The Ocean Acidification Program forges partnerships across the scientific community and communities impacted by ocean acidification to meet our common mission. Read more about our involvement or jump to a section with the links below:
The NOAA Ocean Acidification Program exists to meet the ocean acidification research and monitoring needs of the United States. However, coordinating closely with entities both within and outside NOAA increases efficiency and effectiveness. Within NOAA, the NOAA Ocean Acidification Working Group (NOAWG) facilitates these close working relationships.
Read about our latest collaborative activities and accomplishments.
The Interagency Working Group on Ocean Acidification (IWG-OA) is seeking nominations for membership on the newly established Ocean Acidification Advisory Board (OAAB).
The Interagency Working Group on Ocean Acidification is hosting the third webinar in the Acidification & Estuaries Webinar Series on November 4, 2024 at 2:00pm ET.
The Interagency Working Group on Ocean Acidification is hosting the second webinar in the Acidification & Estuaries Webinar Series on October 23, 2024 at 2:00pm ET. This webinar will give an overview of the state of the science related to acidification in estuaries and discuss remaining research gaps. Speakers will discuss the causes of acidification,
Click a logo below for details of each Coastal Acidification Partner.
Join a regional CAN to connect with other ocean users and take the opportunity to get involved with ocean acidification solutions.
Coastal Acidification Networks (CANs) are regional networks of diverse ocean users interested in addressing ocean and coastal acidification in the United States. CANs play a critical role in supporting regional monitoring, community engagement, and capacity building and sharing on topics relevant to ocean and coastal acidification, including adaptation and mitigation strategies and state action planning.
The CANs work at the intersection of science, policy, industry, and education and outreach. They bring together researchers, industry, state agencies, educators and others to leverage expertise and collectively address common challenges and develop locally relevant adaptive strategies to ocean acidification. The CANs are embedded in the regional associations of Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) and Regional Ocean Partnerships and operate with funding support from NOAA’s Ocean Acidification Program as well as other state and federal grants.
For more information on how you can get involved contact Alexandra Puritz (alexandra.puritz@noaa.gov).
Launched in 2016, the Alaska Ocean Acidification Network aims to expand the understanding of ocean acidification processes and consequences in Alaska, as well as potential adaptation and mitigation actions. The network is the fourth regional ocean acidification network in the U. S. The AOAN connects scientists and stakeholder communities to recommend regional priorities, share data, and determine best practices for monitoring. Among the roles of the network is hosting a comprehensive website with resources for both researchers and the general public. The site includes information on monitoring projects around the state, current trends and forecasts, impacts to Alaska marine life, links to databases and journal articles, and a listing of experts and their specialties.
The California Current Acidification Network (C-CAN) founded in 2009, is a collaboration of interdisciplinary scientists, resource managers, industry and others from local, state, federal and tribal levels dedicated to advancing the understanding of ocean acidification and its effects on the biological resources of the U. S. west coast. C-CAN first convened in 2010 in response to a growing realization that declines in shellfish hatchery production corresponded to coastal upwelling of acidified waters. The initial workshop brought together leading shellfish industry representatives, coastal managers, researchers, Sea Grant programs, and Integrated Ocean Observing Systems to increase collective understanding of OA effects on the nearshore environment. C-CAN has since expanded to include other ocean-dependent industries, environmental advocacy groups, regulatory agencies, and tribal groups. The overarching goal of C-CAN is to coordinate and standardize OA measurement and data collection practices, ensuring data accessibility, utility, and application. C-CAN facilitates and enhances communications and research collaborations among scientists, academia, agencies and industry.
The Caribbean Coastal Acidification Network (Cari-CAN) works in partnership with Caribbean Integrated Ocean Observing System. Learn more by clicking here.
The Gulf of America Ocean Acidification Network (GCAN) is a collaboration between the Gulf of America Coastal Ocean Observing System Regional Association (GCOOS), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Ocean Acidification Program (NOAA OAP), federal and state agency representatives, resource managers, industry partners and research scientists. The mission of GCAN is to identify critical vulnerabilities of the Gulf of America ecosystem that may be impacted by ocean acidification, foster collaborations to increase ocean observations, and develop strategies to mitigate impacts from ocean acidification.
The Mid-Atlantic Coastal Acidification Network (MACAN) works to develop a better understanding of the processes associated with estuarine, coastal, and ocean acidification, predict the consequences for marine resources, and devise local adaptation strategies that enable communities and industries to better prepare and adapt. MACAN is a nexus of scientists, federal and state agency representatives, resource managers, and affected industry partners who seek to coordinate and guide regional observing, research, and modeling of ocean and coastal acidification.
MACAN serves as an information hub and exchange among research, industry, and resource managers. MACAN focuses on waters and impacted species from south of Long Island down to Virginia. Network members work collaboratively on identifying and pursuing opportunities to address coastal and ocean acidification in the Mid-Atlantic, building upon the skills and interest of individual members. The Network provides a forum to share best practices in monitoring and sampling collection. MACAN was established by the Mid-Atlantic Regional Association Coastal Ocean Observing System (MARACOOS) and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO).
