Impacts of Changing Ocean Chemistry on the West Coast: From Research to Action
Abstract
Recent work has revealed numerous consequences of reduced ocean pH (termed 'ocean acidification', or OA) for marine life. Decreases in pH and concurrent changes in the carbonate chemistry of seawater reduce growth, calcification, reproduction, and survival in many taxa (e.g., Kroeker et al. 2010, 2013). Chief among affected organisms are species of economic, ecological, and cultural importance along the West Coast of the U.S. Although West Coast states are at the forefront of working on science-based tools to inform management (e.g., Washington Ocean Acidification Blue Ribbon Panel, West Coast Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia Science Panel), effective action requires knowing where to act, and what policy or management responses will yield the intended results. Our work is built upon the premise that targeted analyses of OA are well-positioned to spur progress in decision making in California, Oregon, and Washington.
With support from the The Lenfest Ocean Program, we recently launched a new project to analyze and map the geospatial patterns of OA and other environmental stressors and identify where organisms along the West Coast are vulnerable. First, through synthesis of existing oceanographic data on changing ocean chemistry and a meta-analysis of responses of marine species, we will produce maps that overlay spatial patterns of environmental stressors that might impact four main groups of marine invertebrates: sea urchins, crabs, abalone, and clams. Second, we will test experimentally the effects of changing ocean chemistry on a particular species, the Dungeness crab ( Metacarcinus magister), which supports one of the largest fisheries on the West Coast. While the research is just getting underway, our team along with the Lenfest Ocean Program and the California Ocean Science Trust has been working to incorporate feedback from industry, conservation, state and federal agencies, and tribal representatives on our research objectives and intended outcomes. In doing so, we are engaging decision-makers early in the project design process, establishing key connections that we will continue to rely on as the project moves forward. In addition, we will utilize publicly hosted webinars, written communication materials, and in-person workshops. In prioritizing communication and building partnerships from the outset, we aim to make the research results as useful as possible to management and policy.- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AGUFMPA51E0922H
- Keywords:
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- 1630 Impacts of global change;
- GLOBAL CHANGE;
- 1999 General or miscellaneous;
- INFORMATICS;
- 6319 Institutions;
- POLICY SCIENCES;
- 6620 Science policy;
- POLICY SCIENCES & PUBLIC ISSUES