COLUMBUS, Ohio–Battelle announced today that it has successfully transitioned the autonomous pCO2 monitoring system to its Blazer Parkway manufacturing center. An analytical instrument designed to help scientists understand and predict climate change, the pCO2 monitoring system was developed as part of an innovative cooperative effort with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA).

This monitoring system is the first offering from Battelle’s SeaologyTM platform of scientific instruments. Seaology sensors will offer integrated environmental assessment and monitoring capabilities, including characterization of physical, chemical, and biological parameters.

This analytical instrument measures the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) in the ocean and atmosphere, which is needed to understand the global ocean uptake of atmospheric CO2. The need for ocean carbon measurement is becoming increasingly important because high levels of carbon dioxide in the oceans have led to ocean acidification in surface waters, which could have significant effects on a variety of marine organisms and ecosystems.

The autonomous pCO2 monitoring system is now commercially available. “The commercial release of this important technology is testimony to the strong, cooperative effort between two non-profit organizations and a government agency” said Spencer Pugh, VP and Manager of Battelle’s Industrial and International Market Sector. The self-contained, modular design has the ability to be deployed on a wide variety of platforms and is designed to operate unattended for more than 12 months at a time. Currently, more than a dozen systems are placed on a variety of buoys around the world. NOAA is using this system to develop a global array of moored observation systems to determine air-sea flux in support of the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS).

The system has a measurement range of 100 to 600 parts per million, with an extended range available upon request. The system also has a precision of about one part per million. The entire system is self-powered by batteries, contains compact flash memory storage and has an Iridium satellite communications link which allows data to be received in near real-time. This cost effective monitoring system is highly reliable and offers ease of operation, set-up and deployment.

The pCO2 monitoring system is manufactured at Battelle’s 65,000-square-foot specialized scientific instrument Production and Field Support manufacturing facility in Dublin, Ohio. “We are pleased with Battelle’s commitment to quality and their efforts to advance Ocean Sciences. By having these instruments now manufactured by Battelle, we can focus our resources on deploying systems and developing other carbon sensors,” said Dr. Christopher Sabine, Supervisory Oceanographer at NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory.

The production of the pCO2 monitoring system is just a portion of the manufacturing and logistics work done at the state-of-the-art Dublin manufacturing facility. The Blazer Parkway facility’s light manufacturing capacity and production of key electronic components is used for energy efficiency applications, the medical community, and the military.

About Battelle

Battelle is the world’s largest non-profit independent research and development organization, providing innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing needs through its four global businesses: Laboratory Management, National Security, Energy Technology, and Health and Life Sciences. It advances scientific discovery and application by conducting $5.2 billion in global R&D annually through contract research, laboratory management and technology commercialization. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Battelle oversees 20,400 employees in more than 130 locations worldwide, including seven national laboratories which Battelle manages or co-manages for the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and two international laboratories—a nuclear energy lab in the United Kingdom and a renewable energy lab in Malaysia.

Battelle is also one of the nation’s leading charitable trusts focusing on societal and economic impact and actively supporting and promoting science and math education.

About MBARI

As a private, non-profit research center, MBARI is funded by The David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Marcia K. McNutt serves as the institute’s president and chief executive officer, managing a work force of approximately 220 scientists, engineers, and operations and administrative staff. MBARI scientists propose and execute innovative studies, both experimental and theoretical, in the ocean sciences. Engineers and operations staff, in partnership with the scientists, develop or adapt supporting technology.

About NOAA

NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources. The Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) is a leader in developing ocean observational systems to address NOAA’s mission. PMEL carries out interdisciplinary scientific investigations in oceanography and atmospheric science.

For more information contact Public Relations Manager Katy Delaney at +1 (614) 424-7208 or at delaneyk@battelle.org or Media Relations Specialist T.R. Massey at +1 (614) 424-5544 or at masseytr@battelle.org .