Ocean Acidification is an emerging issue of concern in the Pacific Northwest. Oregon, Washington, and California scientists recently began putting their heads together to share information and explore potential mitigation strategies under the West Coast Ocean Acidification & Hypoxia Science Panel.
OA in the PNW: The evidence for ocean acidification in the Pacific Northwest is compelling. It consists of published scientific literature representing a large number of laboratory and field observations. The scientific evidence comes from investigations of the natural and anthropogenic (human-generated) changes to the biogeochemistry of Pacific Northwest waters, responses of organisms to present-day and future conditions, and observations made in aquaculture settings. Check out the very informative Fact Sheet recently released by the West Coast Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia Panel.
Acid Oceans Can be Fought at Home: For coastal communities in the United States, the path to confronting souring seas can likely be found close to home in their very own backyards. This Scientific American article highlights West Coast efforts to address acidification at local scales, including the work of the OAH Panel.
Just Pearly: Check out this new video, featuring OAH Panelist George Waldbusser (Oregon State University), exploring the effects of ocean acidification from the point of view of Oregon's oyster farmers.
