Lovenduski

CU С��Ƶ chancellor Justin Schwartz visits the Mountain Research Station

Gabe Allen — Fri, 02 May 2025 15:48:22 +0000

CU С��Ƶ chancellor Justin Schwartz visits the Mountain Research Station Gabe Allen Fri, 05/02/2025 - 09:48

Gabe Allen

Most of CU С��Ƶ campus is nestled beneath the flatirons where the plains meet the foothills, but there is one facility tucked away high in the mountains. The Mountain Research Station sits in the boreal forests of the Indian Peaks at 9,500 feet, 25 miles west of town. The station has been a launchpad for research and in alpine environments for more than a century.

Recently, CU С��Ƶ chancellor Justin Schwartz and senior vice chancellor for research and innovation Massimo Ruzzene visited the station and met with the INSTAAR faculty and staff that lead operations at the high-elevation outpost.

“This place is one of the pillars upon which our sustainability culture has been built over years.”
—Chancellor Justin Schwartz

After making it up the winding dirt road to the station, chancellor Schwartz and vice chancellor Ruzzene joined Mountain Research Station director and associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology Scott Taylor in the John W. Marr laboratory building for an overview of historical operations at the site. Of particular interest were the climate stations, which gather weather data autonomously at various elevations.

“D-1,” located at nearly 12,300 feet above-sea-level, has been in operation since 1957, making it the highest continuously operating, high-altitude climate station in North America. A bit lower down is “C-1,” where researchers at the Global Monitoring Division of NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory have maintained a record of atmospheric greenhouse gases concentrations for nearly 60 years.

Scott Taylor points to a map of Mountain Research Station operations at the John W. Marr laboratory. Patrick Campbell, 2025.

Taylor also spoke about his research at the station. In one experiment, Taylor and collaborators are training local chickadees to use computerized bird feeders that are programmed to open only when birds with specific ankle tags land on a perch. The results will yield insight into the genetic basis of memory and cognition.

Next on the agenda was a trip to Niwot Ridge, the site of the Niwot Ridge Long-Term Ecological Research Program. Before departing, the group was joined by lead aquatic research technician Sammy Yevak, who gave a safety talk before firing up the Snowcat, an all-terrain vehicle designed to travel across snow. After donning winter gear and ski goggles, they headed up the hill.

“The people here really take their work to heart and have a high level of personal conviction,”
—Massimo Ruzzene

At the end of a long and bumpy ride, Yevak pulled the snowcat into the Tundra Lab, a staging area for researchers. There, the Chancellor toured the facilities with Niwot Ridge principal investigator and associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology Nancy Emery. Emery explained that scientists have maintained records of ecological change on the ridge since the National Science Foundation first funded the project in 1980. This data has led to important insights into alpine ecology and climate change.

Back at the research station, the group was joined by INSTAAR director Nicole Lovenduski and other INSTAAR staff for lunch. The mood was jovial. The diverse group of scientists swapped stories and brainstormed future collaborations.

Chancellor Schwartz was already familiar with the station's work before his visit, but seeing it in person cemented its importance.

“The Mountain Research Station is clearly one of the jewels of our research enterprise. It dates back decades and is an example of the clear impacts of the work that we do,” he commented. “This place is one of the pillars upon which our sustainability culture has been built over years.”

Vice chancellor Ruzzene agreed, adding that Emery and Taylor’s passion for rigorous environmental science was tangible.

“The people here really take their work to heart and have a high level of personal conviction,” Ruzzene said. “This is a unique asset, nationally and world-wide. It adds to our understanding of the environment, which is key to our future and has clear societal impacts.”

This summer, the public will be invited to visit the Mountain Research Station too, during an annual summer seminar series. Each week, a rotating cast of scientists will give talks on subjects ranging from mammals to wildfire to genetics. Each talk will be preceded by a community dinner at the dining hall. You can find more information soon on our news feed and events page.

Click to zoom.

If you have questions about this story, or would like to reach out to INSTAAR for further comment, you can contact Senior Communications Specialist Gabe Allen at gabriel.allen@colorado.edu.

The chancellor recently visited the Mountain Research Station, where INSTAAR faculty gave a primer on climate and ecological science at the site. The group also made a trip up to the tundra lab, a remote research station at 11,500 feet above sea level.

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CU С��Ƶ Chancellor Justin Schwartz and senior vice chancellor for research and innovation Massimo Ruzzene pose at the Niwot Ridge Long-Term Ecological Research Program Tundra Lab. Scott Taylor, 2025.

