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.

Zooming in on ocean acidification: increasing resolution in regional ocean models in the Northeast US

The world today is filled with images, from the flashing pictures of TVs to stills in an art gallery. Large scale oceanographic models, like the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) model, can be thought of as pictures of what is happening in our ocean. They are comprised of points of information like pixels, which contain data instead of color. Like an image, it is harder to see what is happening when zooming into a specific region of the model because resolution is low, causing it to blur. A lower resolution translates into a model that is unable to capture changes in salinity, pH, or temperature on a scale that is needed to understand local waters. This is especially true in coastal areas where runoff, freshwater inputs, and physical processes make predictions more complicated. Low resolution in coastal models can make it hard to predict when conditions may not be favorable for fisheries, like the scallop fishery in the Northeast US. This fishery has a particular interest in ocean acidification -the shift in ocean chemistry driven by an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere due to the burning of fossil fuels – as it can greatly impact scallop shell growth.
Dr. Samantha Siedlecki at the University of Connecticut aims to increase the resolution, or add more data ‘pixels’, to ROMS model in the Northeast region. By doing so, her and her team will be able to get a picture that more closely resembles the real world. This team is building a model that will ‘zoom in’ on the US Northeast waters and incorporate coastal processes like freshwater delivery from rain and rivers and eutrophication to increase the clarity that current models don’t provide. Being able to accurately model these coastal processes can help us understand how locations are impacted by ocean and coastal acidification. This project will look at how the interactions between biological, chemical, and physical variables have evolved and impacted coastal fisheries over the past 30 years and provide 100-year projections for the Northeast Coast.

“It is important to get a better understanding of the drivers of ocean acidification and where uncertainties lie to give us a direction on where to focus future research and observing,” says Dr. Siedlecki.

Not only will Dr. Siedlecki’s team be building a new model, but this model will evaluate the existing observing network’s ability to observe past coastal acidification trends and predict future ones with a focus on the important areas for major fisheries such as the scallop fishery. The scallop fishery in the Northeast US has a particular interest in acidification in the region as it can greatly impact scallop shell growth. The outputs from this model will be processed to create 3D maps that display variables crucial to the health of the ecosystem such as the timing of increases in acidity and other environmental changes relevant to the scallop fishery.

“It’s exciting that the community is supportive of this kind of research and our results can identify locations that need more management attention and what variables need more observational knowledge,” says Dr. Siedlecki. This project’s clear zoom into the region will be instrumental in informing fishery managers and enabling them to create plans in order to prepare for future challenges,

Project Co-Investigators include Dr. Enrique Curchitser, Rutgers, Dr. Charles Stock, NOAA GFDL, Dr. Joe Salisbury, University of New Hampshire, Dr. Alex Proussevitch, University of New Hampshire, Dr. Michael Alexander, NOAA ESRL, and Dr. Ru Morrison, NERACOOS

Credits:

Title image by Samara Doole – “Sunset Mood,” Image 2: Arthur Mazi,- “Tokyo, 2016,” Image 3: This picture illustrates how increasing the resolution of a regional zoom represented in the inset boxes can give a more informative picture. The left of the picture shows lower resolution, similar to the current model for the northeastern Atlantic looks now, and the right displays a higher resolution image like the one Dr. Siedlecki’s team is working toward. Credit: GEOMAR Ocean Circulation and Climate Dynamics Image 4: One buoy in the National Ocean Acidification Monitoring Network Credit: NOAA Image 5: Fishing dock at dusk Credit: NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center

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