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Addressing Ocean Acidification in a Vulnerable Region: The Alaska Ocean Acidification Network

Background image: Fishermen bring in a catch of king crabs.

Ocean acidification is a global issue, driven by absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and it holds particular interest and concern for Alaskans. A primary reason is that Alaska water is cold, and cold water can hold more gas – just like a cold soda stays more fizzy than a warm one. This makes Alaska’s waters naturally more rich in carbon dioxide and thereby higher in acidity, placing it closer to the threshold that could be harmful to marine organisms. Since Alaska is home to a $6 billion dollar seafood industry and many communities that rely heavily on subsistence fishing, the stakes are high.

These realities were on the minds of the researchers, fishermen, coastal community members and others who helped launch the Alaska Ocean Acidification Network in 2016. The goal of the network is to expand the understanding of ocean acidification processes and consequences, as well as explore potential adaptation and mitigation efforts.

“Monitoring ocean acidification is like putting headlights on a car,” said network director Darcy Dugan. “We need to see what’s ahead of us so we can be informed and prepare. Ocean acidification is going to impact some areas more than others, and produce winners and losers among marine organisms. How can we anticipate some of these changes and help fisheries and Alaskans adapt?”

Background Image: A group making observations on the Alaskan coast.

Tracking ocean acidification takes time. Because there is a lot of natural variability in the acidity of water, data needs to be collected over a long period of time to tease out the long-term trend from the noise. The history of ocean acidification monitoring in Alaska is relatively short, but interest within the research community has picked up quickly. The University of Alaska Fairbanks opened the Ocean Acidification Research Center in 2008 to establish a baseline understanding of water chemistry around the state. By 2013, autonomous sensors were collecting data year round in the Bering Sea, Kodiak Archipelago, Resurrection Bay, and Southeast Alaska.

The Alaska Ocean Acidification Network was the fourth such network to emerge in the nation, and is now one of six spread out across the country. It is coordinated by the Alaska Ocean Observing System, a regional arm of NOAA’s Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS). Dugan explains, “The existing ocean acidification networks were key in helping provide ideas for what our efforts in Alaska could look like. Each region is different and has its own unique environmental influences and stakeholders, but we work together to share science, coordination strategies, and lessons learned,” Dugan explains.

Background Image: GAKOA Buoy

In 2016, the Alaska Ocean Acidification Network spent its first year collecting input from researchers, shellfish growers, Tribal representatives, and fishermen and shaping the focus using a large interdisciplinary steering committee. At the end of the first year, they held a state-wide “State of the Science” workshop attended by 100 people in person and 150 more online where people could learn about what monitoring efforts were underway and what results were showing so far. The focused group discussions at the workshop transitioned into the network’s working groups: research and monitoring, fishing community engagement, outreach and communication, education, policy, and Tribal monitoring.

Since then, the Alaska Ocean Acidification Network has continued to build partnerships with both Tribal entities and commercial fishermen and shellfish growers; groups that depend directly on marine resources potentially at risk from ocean acidification. Through collaboration with the network, Tribal communities have developed an extensive community sampling program. Community members collect water samples and send them to one of three regional hubs to be analyzed locally.

Background Image: Bob Foy, Director of NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center

Commercial fishermen are also interested in learning about and contributing to the ocean acidification monitoring efforts in Alaska. The United Fishermen of Alaska have been an engaged partner, helping to share the latest science with their large membership. The Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers are another group invested in understanding the latest science and contributing to the dialogue and understanding of at-risk species.

The network is actively working on ideas for how to incorporate fishing vessel observations into research. There are challenges in doing this in a cost-effective way, but as technology advances and oceanographic modeling improves, these partnerships will continue to move forward.

In addition to helping expand monitoring and spread information about potential impacts to communities, the Alaska Ocean Acidification Network is also starting a new initiative to educate Alaskans on carbon policies. Because carbon dioxide emissions are the root cause of global ocean acidification, reducing carbon emissions is necessary for mitigating ocean acidification. The network is creating a 6-part podcast series to help inform Alaskans on what carbon policy is, why it’s relevant to coastal Alaskans, and how to interpret some of the legislation moving through Congress or being activated in other states or countries. Through this effort, the network will continue to be a source of objective scientific information while educating and empowering community voices throughout Alaska.

Background Image: 

Credits:

Title image: Fishermen bring in a catch of king crabs, which is one of the species in Alaska that might be vulnerable to increased ocean acidification Credit: Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers Image 1: A group makes observations along the Alaska coast Image 2: One of the buoys in the Alaska Ocean Acidification Monitoring network, GAKOA, which collects CO2 and pH measurements multiple times dailly. Credit: NOAA Image 3: Bob Foy, Director of NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center aboard a commercial crab fishing vessel. Credit: Alaska Ocean Observing Network Image 4:A shellfish farm in Katchemak Bay.

Effects of ocean acidification and temperature on Alaskan crabs

Red King Crab
Image credit: David Csepp, NMFS AKFSC ABL

Long-term declines of red king crab in Bristol Bay, Alaska may be partially attributed to ocean acidification conditions. These impacts may be partially responsible for the fishery closures during the 2021–2022 and 2022–2023 seasons. Researchers found that ocean acidification negatively impacts Alaskan crabs generally by changing physiological processes, decreasing growth, increasing death rates and reducing shell thickness. Funded by the Ocean Acidification Program, scientists at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center continue to investigate the responses of early life history stages and study the potential of various Alaska crabs to acclimate to changing conditions. Results will inform models that will use the parameters studied to predict the effects of future ocean acidification on the populations of red king crab in Bristol Bay as well as on the fisheries that depend on them. Fishery managers will better be able to anticipate and manage stocks if changing ocean chemistry affects stock productivity and thus the maximum sustainable yield.

More about this work

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