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NOAA’s Ocean Acidification Program Research Region

Region: Alaska & Arctic

Related Posts

See news related to this Research Region

The challenges of detecting and attributing ocean acidification impacts on marine ecosystems

A substantial body of research now exists demonstrating sensitivities of marine organisms to ocean acidification (OA) in laboratory settings. However, corresponding in situ observations of marine species or ecosystem changes that can be unequivocally attributed to anthropogenic OA are limited. Challenges remain in detecting and attributing OA effects in nature, in part because multiple environmental changes are

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November 7, 2024

A regional hindcast model simulating ecosystem dynamics, inorganic carbon chemistry, and ocean acidification in the Gulf of Alaska

The coastal ecosystem of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) is especially vulnerable to the effects of ocean acidification and climate change. To improve our conceptual understanding of the system, we developed a new regional biogeochemical model setup for the GOA. Model output suggests that bottom water is seasonally high in CO2 between June and January. Such

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November 7, 2024

Evaluation of a New Carbon Dioxide System for Autonomous Surface Vehicles

The research evaluates a new Autonomous Surface Vehicle CO2 (ASVCO2) system designed to improve carbon measurement in the ocean, addressing gaps in current strategies that hinder understanding of the carbon biogeochemical cycle. Deployed from 2011 to 2018, the ASVCO2 systems demonstrated their capability for long-term oceanic deployment and accurate collection of air and seawater pCO2

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November 6, 2024

An Overview of Ocean Climate Change Indicators: Sea Surface Temperature, Ocean Heat Content, Ocean pH, Dissolved Oxygen Concentration, Arctic Sea Ice Extent, Thickness and Volume, Sea Level and Strength of the AMOC (Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation)

Global ocean physical and chemical trends are reviewed and updated using seven key ocean climate change indicators: (i) Sea Surface Temperature, (ii) Ocean Heat Content, (iii) Ocean pH, (iv) Dissolved Oxygen concentration (v) Arctic Sea Ice extent, thickness, and volume (vi) Sea Level and (vii) the strength of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). The

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October 10, 2024

Effects of ocean acidification on young-of-the-year golden king crab (<em>Lithodes aequispinus</eM>) survival and growth

Ocean acidification, a reduction in the pH of the oceans caused by increasing CO2, can have negative physiological effects on marine species. In this study, we examined how CO2-driven acidification affected the growth and survival of juvenile golden king crab (Lithodes aequispinus), an important fishery species in Alaska. Juveniles were reared from larvae in surface

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October 10, 2024

Biological Impact of Ocean Acidification in the Canadian Arctic: Widespread Severe Pteropod Shell Dissolution in Amundsen Gulf

Increasing atmospheric CO2, cold water temperatures, respiration, and freshwater inputs all contribute to enhanced acidification in Arctic waters. However, ecosystem effects of ocean acidification (derived from anthropogenic and/or natural sources) in the Arctic Ocean are highly uncertain. Zooplankton samples and oceanographic data were collected in August 2012–2014 and again in August 2017 to investigate the

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October 10, 2024

Ocean acidification alters properties of the exoskeleton in adult Tanner crabs, <em>Chionoecetes bairdi</em>

Ocean acidification can affect the ability of calcifying organisms to build and maintain mineralized tissue. In decapod crustaceans, the exoskeleton is a multilayered structure composed of chitin, protein and mineral, predominately magnesian calcite or amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC). We investigated the effects of acidification on the exoskeleton of mature (post-terminal-molt) female southern Tanner crabs, Chionoecetes bairdi.

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August 12, 2024

Climatological distribution of ocean acidification variables along the North American ocean margins

Climatologies that depict mean fields of oceanographic variables on a regular geographic grid, and atlases play pivotal roles in comprehending the societal vulnerabilities linked to ocean acidification (OA). This significance is particularly pronounced in coastal regions where most economic activities occur. This work provides a comprehensive data product featuring 10 coastal ocean acidification climatologies and

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August 9, 2024

Capturing uncertainty when modelling environmental drivers of fish populations, with an illustrative application to Pacific Cod in the eastern Bering Sea

Decision makers are increasingly requesting that environmental and climate drivers be included in stock assessments and subsequent projections that provide managers with advice on the consequences of applying harvest control rules. Another key direction in stock assessment science is to capture the full range of uncertainty (model, process, and estimation). However, multiple sources of uncertainty are rarely

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August 9, 2024

The combined effects of ocean warming and ocean acidification on Pacific cod (<em>Gadus macrocephalus</em>) early life stages

The eastern North Pacific is simultaneously experiencing ocean warming (OW) and ocean acidification (OA), which may negatively affect fish early life stages. Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) is an economically and ecologically important species with demonstrated sensitivity to OW and OA, but their combined impacts are unknown. Through a ~ 9-week experiment, Pacific cod embryos and larvae were

