NOAA Research Ian Enochs, a scientist with NOAA’s Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies at the University of Miami, traveled in May to the Island of Maug in the Pacific Ocean as part of a NOAA expedition aboard NOAA Ship Hi’ialakai to study coral reef ecosystems. We caught up with Enochs to learn about his research […]
Pacific island is natural laboratory to study ocean acidification Read More »
NBC News Marine biologists are searching for evidence of what our oceans will look like if carbon dioxide levels continue to increase. Thirty percent of the carbon dioxide, or CO2, released into the atmosphere is absorbed by the ocean, leading to a process called acidification. Shellfish and coral reefs are particularly impacted, according to Jason
Scientists warn ocean food supply may be impacted by rising CO2 Read More »
The Seattle Times A remote Indonesian village highlights the threats facing millions of people who depend on marine creatures susceptible to souring seas and ocean warming.
Sea Change: Food for Millions at Risk Read More »
Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme The report by the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program on Arctic Ocean Acidification was recently released and identifies the risks to Arctic ecosystems, including indigenous tribes and Arctic residents.
Arctic Ocean Acidification Read More »
Bangor Daily News An environmental crisis is looming on the marine horizon. Ocean acidification threatens Maine’s inshore fisheries, growing aquaculture industry and the jobs that rely on them. The culprit in this story is carbon dioxide. It’s changing the chemistry of the ocean and endangering shellfish like lobster, oysters, clams and sea urchins.
How shifting ocean chemistry threatens Maine Read More »
Vancouver Sun Ocean acidification due to excessive release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere is threatening to produce large-scale changes to the marine ecosystem affecting all levels of the food chain, a University of B.C. marine biologist warned Friday. Chris Harley, associate professor in the department of zoology, warned that ocean acidification also carries serious
Acidification of oceans threatens to change entire marine ecosystem Read More »
The Seattle Times NORMANBY ISLAND, Papua New Guinea — Katharina Fabricius plunged from a dive boat into the Pacific Ocean of tomorrow. She kicked through blue water until she spotted a ceramic tile attached to the bottom of a reef. A year earlier, the ecologist from the Australian Institute of Marine Science had placed this small
Sea Change: The Pacific’s Perilous Turn Read More »
NOAA scientists at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center are beginning to understand future impacts of ocean acidification on Puget Sound’s food web. Drs. Shallin Busch, Chris Harvey, and Paul McElhany applied ocean acidification scenarios to a food web model to explore how the estuary’s food web and its ecosystem services (i.e. fisheries yield and ecotourism) may change
Bangor Daily News Following a recent Town Council appropriation, the town’s shellfish community has started what is being called a “historic” effort to address the rapid disappearance of soft-shell clams. The effort is the first comprehensive, large-scale research project in Maine to study the most significant factors believed to be contributing to the decline of
Shellfish industry pins hope on Freeport research Read More »
The Washington Post It is the dawn of the super crab. Crabs are bulking up on carbon pollution that pours out of power plants, factories and vehicles and settles in the oceans, turning the tough crustaceans into even more fearsome predators. That presents a major problem for the Chesapeake Bay, where crabs eat oysters. In
Crabs, supersized by carbon pollution, may upset Chesapeake’s balance Read More »
Understanding seasonal changes in ocean acidification in Alaskan waters and the potential impacts to the multi-billion-dollar fishery sector is a main priority. Through work funded by NOAA’s Ocean Acidification Program, the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory developed a model capable of depicting past ocean chemistry conditions for the Bering Sea and is now testing the ability of this model to forecast future conditions. This model is being used to develop an ocean acidification indicator provided to fisheries managers in the annual NOAA Eastern Bering Sea Ecosystem Status Report.
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: