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NOAA’s Ocean Acidification Program Research Region

Region: Caribbean Ocean

Related Posts

See news related to this Research Region

National Marine Sanctuaries Ocean Acidification Background

Ocean acidification is a complex issue that is being studied and addressed from several viewpoints, in various locations, and for different issues. Within the sanctuary system, sanctuary sites across the country and United States territories are studying how this change in ocean chemistry will and already is affecting their sites. Some sites are being hit

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June 12, 2026

Synthesis of data products for ocean carbonate chemistry

This review article provides an overview of 68 existing ocean carbonate chemistry data products and data product sets, encompassing a broad range of types, including compilations of cruise datasets, gap-filled observational products, model simulations, and more. It is designed to help researchers identify and access the data products that best support their scientific objectives, thereby

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June 4, 2026

Editorial: Time-series observations of ocean acidification: a key tool for documenting impacts on a changing planet

Ocean acidification (OA) is a pressing global issue characterized by fundamental changes in ocean chemistry, including the reduction of pH levels, due to the absorption of increased atmospheric CO2. This phenomenon poses significant threats to marine ecosystems, affecting biodiversity, food security, and coastal economies. Time-series observations remain indispensable for documenting these changes, offering insights into

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June 4, 2026

Ocean hypoxia: The science of climate change in the sea

The oxygen inventory of the global ocean is declining. This phenomenon, known as ocean deoxygenation, has emerged as a fundamental pathway for climate change to alter marine ecosystems. An important concern is how this global oxygen decline will manifest in coastal and oceanic systems that are already subject to low oxygen, or hypoxic conditions. There

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June 4, 2026

Assessment framework to predict sensitivity of marine calcifiers to ocean alkalinity enhancement – identification of biological thresholds and importance of precautionary principle

Ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE), one of the marine carbon dioxide removal strategies, is gaining recognition in its ability to mitigate climate change and ocean acidification (OA). OAE is based on adding alkalinity to open-ocean and coastal marine systems through a variety of different approaches, which raises carbonate chemistry parameters (such as pH, total alkalinity, aragonite

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January 13, 2026

Quantifying coral-algal interactions in an acidified ocean: <em>Sargassum</em> spp. exposure mitigates low pH effects on Acropora cervicornis health

Increasingly frequent large-scale pelagic Sargassum algae blooms in the Atlantic have become a problem for coastal ecosystems. The mass decay of these blooms reduces water quality for coastal flora and fauna. However, the effects of living Sargassum blooms on seawater quality and consequently coral reef ecosystems that rely on delicately balanced carbonate chemistry are more ambiguous. Future oceans are

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January 13, 2026

Statistical Prediction of In Situ Coral Reef Carbonate Dynamics Using Endmember Chemistry, Hydrodynamic Models, And Benthic Composition

In the face of rapidly compounding climate change impacts, including ocean acidification (OA), it is critical to understand present-day stress exposure and to anticipate the biogeochemical conditions experienced by vulnerable ecosystems like coral reefs. To meaningfully predict nearshore carbonate chemistry, we must account for the complexity of the local benthic community, as well as connectivity

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January 13, 2026

Three-dimensional photogrammetry-based monitoring to enhance site-level carbonate budget assessments of coral reefs

Census-based carbonate budget assessments synthesize metrics on biologically derived carbonate production and erosion rates to generate estimates of net carbonate production (NCP). ReefBudget is a widely used in-water carbonate budget approach, but this methodology can be field-intensive and logistically challenging, limiting spatial data coverage. Large-area imagery (LAI) is increasingly used to evaluate benthic communities and

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January 13, 2026

Perspectives on Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal from the Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network

Along with other carbon monitoring groups, the ocean acidification (OA) community has been observing, modeling, and projecting the impacts of changing carbonate chemistry for over two decades. The Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network (GOA-ON) has three key goals related to these issues: (1) improve understanding of global OA conditions, (2) improve understanding of ecosystem responses

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January 13, 2026

Related Projects

See our funded projects for this Focus Area

A full view of a sea scallop sitting on top of a pile of sea scallops shells.
Enhancing the adaptive capacity of the Atlantic sea scallop fishery
  • PI(s): Samantha Siedlecki, University of Connecticut; Shannon Meseck, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service; Robert Murphy Jr, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service
  • Fiscal Year Funded: 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028
  • Grant Award # NA25OARX017C0010-T1-01
This project will enhance the adaptive capacity of the Atlantic sea scallop fishery to ocean acidification and ocean change...
Project Summary >
A satellite map of the Chesapeake Bay region. The waterways are color coded to show degrees of alkalinity, with the general trend of higher alkalinity upriver and lower alkalinity toward the ocean.
OA adaptation strategies for shellfish aquaculture in the Chesapeake Bay
  • PI(s): Emily Rivest, Virginia Institute of Marine Science
  • Fiscal Year Funded: 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028
  • Grant Award # NA25OARX017G0008-T1-01
This project produces a dashboard for Chesapeake Bay users to assist with adaptive strategies for ocean and coastal acidification...
Project Summary >
Satellite view of the Mississippi River plume in the Gulf of America. You can see sediment discharging into the Gulf. Credit: NASA
Assessing ocean and coastal acidification resilience in Louisiana
  • PI(s): Robert Iles, Louisiana State University
  • Fiscal Year Funded: 2025, 2026, 2027
  • Grant Award # NA25OARX017G0012-T1-01
This work will assess the economic and community impacts of ocean and coastal acidification within coastal Louisiana to assist adaptive planning...
Project Summary >
Intertidal marine life including Pisaster sea stars and mussles, partially submerged on a rock.
Developing tools for resiliency planning in Southeast Alaska
  • PI(s): Hekia Bodwitch (University of Alaska Southeast), Davin Holen (Alaska Sea Grant and University of Alaska, Fairbanks), Kari Lanphier (Southeast Alaska Tribal Ocean Research Consortium)
  • Fiscal Year Funded: 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028
  • Grant Award # NA25OARX017G0010-T1-01
This project provides tools communities and decision makers in Southeast Alaska can use for assessing vulnerability and resilience to ocean acidification and inform adaptive strategies...
Project Summary >
Sunrise on a coastal town in Maine
Advancing resilience of Maine’s shellfisheries
  • PI(s): Katherine Mills, Gulf of Maine Research Institute; Jared Wildwistle, Gulf of Maine Research Institute
  • Fiscal Year Funded: 2025, 2026, 2027
  • Grant Award # NA25OARX017G0019-T1-01
This project assesses the potential risk to the shellfish industry from changing ocean chemistry and is a critical step in advancing resilience in Maine’s shellfisheries...
Project Summary >
Ruby beach as seen from a lookout, there are high cliffs in the foreground with partially submerged large and small rocks in the water behind them. Sky is dusky and cloudy.
Tools informing ocean change planning for Tribal managers in coastal Washington
  • PI(s): Jan Newton, University of Washington
  • Fiscal Year Funded: 2025, 2026, 2027
  • Grant Award # NA25OARX017G0016-T1-01
This project provides practical information and products to support adaptation planning for coastal tribes in Washington...
Project Summary >

