The Yongala acidification mooring is co-located with the Yongala National Reference Station (NRSYON) in Queensland. It was first deployed in 2011, but subsequently damaged by Tropical Cyclone Yasi in February 2011. It was replaced in September 2013.
The mooring's instruments measure surface CO2, temperature and salinity. The hydrochemistry sampling at the National Reference Stations will also provide total alkalinity data, as will future pH sensors on the moorings, allowing for a complete determination of the carbonate system and pH. Current instrumentation: Battele Seaology pCO2 monitor, Aanderaa Oxygen Optode and a WETLabs WQM.
The Acidification Moorings sub-facility is responsible for building an ocean carbon and acidification monitoring network for Australian waters. These moorings provide key observations to help us understand and address the problem of increasing ocean acidification. The Yongala acidification moorings is located to characterise changes down the east coast of Australia and the influence of the East Australian Current on CO2 uptake and acidification from the Great Barrier Reef to the Southern Ocean.