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The ocean may be absorbing less carbon, but it may not be due to climate change—yet

Gabe Allen — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 21:05:38 +0000

The ocean may be absorbing less carbon, but it may not be due to climate change—yet Gabe Allen Tue, 04/29/2025 - 15:05

An INSTAAR-led study found that recent dips in the ocean’s carbon absorption are likely due to natural variability instead of global warming. Institute director Nicole Lovenduski urges that future research needs to employ remote devices to gather more field samples.

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A new model can predict marine heatwaves and extreme ocean acidity months in advance

David J Lubinski — Thu, 21 Nov 2024 19:32:44 +0000

A new model can predict marine heatwaves and extreme ocean acidity months in advance David J Lubinski Thu, 11/21/2024 - 12:32

Gabe Allen

In the 21st century, the Earth’s oceans are growing warmer and more acidic. This change is happening slowly over the long-term, but it can also cause short-term, local spikes.

These events are like the heatwaves and or bad air quality days we experience here on land, they just happen underwater. And, if they are bad enough, they can devastate marine ecosystems.

INSTAAR PhD student Samuel Mogen, INSTAAR director Nicole Lovenduski and collaborators take aim at these ocean extremes in a new paper in Nature Geoscience. The researchers outline a method for forecasting both marine heatwaves and acute ocean acidity. The new model is adept at forecasting these events up to year in advance, with varying degrees of certainty based on the location.

Though Mogen and his collaborators are not the first to develop a predictive model for marine heat waves, they are the first to forecast ocean acidification. In the past, this research has been stymied by a lack of data — acidity is much harder to measure than temperature. While satellites can accurately measure sea surface temperature from above, acidity levels can only be measured by collecting physical water samples.

Samuel Mogen works on water samples from a CTD-Rosette during the US Go-Ship cruise A16N (leg 1) in March, 2023 in the equatorial Atlantic. The cruise is part of a decadal survey of the oceans to better understand long-term changes to global ocean dynamics and biogeochemistry (including acidification).

However, in recent years, scientists have been hard at work entering measurements from research cruises into large earth system models like the one Mogen used. Much of this research has been contributed by Mogen’s collaborators at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in С��Ƶ.

“We’re getting to the point where we can use them to try and understand the evolution of carbon in the ocean in the short-term future,” Mogen said.

Carbon is key for understanding ocean acidity, especially in the 21st century. As global emissions increase, more and more carbon dioxide leaches into seawater from the atmosphere, making it more acidic. Mogen’s model predicts, for the first time, how large-scale climate patterns might impact this effect.

In one example, the researchers found that the recurring warming event in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean called an El Niño seems to lead to widespread ocean acidity. This effect is especially pronounced in the eastern pacific, off the coast of the Americas.

Mogen and his collaborators used a mineral called aragonite as a proxy for ocean acidification. As acidity goes up, aragonite concentrations go down. And, this change has a direct effect on marine organisms. Mollusks, like clams and snails, and corals rely on aragonite to form shells and exoskeletons. Without it, they are left unprotected.

“It can impact how you grow a shell, how quickly your shell dissolves and just your overall survival,” Mogen explained.

This is just one of the myriad ways that ocean acidity affects marine life. Many are still being discovered.

As acute ocean acidification events worsen, Mogen hopes that his research will pave the way to better forecasting and more sustainable management of marine ecosystems.

“If you can predict these events in advance, you might be able to inform a manager of a regional fishery and they can alter their practices,” Mogen explained. “Maybe you change how you’re harvesting fish to allow the ecosystem to make it through an extreme event.”

Mogen’s paper is fresh off the (virtual) presses, but the researchers actually put the finishing touches on their model a year ago. Back in November of 2023, they produced a forecast for the upcoming year that foretold widespread marine heatwaves and ocean acidity.

Mogen says that, at first glance, the heat wave predictions seem to have played out. But, it will take a while longer to crunch incoming data on acidity. As new information flows in, the researchers will dive back in and further validate the model. In the end, they hope to give decision makers the best possible tools to predict ocean extremes and mitigate their impacts.

