from 30,000 distinct species to only 300 at the Permo-Triassic boundary as a result of ocean acidification. A key to progress in these investigations will be fielding of the newly developed benthic respiration system that allows monitoring of the metabolism of marine organisms under controlled conditions of low pH.