Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

socio-economic impacts

Building Capacity for Ocean Acidification in the Caribbean

adaptation strategies, Coastal Acidification, education & outreach, OA News, ocean acidification, socio-economic impacts / By

COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE, GOA-ON HUB, AND COASTAL ACIDIFICATION NETWORK There is a significant need to strengthen capacity for research, monitoring, and adaptive solutions for ocean acidification resilience and associated multi-stressors in the Caribbean region. The Caribbean Ocean Acidification Community of Practice (CoP) endeavors to explore the impacts of ocean acidification on important ocean and coastal areas, […]

Building Capacity for Ocean Acidification in the Caribbean Read More »

Join us for the Ocean Acidification Community Meeting Jan 4-6, 2023

adaptation strategies, biological reponse, education & outreach, ocean acidification, socio-economic impacts / By

NOAA OAP convenes community meeting in San Diego, CA!

Every three years, the NOAA Ocean Acidification Program convenes researchers, communicators and others in the OA community for a meeting to discuss and share the latest research and future needs and directions. We want your participation! Registration is free.

Meeting Goals

  • Shape the future strategic direction of the OAP
  • Inform community members of recent OAP-supported efforts
  • Foster collaborations within the OA research community
  • Identify critical research gaps and efforts to address them
  • Highlight and discuss diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and justice in OA research and our community

Find more details and register HERE.

Join us for the Ocean Acidification Community Meeting Jan 4-6, 2023 Read More »

Scientists, scallop industry team up to study ocean acidification impacts

adaptation strategies, Featured, OAP Original News Stories, ocean acidification, socio-economic impacts / By

Guided by input from fishers, a team of scientists will bring together computer modeling and experiments to inform management policies for Northeast scallop fisheries facing the threat of ocean acidification.
Researchers from the University of Connecticut, NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC), Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation (CFRF), and Rutgers University will work together to study this economically and culturally significant resource for coastal communities in New England, with support from NOAA’s Ocean Acidification Program. Worth more than $500 million per year, scallops are the second most valuable fishery in the Northeast and are particularly vulnerable to ocean acidification.

Scientists, scallop industry team up to study ocean acidification impacts Read More »

Assessing Vulnerability to a Changing Ocean: Investigating impact and option for adaptation

adaptation strategies, Featured, OAP Original News Stories, ocean acidification, socio-economic impacts / By

In certain areas of the US, marine resources and the communities that depend on them are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of ocean and coastal acidification along with other ocean changes. The NOAA Ocean Acidification Program recently awarded funding for three regional vulnerability assessment projects in the Chesapeake Bay, Northeast US and US West Coast. The projects bring together oceanographic, fisheries and aquaculture data and social science to assess vulnerability of dependent communities and industries, anticipate challenges they may face, and explore adaptations options.

Assessing Vulnerability to a Changing Ocean: Investigating impact and option for adaptation Read More »

Ocean acidification may reduce sea scallop fisheries

adaptation strategies, biological reponse, OA News, ocean acidification, socio-economic impacts / By

A new model created by scientists at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution projects – under a worst- case scenario – that warming and increasingly acidic waters could reduce the sea scallop population by more than 50% in the next 30 to 80 years. The bright spot? Fisheries management and efforts to reduce CO2 emissions, might slow or even stop that trend for this $500 million fishery.

Ocean acidification may reduce sea scallop fisheries Read More »

Piecing together the ocean acidification puzzle along the US West Coast

Featured, OA News, OAP Original News Stories, ocean acidification, socio-economic impacts / By

Emma Hodgson, a Liber Ero Postdoctoral Fellow at Simon Fraser University, and her colleagues are making big strides in piecing together the ocean acidification puzzle along the US west coast for those that make decisions around this ocean change. As part of her doctoral research at the University of Washington, Hodgson worked with a team to design modeling tools that create a better picture of ocean acidification impacts on fisheries catches, economies, and communities in this US region.

