Abstract
In order to study a (terrestrial or oceanic) field area, scientists need first to design a sampling strategy. At first, when nothing is known about this field, there is no other choice than to sample as much as possible wherever it is possible. Then, as something become known about some properties of the field, it becomes possible to use mathematical equations to design a scientifically sound sampling strategy based upon the various constraints (aimed accuracy, number of samples/measurements, etc.), of the study. Based upon available sea-surface salinity and sea-surface temperature data, this work shows a practical and simple way to design a sampling strategy with known accuracy for total CO2 and total alkalinity measurements in sea-surface waters. The results indicate the need to continue to sample the sea-surface waters but with specific designs of sampling strategy to reach the scientific objectives with known maximum error.