Fig. 1 from the Mogen et al. paper: Forecast skill for MHW, OAX (Ωa), and OAX ([H+]). 1st column is skill for marine heatwaves MHW, 2nd is for ocean acidification extremes as degree of saturation of seawater with respect to the mineral aragonite OAX (Ωa), and 3rd is for ocean acidification extremes as hydrogen ion concentration OAX ([H+]. Top row is 1.5 months lead time. Lower rows are 2.5, 6.5, and 10.5 months lead time. Credit: Nature Geoscience (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41561-024-01593-0

If you have questions about this story, or would like to reach out to INSTAAR for further comment, you can contact Senior Communications Specialist Gabe Allen at gabriel.allen@colorado.edu.

New research from INSTAAR PhD student Samuel Mogen, INSTAAR director Nicole Lovenduski, and collaborators could help protect marine life as climate change worsens. Their model is the first-ever forecasting tool for ocean acidification.

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NASA Earth Observatory image for August 2019 by Joshua Stevens, using sea surface temperature data from Coral Reef Watch.

From interim to permanent: Lovenduski named INSTAAR director (RIO)

Anonymous — Tue, 28 May 2024 18:01:23 +0000

From interim to permanent: Lovenduski named INSTAAR director (RIO) Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 05/28/2024 - 12:01

The University of Colorado С��Ƶ has named Associate Professor of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (ATOC) Nikki Lovenduski director of the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR), effective July 1.

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Colorado Matters: Feb. 7, 2024: Climate change and ocean acidity (CPR)

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 21:00:07 +0000

Colorado Matters: Feb. 7, 2024: Climate change and ocean acidity (CPR) Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 02/13/2024 - 14:00

Ryan Warner

Research by Cara Nissen and Nikki Lovenduski, on how climate change is changing the acidity of the Antarctic Ocean, is part of the Colorado Matters podcast.

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The Antarctic Ocean plays a critical role in regulating the world’s climate. Warming temps are throwing it off balance (CPR News)

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Feb 2024 22:14:48 +0000

The Antarctic Ocean plays a critical role in regulating the world’s climate. Warming temps are throwing it off balance (CPR News) Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 02/09/2024 - 15:14

Molly Cruse

The acidity of the Antarctic, or Southern, Ocean could double by the end of the century, finds a study led by INSTAAR Cara Nissen. This could have detrimental effects on the icy ecosystem’s smallest inhabitants, like plankton and krill, that are the base of the food web in the ocean.

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Acidic waters around Antarctica could spell doom for marine life (9News)

Anonymous — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 17:33:35 +0000

Acidic waters around Antarctica could spell doom for marine life (9News) Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 02/02/2024 - 10:33

9News

Nikki Lovenduski is featured in this two-minute video, discussing how the Antarctic Ocean could become too acidic for many animals to survive by the end of the century without drastic measures to curb emissions from fossil fuels. She references a recent publication led by Cara Nissen and including herself and Cassandra Brooks as well as three colleagues from the Alfred Wegener Institute.

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Acidity of Antarctic waters could double by century’s end, threatening biodiversity (CU С��Ƶ Today)

Anonymous — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 23:08:33 +0000

Acidity of Antarctic waters could double by century’s end, threatening biodiversity (CU С��Ƶ Today) Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 01/10/2024 - 16:08

Yvaine Ye , CU С��Ƶ

The acidity of Antarctica’s coastal waters could double by the end of the century, threatening plankton and all marine life that inhabits the Southern Ocean, according to a new study published in Nature Communications. Cara Nissen is first author of the study. Coauthors include additional INSTAARs Nikki Lovenduski and Cassandra Brooks as well as three colleagues from the Alfred Wegener Institute.

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Lovenduski named interim director of INSTAAR (RIO)

Anonymous — Fri, 01 Sep 2023 19:12:14 +0000

Lovenduski named interim director of INSTAAR (RIO) Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 09/01/2023 - 13:12

CU С��Ƶ has named Associate Professor of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Nikki Lovenduski interim director of Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) effective August 28.

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Large or small, nuclear war would wreak havoc on the ocean (Colorado Arts and Sciences Magazine)

Anonymous — Wed, 31 May 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Large or small, nuclear war would wreak havoc on the ocean (Colorado Arts and Sciences Magazine) Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 05/31/2023 - 00:00

Nikki Lovenduski was part of a collaborative study that found that nuclear war would wreak havoc on the world’s oceans, causing them to cool rapidly and become choked with sea ice. Ocean marine life would die out, and marine ecosystems would take decades—possibly even longer—to recover.

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Lovenduski

CU С��Ƶ chancellor Justin Schwartz visits the Mountain Research Station

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