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August 9, 2024

Related Projects

See our funded projects for this Focus Area

NOAA ship in background during the West Coast Ocean Acidification research cruise with a mooring measuring ocean chemistry in the foreground. Credit: NOAA
Optimizing the ocean acidification observing system in California
  • PI(s): Christopher Edwards, University of California, Santa Cruz
  • Fiscal Year Funded: 2019, 2020, 2021
This project specifically investigates how the observing network is contributing to forecasting models using these complex tools to estimate ocean acidification conditions throughout the central California Current System...
Project Summary >
Map of SOCAT (v1.5) surface fCO2 values released on September 14, 2011. Credit: NOAA PMEL
Optimizing Global Observations of Carbon Dioxide in the Surface Ocean Using Machine Learning
  • PI(s): Galen A. McKinley, Columbia University
  • Fiscal Year Funded: 2025, 2026, 2027
This work will assess how we can optimize observing resources from the global fleet to support improved, efficient, and cost-effective monitoring of the ocean carbon sink and minimize uncertainty. Researchers..
Project Summary >
A glider equipped with sensors measuring ocean conditions and ocean chemistry is deployed off a ship. Credit: NOAA PMEL
Delivering ocean acidification products and observing system assessment for the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem
  • PI(s): Christopher A. Edwards, University of California Santa Cruz
  • Fiscal Year Funded: 2025, 2026, 2027
  • Grant Award # NA24OARX017G0021-T1-01
This project delivers products and an assessment of observing with the glider network for the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem...
Project Summary >
Lake Superior as seen from space in fall. Orange and red colors are from fall foliage. Credit: NOAA GLERL CoastWatch node
Measurement and Modeling of Processes Controlling acidification in the Great Lakes
  • PI(s): Noel Urban, Michigan Technological University
  • Fiscal Year Funded: 2025, 2026, 2027
  • Grant Award # NA24OARX017G0022-T1-01
The project increases new monitoring and modeling capacity in the Great Lakes to assess the extent of acidification or potential future acidification...
Project Summary >
Calm sea with mountains on horizon and expansive sky in Ketchikan, Alaska. Credit: Phil Price, Flickr
Building Capacity for Alaskan Tribes
  • PI(s): Spencer Weinstein
  • Fiscal Year Funded: 2023
This Alaska Sea Grant project increases ocean acidification monitoring capacity and assess vulnerability of Alaskan Tribes to ocean acidification...
Project Summary >
Spruce Island in the Kodiak region of Alaska. Bull kelp at water's surface with island in the background. Ocean acidification monitoring in this region helps prepare Kodiak Tribes for the impacts of ocean change. Credit: NOAA
Supporting Tribal Ocean Acidification Monitoring Programs
  • PI(s): Jake Cohen
  • Fiscal Year Funded: 2023
This work will identify specific ocean acidification monitoring and support needs by Kodiak Tribes,. Additionally, it supports the career development of an Alaska Sea Grant fellow and increase capacity in..
Project Summary >

Related Publications

See publications produced by our funded projects for this Focus Area

Rubble persistence under ocean acidification threatened by accelerated bioerosion and lower‐density coral skeletons
  • Alice E. Webb, Ana M. Palacio-Castro, Kenzie Cooke, Katherine R. Eaton, Benjamin Chomitz, Nash Soderberg, Morgan Chakraborty, Zachary Zagon, Albert Boyd, Patrick M. Kiel, Allyson DeMerlis, Chris T. Perry, Ian C. Enochs
  • Global Change Biology
  • June 11, 2024
Citation: Webb, A. E., Palacio-Castro, A. M., Cooke, K., Eaton, K. R., Chomitz, B., Soderberg, N., Chakraborty, M., Zagon, Z., Boyd, A., Kiel, P. M., DeMerlis, A., Perry, C. T., & Enochs, I. C. (2024). Rubble persistence under ocean acidification threatened by accelerated bioerosion and lower-density coral skeletons. Global Change Biology, 30, e17371. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.17371
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The challenges of detecting and attributing ocean acidification impacts on marine ecosystems
  • Steve S Doo, Andrea Kealoha, Andreas Andersson, Anne L Cohen, Tacey L Hicks, Zackary I Johnson, Matthew H Long, Paul McElhany, Nathaniel Mollica, Kathryn E F Shamberger, Nyssa J Silbiger, Yuichiro Takeshita, D Shallin Busch
  • ICES Journal of Marine Science
  • August 9, 2020
Citation: Steve S Doo, Andrea Kealoha, Andreas Andersson, Anne L Cohen, Tacey L Hicks, Zackary I Johnson, Matthew H Long, Paul McElhany, Nathaniel Mollica, Kathryn E F Shamberger, Nyssa J Silbiger, Yuichiro Takeshita, D Shallin Busch, The challenges of detecting and attributing ocean acidification impacts on marine ecosystems, ICES Journal of Marine Science, Volume 77, Issue 7-8, December 2020, Pages 2411–2422, https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsaa094
Read Summary >
Seasonal patterns of surface inorganic carbon system variables in the Gulf of Mexico inferred from a regional high-resolution ocean biogeochemical model
  • Fabian A. Gomez, Rik Wanninkhof, Leticia Barbero, Sang-Ki Lee, Frank J. Hernandez Jr.
  • Biogeosciences
  • March 31, 2020
Citation: Gomez, F. A., Wanninkhof, R., Barbero, L., Lee, S.-K., and Hernandez Jr., F. J.: Seasonal patterns of surface inorganic carbon system variables in the Gulf of Mexico inferred from a regional high-resolution ocean biogeochemical model, Biogeosciences, 17, 1685–1700, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-1685-2020, 2020.
Read 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