Piecing together the ocean acidification puzzle along the US West Coast Read More »

OAP Director participates in workshop focused on expanding ocean acidification stakeholders in Latin America

adaptation strategies, OAP Happenings, ocean acidification, socio-economic impacts / By

OAP Director, Libby Jewett, will participate in and present at a workshop focused on expanding ocean acidification stakeholders in Latin America. The workshop will take place in Santa Marta, Colombia March 17th-22nd. Dr. Jewett will be presenting both the overview of the science of Ocean Acidification (OA) and its implications for our world's oceans and an introduction to the work of the Global OA Observing Network which she co-chairs.

OAP Director participates in workshop focused on expanding ocean acidification stakeholders in Latin America Read More »

Ocean Acidification – What it means and how to stop it

adaptation strategies, OA News, policy, socio-economic impacts / By

In the Sustainable Development Goals, the world has set forth a bold new vision for global development and committed to achieving it by the year 2030.   SDG 14 calls for us to “conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.” While most of the targets in SDG 14 cover ocean issues and challenges that are well known to most, such as pollution and overfishing, one SDG 14 target, 14.3, may not be so familiar: 14.3 Minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levels. What is ocean acidification, and why is it so important to ocean sustainability and therefore to the SDG agenda?

Ocean Acidification – What it means and how to stop it Read More »

Ocean Acidification: Building a Path Toward Adaptation in the Arctic

adaptation strategies, arctic, OA News, socio-economic impacts / By

Scientists, economists, and stakeholders from all eight Arctic countries forge a path forward in adapting to ocean acidification in the Arctic

Arctic waters are rapidly changing. In the coming decades, these high-latitude waters will undergo significant shifts that could affect fish, shellfish, marine mammals, along with the livelihoods and well-being of communities dependent on these resources.

Ocean Acidification: Building a Path Toward Adaptation in the Arctic Read More »

New Tool Helps Oyster Growers Prepare for Changing Ocean Chemistry

adaptation strategies, OA monitoring, OA News, ocean acidification, socio-economic impacts / By

For Bill Mook, coastal acidification is one thing his oyster hatchery cannot afford to ignore. Mook Sea Farm depends on seawater from the Gulf of Maine pumped into a Quonset hut-style building where tiny oysters are grown in tanks. Mook sells these tiny oysters to other oyster farmers or transfers them to his oyster farm on the Damariscotta River where they grow large enough to sell to restaurants and markets on the East Coast.

New Tool Helps Oyster Growers Prepare for Changing Ocean Chemistry Read More »

Scroll to Top

ADAPTING 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:

FORECASTING

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

MANAGEMENT

Using these models and predictions as tools to facilitate management strategies that will protect marine resources and communities from future changes

TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

Developing innovative tools to help monitor ocean acidification and mitigate changing ocean chemistry locally

REDUCING OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT

50 more ways to reduce your carbon footprint >

On the Road

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.

With your Food Choices

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

With your Food Choices

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

By Reducing Coastal Acidification

Reduce your use of fertilizers, Improve sewage treatment and run off, and Protect and restore coastal habitats

Previous slide
Next slide

TAKE ACTION WITH YOUR COMMUNITY

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:

  1. Work with informal educators, such as aquarium outreach programs and local non-profits, to teach the public about ocean acidification. Visit our Education & Outreach page to find the newest tools!
  2. Participate in habitat restoration efforts to restore habitats that help mitigate the effects of coastal acidification
  3. Facilitate conversations with local businesses that might be affected by ocean acidification, building a plan for the future.
  4. Partner with local community efforts to mitigate the driver behind ocean acidification  – excess CO2 – such as community supported agriculture, bike & car shares and other public transportation options.
  5. Contact your regional Coastal Acidification Network (CAN) to learn how OA is affecting your region and more ideas about how you can get involved in your community
       More for Taking Community Action