Technical Meeting on Ocean Acidification Meta-Analyses Using the Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre Bibliographic Database and Other Data Resources

Ocean acidification is a direct consequence of the release of anthropogenic CO₂ into the atmosphere. It has been a major area of work of the IAEA though the Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre (OA-ICC). Over the years, the OA-ICC has developed key resources for the ocean acidification community including a bibliographic database and a data compilation which facilitates data comparison and meta-analyses. The use of these resources is increasingly important to synthetize the present knowledge, test new hypotheses and identify new research directions. Moreover, it provides a unique opportunity to create new knowledge for research teams in developing countries with limited access to field and laboratories.

The purpose of the event is to promote the use of the OA-ICC databases through:

1. Teaching of the basics of synthesis and meta-analysis methodologies.
2. Identification of key questions that can be answered through synthesis and meta-analysis using the OA-ICC resources.
3. Work on individual meta-analysis projects.

Participants were given some support beyond the training to develop their own meta-analysis projects.

The Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre (OA-ICC) promotes data access and sharing within the ocean acidification research community. The OA-ICC provides access to two online databases:

• A bibliographic database which currently includes more than 9,800 references with custom OA-ICC keywords and is shared using Zotero and pCloud.
• A data compilation which facilitates data comparison and meta-analyses. To easily filter and access relevant biological response data from this compilation, a user-friendly portal was developed.

During this workshop, participants learned:

1. Basics of the different synthesis and meta-analysis methodologies (narrative, semiquantitative, quantitative) through lectures and critical evaluation of existing published material.
2. How to navigate the OA-ICC databases and how to use these resources to test new hypotheses.
3. Identify and develop their own questions and identify collaborators within the course.

The training continued after the course through a mentoring program. Each participant had the opportunity to work with an expert on their individual project with the goal to publish meta-analysis articles relevant for their region.