10 June 2008: The
European Project on Ocean Acidification (EPOCA) was launched on 10 June 2008.
This EU research project is a consortium of over 100 scientists from 27
organizations in nine countries to address ocean acidification. Its goal is to
document ocean acidification, investigate its impact on biological processes,
predict its consequences for the next 100 years, and advise policy-makers on
potential thresholds or tipping points that should not be exceeded.

The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of the
UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has joined EPOCA
to ensure that ocean acidification research being carried out through the
project is coordinated with the research activities of non-EU scientists.
Specifically, the IOC will work with EPOCA and non-EPOCA scientists to develop
international agreements on protocols and standards for ocean acidification
research experiments. The IOC aims to: develop common methodologies in order to
identify differences, or lack thereof, in calcification among various taxa,
regions, and over time; and ensure that data be reported in a manner that will
be comprehensible and accessible to scientists several decades from now in
order to detect changes. [EPOCA Website]
[The Ocean Acidification Network
website]