The Cowichan Valley Naturalists are diving into the issue of ocean acidification and the changes it will bring, with guest speaker Dwight Owens of Ocean Networks Canada.
The program, which will take place on Tuesday, April 15 at 7:30 p.m. at the Freshwater Fisheries Ecocentre (1080 Wharncliffe Rd., Duncan) will address the questions of why our oceans are becoming more acidic, what impacts this will have and what can be done to address “this dramatic change in the chemistry of our seas”.
Owens will discuss recent observations of changes in ocean acidity and compare them to patterns over the past 300 million years, putting them into context.
Regions where ocean acidification is occurring most rapidly will be highlighted, along with physical properties and processes in these regions that magnify the impacts on corals, shelled animals and plankton, and ecosystems.
Potential socio-economic impacts will also be outlined.
Owens will also discuss adaptation strategies and individual actions citizens can take to counteract the souring of our seas.
“Recent news of problems with the shell-fish farming industry on Vancouver Island makes this a relevant topic,” said Naturalists Gail and Steve Mitchell.
Andrea Rondeau, The Citizen, 11 April 2014. Article.