Related Publications

See publications produced by our funded projects for this Focus Area

Synthesis of data products for ocean carbonate chemistry
  • Li-Qing Jiang, Amanda Fay, Jens Daniel Müller, Luke Gregor, Alizée Roobaert, Lydia Keppler, Dustin Carroll, Siv K. Lauvset, Tim DeVries, Judith Hauck, Christian Rödenbeck, Nicolas Metzl, Andrea J. Fassbender, Jean-Pierre Gattuso, Peter Landschützer, Rik Wanninkhof, Christopher Sabine, Simone R. Alin, Mario Hoppema, Are Olsen, Matthew P. Humphreys, Kunal Chakraborty, Ana C. Franco, Kumiko Azetsu-Scott, Dorothee C. E. Bakker, Leticia Barbero, Nicholas R. Bates, Nicole Besemer, Henry C. Bittig, Albert E. Boyd, Daniel Broullón, Wei-Jun Cai, Brendan R. Carter, Thi-Tuyet-Trang Chau, Chen-Tung Arthur Chen, Frédéric Cyr, John E. Dore, Ian Enochs, Richard A. Feely, Hernan E. Garcia, Marion Gehlen, Prasanna Kanti Ghoshal, Lucas Gloege, Melchor González-Dávila, Nicolas Gruber, Debby Ianson, Yosuke Iida, Masao Ishii, Apurva Padamnabh Joshi, Esther Kennedy, Alex Kozyr, Nico Lange, Claire Lo Monaco, Derek P. Manzello, Galen A. McKinley, Natalie M. Monacci, Xose A. Padin, Ana M. Palacio-Castro, Fiz F. Pérez, J. Magdalena Santana-Casiano, Jonathan Sharp, Adrienne Sutton, Jim Swift, Toste Tanhua, Maciej Telszewski, Jens Terhaar, Ruben van Hooidonk, Anton Velo, Andrew J. Watson, Angelicque E. White, Zelun Wu, Liang Xue, Hyelim Yoo, Jiye Zeng, Guorong Zhong
  • Earth System Science Data
  • February 24, 2026
Citation: Jiang, L.-Q., Fay, A., Müller, J. D., Keppler, L., Carroll, D., Lauvset, S. K., DeVries, T., Hauck, J., Rödenbeck, C., Gregor, L., Metzl, N., Fassbender, A. J., Gattuso, J.-P., Landschützer, P., Wanninkhof, R., Sabine, C., Alin, S. R., Hoppema, M., Olsen, A., . . . Zeng, J. (2025). Synthesis of data products for ocean carbonate chemistry. Earth System Science Data. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-255
Read Summary >
CO2 Uptake in the Pacific From 1985 to 2018: A Comparative Assessment of Observation- and Model-Based Estimates
  • Masao Ishii, Brendan R. Carter, Katsuya Toyama, Keith B. Rodgers, Richard A. Feely, Thi-Tuyet-Trang Chau, Frédéric Chevallier, Flora Desmet, Luke Gregor, Yosuke Iida, Yoshiteru Kitamura, Jens Daniel Müller, Hiroyuki Tsujino
  • Global Biogeochemical Cycles
  • May 3, 2025
Citation: Ishii, M., Carter, B. R., Toyama, K., Rodgers, K. B., Feely, R. A., Chau, T.-T.-T., et al. (2025). CO2 uptake in the Pacific from 1985 to 2018: A comparative assessment of observation- and model-based estimates. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 39, e2024GB008355. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GB008355
Read Summary >
Patterns of Ocean Acidification Emergence in the Hawaiian Islands Using Dynamically Downscaled Projections
  • L. Hošeková, T. Friedrich, B. S. Powell, C. Sabine
  • JGR Oceans
  • June 14, 2025
Citation: Hošeková, L., Friedrich, T., Powell, B. S., & Sabine, C. (2025). Patterns of ocean acidification emergence in the Hawaiian Islands using dynamically downscaled projections. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 130, e2024JC021903. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JC021903
Read Summary >

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