NCRMP and OAP Class III Carbonate data collected near and at the Cheeca Rocks MAPCO2 buoy in the Florida Keys from 2015-01-06 to 2015-12-10 (NCEI Accession 0159154)

Ocean Acidification (OA) is expected to reduce the calcification rates of marine organisms, yet we have little understanding of how OA will manifest within dynamic, real‐world systems, nor how to accurately measure said manifestation. This data includes boat-based collections of water samples on a bi-weekly schedule from surface waters at specified locations within 5 statute miles of the Florida Atlantic Ocean Acidification Test-Bed (AOAT). Water samples are used for validation and calibration and sampling is conducted according to the stringent best practices identified by the marine chemistry scientific community and supervised by NOAA personnel. This data also includes one time monthly sampling of surface waters from specified locations, in a gradient from inshore to offshore from the AOAT buoy. The AOAT provides high-resolution characterization of the carbonate chemistry that is utilized to achieve the climate and ecosystem monitoring requirements of the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program of NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program, which supports this project along with NOAA's Ocean Acidification Program.