New XPRIZE announced for ocean acidification detection

Ars Technica : The first XPRIZE was announced in 1996, when Peter Diamandis offered $10 million for the first privately built, manned suborbital reusable spacecraft. Since then, other prizes have been offered for oil spill cleanup technology, lunar landers, and fuel-efficient vehicles. And now, the XPRIZE Foundation is offering two $1 million prizes for improved ocean acidification detection systems. Acidification is caused by the ocean’s absorption of atmospheric carbon dioxide, which has a variety of environmental and biological impacts. Measuring pH levels is currently possible only in laboratory settings, which makes monitoring changes in acidity difficult. The first of the two prizes will be awarded to the device that demonstrates the best combination of accuracy, precision, and stability of error range over time. The second will be for the device that costs the least and is easiest to use. The evaluation will involve a three-stage process of testing in the lab, in Puget Sound, and in the Pacific Ocean. The ability to monitor pH levels in the world’s oceans will be key for global climate-change research as well as for aquaculture and many other projects.