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Project Partner: Partner: Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL)

Fisherman pulling up sugar kelp. Seaweed cultivation may be one avenue for marine carbon dioxide removal and mitigating ocean acidification. Credit: GreenWave/Ron Gautreau.
Carbon capture and ocean acidification mitigation potential by seaweed farms in tropical and subtropical coastal environments
  • PI(s): Andreas Andersson
  • Fiscal Year Funded: 2023

Award amount: $1,451,575Duration: 3 yearsFunding agency: NOAA Ocean Acidification Program (OAP), National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP) Why we care Growing seaweed in the ocean could be one way to alleviate some..

Project Summary >
Breaking wave in sunlight. Credit: NOAA Ocean Service
Electrolysis-driven weathering of basic minerals for long-term ocean buffering and CO2 reduction
  • PI(s): Burke Hales
  • Fiscal Year Funded: 2023

Why we care Ocean alkalinity enhancement has the potential to capture carbon and mitigate ocean acidification. While ocean alkalinity enhancement is a promising approach for removing carbon from the atmosphere,..

Project Summary >
Breaking wave in sunlight. Credit: NOAA Ocean Service
Assessing the chemical and biological implications of alkalinity enhancement using carbonate salts from captured carbon dioxide to mitigate ocean acidification and enable mCDR
  • PI(s): Andrew Dickson
  • Fiscal Year Funded: 2023

Why we care Energy, manufacturing and deployment costs are critical to the viability of any carbon dioxide removal approach. This research project focuses on a new strategy that promises low..

Project Summary >
Air-Sea Interaction Spar buoy. Credit: Lt. Elizabeth Crapo, NOAA Corps
Data requirements for quantifying natural variability and the background ocean carbon sink in mCDR models
  • PI(s): Galen McKinley
  • Fiscal Year Funded: 2023

Why we care Ocean uptake of carbon has great natural variability that accompanies rising atmospheric carbon dioxide. A major challenge for marine carbon dioxide removal will be to quantify its..

Project Summary >
Surveying the state of ocean acidification along the U.S. West Coast
  • PI(s): Richard Feely
  • Fiscal Year Funded: 2021
PMEL Sustained Ocean Acidification Biogeochemical and Ecological Survey Observations Why we care
U.S. West coast-wide hydrographic surveys have been conducted intermittently from 2007 to 2017, providing evidence for the geographic extent..
Project Summary >
The Coast Guard Cutter Munro from Kodiak, Alaska, sails toward the sunset during an unusually calm evening on the Bering Sea. Credit: USCG
Assessing Ocean Acidification in Alaska Fishery Zones
  • PI(s): Jessica Cross
  • Fiscal Year Funded: 2022
Sustained Observations of Ocean Acidification in Alaska Coastal Seas Why we care
Coastal regions around Alaska experience some of the most rapid and extensive progressions of ocean acidification (OA) in the..
Project Summary >
Sustained ocean acidification monitoring on ships of opportunity in the Pacific
  • PI(s): Simone Alin
  • Fiscal Year Funded: 2022
PMEL Sustained Investment Coastal Underway Ocean Acidification Observations (PUO) Why we care
Underway ship measurements of ocean acidification (OA) data on ships of opportunity (SOOP) have proven to be a robust..
Project Summary >
Evaluation of New Subsurface Carbon Technologies for OA Moorings
  • PI(s): Adrienne Sutton, Chris Sabine
  • Fiscal Year Funded: 2010
The PMEL Carbon Group has been augmenting and expanding high-frequency observations on moorings to provide valuable information for better understanding natural variability in inorganic carbon chemistry over daily to inter-annual..
Project Summary >
Sustained OA Cruise Observations
  • PI(s): Richard Feely
  • Fiscal Year Funded: 2010
This project contributes to the NOAA objective to provide accurate and reliable data from sustained and integrated earth observing systems through research, development, deployment, and operation of systems to collect..
Project Summary >
OA Coastal Underway Observations
  • PI(s): Simone Alin
  • Fiscal Year Funded: 2010
PMEL's surface observational network, consisting of the complementary moorings and underway observations, is designed to quantify the temporal and spatial scales of variability of carbon species, pH, and aragonite saturation..
Project Summary >
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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

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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