Ocean acidification. A national strategy to meet the challenges of a changing ocean

By The Committee on the Development of an Integrated Science Strategy for Ocean Acidification Monitoring, Research, and Impacts Assessment, National Research Council of the National Academies. The National Academies Press, Washington, DC, 2010, ISBN-13: 978-0-309-15359-1, GBP 24.00/USD 28.80, paperback, 175 pp.

Ocean acidification is a global issue, is happening now and at an unprecedented rate. It is caused by ocean uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to the atmosphere. Already oceans have taken up nearly a third of these emissions, thereby dampening climate change. However, this additional CO2 is changing ocean chemistry, so much so, that marine organisms, food webs and ecosystems are at risk. Like climate change, future ocean acidification will depend on the rate and concentration of future CO2 emissions and is irreversible on a timescale of centuries. If emissions continue at the current level this ‘other CO2 problem’ is expected to affect marine ecosystems and societies that depend on them. Scientists and governments around the world are mobilising to address this recently emerged issue which only really became a recognized threat about 5 years ago.

Ocean acidification presentation by Dr. Jeremy Mathis at the EARTH Workshop

From July 29 – Aug 2nd, formal and informal educators from around the country (including 10 from Alaska) met in Anchorage and traveled to the remote Kasitsna Bay Lab participate in Alaska’s first EARTH Workshop. EARTH uses near-real-time data from ocean observatories to design and test outreach with the internet as an interface to scientists, teachers, students, and the public. The workshop was co-sponsored by the Monterrey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), the North Pacific Research Board (NPRB), COSEE Alaska, and AOOS.

Among the presenters were Dr. Jeremy Mathis, head of UAF’s Ocean Acidification Research Center and the Alaska expert on ocean acidification. Russ Hopcroft, also of UAF, presented on biological oceanography and spring algal blooms. View the presentations by Jeremy, Russ, and others.