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.

Publications

Publication Post Type

Fish or not fish—fisheries participation and harvest diversification under economic and ecological change

By

Fish harvesters respond to economic, regulatory, and environmental changes within complex and often highly uncertain decision-making processes. Analyzing and quantifying human decisions can improve our understanding and sustainable management of marine systems. Wild fish harvesters face high income volatility linked to natural variability in fish abundance, changing ocean environments, and world market dynamics. Past research […]

Fish or not fish—fisheries participation and harvest diversification under economic and ecological change Read More »

A mapped dataset of surface ocean acidification indicators in large marine ecosystems of the United States

By

Mapped monthly data products of surface ocean acidification indicators from 1998 to 2022 on a 0.25° by 0.25° spatial grid have been developed for eleven U.S. large marine ecosystems (LMEs). The data products were constructed using observations from the Surface Ocean CO2 Atlas, co-located surface ocean properties, and two types of machine learning algorithms: Gaussian mixture

A mapped dataset of surface ocean acidification indicators in large marine ecosystems of the United States Read More »

Coral reef carbonate accretion rates track stable gradients in seawater carbonate chemistry across the U.S. Pacific Islands

By

The U.S. Pacific Islands span a dramatic natural gradient in climate and oceanographic conditions, and benthic community states vary significantly across the region’s coral reefs. Here we leverage a decade of integrated ecosystem monitoring data from American Samoa, the Mariana Archipelago, the main and Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, and the U.S. Pacific Remote Island Areas to

Coral reef carbonate accretion rates track stable gradients in seawater carbonate chemistry across the U.S. Pacific Islands Read More »

Advancing best practices for assessing trends of ocean acidification time series

By

Assessing the status of ocean acidification across ocean and coastal waters requires standardized procedures at all levels of data collection, dissemination, and analysis. Standardized procedures for assuring quality and accessibility of ocean carbonate chemistry data are largely established, but a common set of best practices for ocean acidification trend analysis is needed to enable global

Advancing best practices for assessing trends of ocean acidification time series Read More »

Partial pressure (or fugacity) of carbon dioxide, salinity and temperature collected from surface underway observations during R/V Rachel Carson and other commercial boat cruises in the Chesapeake Bay from 2016-05-04 to 2019-02-22 (NCEI Accession 0191507)

By

This dataset includes surface underway data collected during the R/V Rachel Carson and other commercial boat cruises in the Chesapeake Bay from 2016-05-04 to 2019-02-22. These data include partial pressure (or fugacity) of carbon dioxide in the water, sea surface salinity and sea surface temperature. The data are from the first bay-wide observational study of

Partial pressure (or fugacity) of carbon dioxide, salinity and temperature collected from surface underway observations during R/V Rachel Carson and other commercial boat cruises in the Chesapeake Bay from 2016-05-04 to 2019-02-22 (NCEI Accession 0191507) Read More »

Quantifying Net Community Production and Calcification at Station ALOHA Near Hawai’i: Insights and Limitations From a Dual Tracer Carbon Budget Approach

By

A budget approach is used to disentangle drivers of the seasonal mixed layer carbon cycle at Station ALOHA (A Long-term Oligotrophic Habitat Assessment) in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG). The budget utilizes data from the WHOTS (Woods Hole—Hawaii Ocean Time-series Site) mooring, and the ship-based Hawai’i Ocean Time-series (HOT) in the NPSG, a region

Quantifying Net Community Production and Calcification at Station ALOHA Near Hawai’i: Insights and Limitations From a Dual Tracer Carbon Budget Approach Read More »

Strategy for NOAA Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Research: A White Paper documenting a potential NOAA CDR Science Strategy as an element of NOAA’s Climate Interventions Portfolio

By

This document is intended to serve as a reference for exploration of carbon removal research at NOAA. The report was drafted by authors from across NOAA to provide strategic direction to relevant labs and programs in multiple line offices. The goal has been to assemble as much information as possible in order to facilitate conversations

Strategy for NOAA Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Research: A White Paper documenting a potential NOAA CDR Science Strategy as an element of NOAA’s Climate Interventions Portfolio Read More »

Eutrophication, Harmful Algae, Oxygen Depletion, and Acidification

By

Eutrophication is among the most widespread and deleterious anthropogenic impacts to coastal marine ecosystems. The Chesapeake Bay (CB) and Northern Adriatic Sea (NAS) have long histories of nutrient-fueled eutrophication. We compare the susceptibility and symptoms of eutrophication in both systems and discuss recent reversals of eutrophication (oligotrophication) and future considerations. Differences in the residence time

Eutrophication, Harmful Algae, Oxygen Depletion, and Acidification Read More »

Assessing drivers of estuarine pH: A comparative analysis of the continental U.S.A.’s two largest estuaries

By

In estuaries, local processes such as changing material loads from the watershed and complex circulation create dynamic environments with respect to ecosystem metabolism and carbonate chemistry that can strongly modulate impacts of global atmospheric CO2 increases on estuarine pH. Long-term (> 20 yr) surface water pH records from the USA’s two largest estuaries, Chesapeake Bay (CB) and

Assessing drivers of estuarine pH: A comparative analysis of the continental U.S.A.’s two largest estuaries Read More »

Simultaneous determination of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentration and stable isotope (δ<sup>13</sup>C-DIC) by Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy: Application to study carbonate dynamics in the Chesapeake Bay

By

Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and its stable isotope (δ13C-DIC) are powerful tools for exploring aquatic biogeochemistry and the carbon cycle. Traditionally, they are determined separately with a DIC analyzer and an isotope ratio mass spectrometer. We present an approach that uses a whole-water CO2 extraction device coupled to a Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy (CRDS) CO2 and isotopic analyzer

Simultaneous determination of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentration and stable isotope (δ<sup>13</sup>C-DIC) by Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy: Application to study carbonate dynamics in the Chesapeake Bay 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