The Northeast Coastal Acidification Network or NECAN serves as a regional organization working to synthesize and disseminate ocean acidification information in an effort to better inform stakeholders of the issue and solicit critical data and information needs which can guide strategic science investments in coming years. The NECAN is a joint agency, scientific, industry partnership established under the Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal and Ocean Observing Systems (NERACOOS) to review and assess the most recent scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant to the economically important marine organisms potentially impacted by ocean and coastal acidification within this region. NECAN’s focus encompasses the waters from Long Island Sound, Georges Bank, the Gulf of Maine and Browns Bank, and Sable Island Bank out to the shelf-break. The NECAN region represents some of the most valuable marine resource real-estate in the world providing direct economic benefit to at least five states (NY, CT, MA, NH, and ME).
Representatives of several stakeholder groups in the Southeast have expressed interest in enhancing collaborations and communications to better understand ocean and coastal acidification (OA) drivers throughout this region, including, but not limited to, approaches to monitoring changing ocean chemistry; evaluating the state-of-ocean and coastal acidification science including eutrophication and hypoxia in coastal areas; and identifying vulnerable species and ecosystems. The Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association (SECOORA), in partnership with NOAA’s Ocean Acidification Program (OAP), is facilitating conversations among regional stakeholders to advance a Southeast Ocean and Coastal Acidification Network (SOCAN). Similar Ocean Acidification Networks are in existence in other regions and have proven to be successful mechanisms for catalyzing unique partnerships and leveraging assets in times of constrained budgetary resources. SOCAN recently initiated a webinar series exploring how ocean acidification is or may affect marine resources in the Southeast. Information about the network, the 2015 webinar series and getting involved with SOCAN can be found at: https://secoora.org/SOCAN.
The Federal Ocean Acidification Research And Monitoring Act (FOARAM), called for the Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology to establish an Interagency Working Group on Ocean Acidification (IWG-OA). The IWG-OA advises and assists the Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology on matters related to ocean acidification, including coordination of Federal activities on ocean acidification and other interagency activities as outlined in FOARAM. These agencies have come together to provide a thoughtful, strategic approach to understand and address the rapidly emerging problem of ocean acidification.
The site’s goal is to foster collaboration and make it easy to learn from each others’ diverse experiences, which is why the platform is both a discussion forum and a repository for information. Members post questions, updates, documents, videos, photos, links, and events, and tag posts with topic keywords to streamline searching. Ocean Acidification Information Exchange (OAIE) members can join teams that align with their interests and engage not only with the entire community, but also with smaller groups of peers. There are currently sixteen individual teams set up around topics such as “Policy and Resource Management” and “Local Action,” along with regions such as the Southeast, Pacific Islands, and California Current.
The OAIE encourages scientists, educators, students, members of the aquaculture and fishing industry, non-profit and government employees, managers, policy makers, and concerned citizens to request an account and join the conversation.
The DFO-NOAA OA Collaboration Framework identifies key areas where the two agencies can work together for the benefit of expanding and refining the broad ranges of research, monitoring, and modelling efforts relevant to improving understanding of OA within Canada and the United States.
Results will be used to enhance ocean reporting processes, inform fisheries management of the state and extent of ocean acidification, and further develop adaptation tools to inform decisions related to fisheries and oceans management.
For more information contact Alexandra Puritz (alexandra.puritz@noaa.gov).
The Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network (GOA-ON)
At the September 2016 Our Ocean Conference, the U. S. State Department announced $300,000 to fund scientific capacity building and monitoring in developing regions including Latin America, Africa, and the Pacific Islands. NOAA work closely with the U. S. State Department and The Ocean Foundation to oversee these capacity building efforts which include both hands-on workshops and support for technicians to monitor ocean acidification.
The OAP works closely with coastal state governments, on-the-ground networks, industries, and NGOs to develop their responses to ocean acidification
The NOAA Ocean Acidification Program (OAP) works to prepare society to adapt to the consequences of ocean acidification and conserve marine ecosystems as acidification occurs. Learn more about the human connections and adaptation strategies from these efforts.
Adaptation approaches fostered by the OAP include:
Using models and research to understand the sensitivity of organisms and ecosystems to ocean acidification to make predictions about the future, allowing communities and industries to prepare
Using these models and predictions as tools to facilitate management strategies that will protect marine resources and communities from future changes
Developing innovative tools to help monitor ocean acidification and mitigate changing ocean chemistry locally
Drive fuel-efficient vehicles or choose public transportation. Choose your bike or walk! Don't sit idle for more than 30 seconds. Keep your tires properly inflated.
Eat local- this helps cut down on production and transport! Reduce your meat and dairy. Compost to avoid food waste ending up in the landfill
Make energy-efficient choices for your appliances and lighting. Heat and cool efficiently! Change your air filters and program your thermostat, seal and insulate your home, and support clean energy sources
Reduce your use of fertilizers, Improve sewage treatment and run off, and Protect and restore coastal habitats
You've taken the first step to learn more about ocean acidification - why not spread this knowledge to your community?
Every community has their unique culture, economy and ecology and what’s at stake from ocean acidification may be different depending on where you live. As a community member, you can take a larger role in educating the public about ocean acidification. Creating awareness is the first step to taking action. As communities gain traction, neighboring regions that share marine resources can build larger coalitions to address ocean acidification. Here are some ideas to get started:
