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Monitoring & Modeling

Internal consistency of marine carbonate system measurements and assessments of aragonite saturation state: Insights from two U.S. coastal cruises

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This research assesses the thermodynamic consistency of recent marine CO2 system measurements in United States coastal waters. As one means of assessment, we compared aragonite saturation states calculated using various combinations of measured parameters. We also compared directly measured and calculated values of total alkalinity and CO2 fugacity. The primary data set consists of state-of-the-art measurements of the keystone […]

Internal consistency of marine carbonate system measurements and assessments of aragonite saturation state: Insights from two U.S. coastal cruises Read More »

Ocean acidification risk assessment for Alaska’s fishery sector

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The highly productive fisheries of Alaska are located in seas projected to experience strong global change, including rapid transitions in temperature and ocean acidification-driven changes in pH and other chemical parameters. Many of the marine organisms that are most intensely affected by ocean acidification (OA) contribute substantially to the state’s commercial fisheries and traditional subsistence

Ocean acidification risk assessment for Alaska’s fishery sector Read More »

Seasonal variations in the aragonite saturation state in the upper open-ocean waters of the North Pacific Ocean

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Seasonal variability of the aragonite saturation state (ΩAR) in the upper (50 m and 100 m depths) North Pacific Ocean (NPO) was investigated using multiple linear regression (MLR). The MLR algorithm derived from a high-quality carbon data set accurately predicted the ΩAR of evaluation data sets (three time series stations and P02 section) with acceptable uncertainty (<0.1 ΩAR). The

Seasonal variations in the aragonite saturation state in the upper open-ocean waters of the North Pacific Ocean Read More »

Climatological distribution of aragonite saturation state in the global oceans

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Aragonite saturation state (Ωarag) in surface and subsurface waters of the global oceans was calculated from up-to-date (through the year of 2012) ocean station dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and total alkalinity (TA) data. Surface Ωarag in the open ocean was always supersaturated (Ω > 1), ranging between 1.1 and 4.2. It was above 2.0 (2.0–4.2) between 40°N and

Climatological distribution of aragonite saturation state in the global oceans Read More »

An inter-laboratory comparison assessing the quality of seawater carbon dioxide measurements

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Seawater CO2 measurements are being made with increasing frequency as interest grows in the ocean’s response to changing atmospheric CO2 levels and to climate change. The ultimate usefulness of these measurements depends on the data quality and consistency. An inter-laboratory comparison was undertaken to help evaluate and understand the current reliability of seawater CO2 measurements. Two seawater test samples

An inter-laboratory comparison assessing the quality of seawater carbon dioxide measurements Read More »

Large Natural pH, CO<sub>2</sub> and O<sub>2</sub> Fluctuations in a Temperate Tidal Salt Marsh on Diel, Seasonal, and Interannual Time Scales

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Coastal marine organisms experience dynamic pH and dissolved oxygen (DO) conditions in their natural habitats, which may impact their susceptibility to long-term anthropogenic changes. Robust characterizations of all temporal scales of natural pH and DO fluctuations in different marine habitats are needed; however, appropriate time series of pH and DO are still scarce. We used

Large Natural pH, CO<sub>2</sub> and O<sub>2</sub> Fluctuations in a Temperate Tidal Salt Marsh on Diel, Seasonal, and Interannual Time Scales Read More »

Procedures for direct spectrophotometric determination of carbonate ion concentrations: Measurements in US Gulf of Mexico and East Coast waters

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Refined procedures were developed for directly determining carbonate ion concentrations in seawater through measurement of the ultraviolet absorbances of lead carbonate and chloride complexes after addition of divalent lead (Pb(II)) to a seawater sample. Our model algorithm is based on carbonate ion concentrations calculated from measurements of pH and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) obtained on a NOAA ocean acidification cruise (GOMECC-2, the second Gulf of Mexico and East Coast

Procedures for direct spectrophotometric determination of carbonate ion concentrations: Measurements in US Gulf of Mexico and East Coast waters Read More »

A quantitative genetic approach to assess the evolutionary potential of a coastal marine fish to ocean acidification

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Assessing the potential of marine organisms to adapt genetically to increasing oceanic CO2 levels requires proxies such as heritability of fitness-related traits under ocean acidification (OA). We applied a quantitative genetic method to derive the first heritability estimate of survival under elevated CO2 conditions in a metazoan. Specifically, we reared offspring, selected from a wild coastal fish

A quantitative genetic approach to assess the evolutionary potential of a coastal marine fish to ocean acidification Read More »

Subannual variability of total alkalinity distributions in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico

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The subannual variability of total alkalinity (TA) distributions in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico was examined through the use of TA data from ship-based water sampling, historical records of riverine TA, and contemporaneous model output of surface currents and salinity. TA variability was restricted to the upper 150 m of the water column, where relationships

Subannual variability of total alkalinity distributions in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico Read More »

On the Frontline: Tracking Ocean Acidification in an Alaskan Shellfish Hatchery

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The invasion of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) into the ocean is shifting the marine carbonate system such that saturation states of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) minerals are decreasing, and this is having a detrimental impact on early life stages of select shellfish species. The global, secular decrease in CaCO3 saturation states is occurring on top of a

On the Frontline: Tracking Ocean Acidification in an Alaskan Shellfish Hatchery Read More »

Forecasts for Alaska Fisheries

Crab pots and fishing nets in Alaska's Dutch Harbor
Image credit: Michael Theberge

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.

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

Closeup of oysters cupped in someone's hands

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

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