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Scientists, scallop industry team up to study ocean acidification impacts

Background image: An open farmed whole scallop in a hand

Guided by input from fishers, a team of scientists will bring together computer modeling and experiments to inform management policies for Northeast scallop fisheries facing the threat of ocean acidification.

Researchers from the University of Connecticut, NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC), Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation (CFRF), and Rutgers University will work together to study this economically and culturally significant resource for coastal communities in New England, with support from NOAA’s Ocean Acidification Program. Worth more than $500 million per year, scallops are the second most valuable fishery in the Northeast and are particularly vulnerable to ocean acidification.

Ocean acidification is the process by which the ocean increases in acidity as it absorbs excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, a direct result of humans burning fossil fuels. Acidification reduces the amount of available calcium carbonate in the water. Many ocean-dwelling organisms, including scallops, need calcium carbonate to build their shells. The energy an organism has for growth and other physiological processes can also be affected by ocean acidification.

Background Image: Scallop fishing boats at the Seaford, VA scallop dock.

Scientists currently lack a clear understanding of exactly how ocean acidification will impact scallops.

Shannon Meseck, a research scientist at the NEFSC based in Milford, Connecticut, will focus on understanding the physiological effects of ocean acidification on scallops.

As Meseck and her team at NOAA Fisheries collect biological data, it will be combined with climate models and social science data to create a more comprehensive picture.

“I’m excited about this collaboration, which will bring together our new data from larval and juvenile sea scallop experiments and new regional ocean acidification projection models,” Meseck says. “Incorporating new data specific to the effects of ocean acidification on sea scallops will help the industry anticipate those effects and respond.”

“The more we can understand the effects of ocean acidification on each life stage, the better,” Meseck says.

Background Image: Juvenile Atlantic sea scallops during an ocean acidification experiment at Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

Dvora Hart, the NEFSC’s lead assessment scientist for Atlantic sea scallops, will incorporate the findings into a computer model that will estimate the effects of ocean acidification on future catch. She provides short term forecasts of sea scallop catch and biomass to fisheries managers who use them to help set annual specifications for the fishery.

“This project is an opportunity to look longer term, and to predict the impacts of ocean acidification on the sea scallop fishery,” Hart says.

Samantha Siedlecki, assistant professor of marine sciences at UConn, will use computer models to investigate how changing ocean conditions could impact Northeast scallop fisheries in the near future. The model incorporates information about carbon emissions, freshwater sources, and temperature patterns.

The models will help the researchers and fishers understand how ocean acidification may impact factors such as scallops’ growth rates. If scallops cannot develop normally, it may take them longer to reach a harvestable size.

Currently, certain areas along the Northeast coast are closed to scalloping for the protection of scallops as they grow to maturity. These models can help fisheries managers determine where these areas may move to match where the young scallops have a healthier environment.

Background Image: Two Atlantic sea callop fishing vessels docked in Seaford VA.

Siedlecki’s models will consider various levels of global carbon emissions, outlining the pathways ocean acidification could take under future measures implemented to curb global warming.

“Presenting future ocean conditions as a choice and an option we face as a society is important for engaging with coastal communities and the impact of our work,” Siedlecki says.

The researchers will collaborate directly with local fishing communities through their collaboration with the CFRF to develop tools that can be used to manage these vital resources.

“This project will improve the fishing community’s understanding of the impacts and implications of ocean acidification, and allow us to chart a path forward together,” said David Bethoney, executive director of the Commercial Research Fisheries Foundation.

Almost all aspects of this research project are an industry-scientific community collaboration. The Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation has created several research fleets in partnership with commercial fishermen to collect oceanographic and biological data. Oceanographic data collected from the CFRF/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute Shelf Oceanographic Research Fleet and CFRF Lobster and Jonah Crab Research Fleets will be used to evaluate the model simulations.

Background Image: Observer on board a scallop fishing vessel

Lisa Colburn, an anthropologist from the NEFSC, will lead the effort to incorporate the concerns of coastal communities into the work. Her research includes understanding the historical social dynamics of the industry and the way it has adapted to changes in the environment and management.

“We will be holding workshops with the fishing industry, and we plan to have detailed discussions,” Colburn says. “We’ll take our approach and results to them and listen to their feedback to incorporate the industry perspective. We want to know how we can make our recommendations as meaningful as possible.”

“The questions we hope to answer is: What do scallop fishermen and fishing communities need to know in order to adapt to and be resilient to changing ocean conditions? And how can this inform fisheries management?”

Adapted from a web story originally published by UConn Today.

Background Image: Scallops atop a conveyer belt

Credits:

Title image: A farmed whole scallop. Credit: Mark Dixon, NOAA Fisheries Image 1: Scallop fishing boats at the Seaford, VA scallop dock. Credit: Dvora Hart, NOAA Fisheries Image 2: Juvenile Atlantic sea scallops during an ocean acidification experiment at Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Mark Dixon Date: November 13th, 2019 Image 3: Scallop fishing boats at the Seaford, VA scallop dock. Credit: Dvora Hart , NOAA Fisheries Image 4: Observer on board a scallop fishing vessel Credit: NOAA Fisheries Image 5: Scallops atop a conveyer belt Credit: NOAA Fisheries

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