Expert panel to address ocean acidification

Increasing acidity of seawater in Hood Canal and along the Washington Coast may be killing off the larval form of shellfish like nowhere else in the world, according to researchers studying the problem.

Such findings — with alarming implications for the shellfish industry — were the impetus for Gov. Chris Gregoire to convene a blue-ribbon panel of 25 scientists, shellfish growers and political leaders, who will examine the latest studies and make recommendations by Oct. 1.

The panel, headed by Bill Ruckelshaus and Jay Manning, was scheduled to hold its first meeting in Seattle on Friday. The agenda includes a review of the latest scientific findings and approval of a schedule for six upcoming meetings. This panel is the first in the United States to focus on regional problems related to ocean acidification, officials say.

Carbon dioxide in oceans harm Washington’s shellfish, panel says (video)

Go down to Seattle’s Pike Place Market, or any place you can buy fresh seafood, and take a walk past the oysters and the clams.

They are all threatened by what scientists say is the unbalance between acidity and alkalinity in the oceans. Experts say it happens as the oceans, which cover most of the Earth’s surface, absorb carbon dioxide into the water.

Scientists explain it as acting like a soft drink, driving down a shellfish’s pH levels. A Coke is safe for us to drink, but if you were an oyster sitting on the bottom of the bottle, eventually your shell would dissolve.