NOAA’s West Coast Ocean Acidification survey is a long-running effort with previous missions like this one aboard the NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown in 2021 seen near an ocean acidification monitoring mooring. Credit: NOAA
Today, researchers set sail for a seventh West Coast Ocean Acidification (WCOA 2026) research mission. Departing from San Diego, CA aboard the University of Alaska, Fairbanks R/V Sikuliaq, the team will travel north to Washington as part of NOAA’s efforts for long-term monitoring ocean acidification and its impacts on marine resources.
This intensive 30-day coastal research cruise faces the unique opportunity of sampling during conditions building toward an extreme El Niño. El Niño brings warmer water and can alter upwelling and precipitation patterns in the region. If it forms as predicted, sea surface temperatures may rise 2℃ (3.6℉) or more above average. Phytoplankton and zooplankton communities would follow these warmer waters, which would impact food webs and fisheries as seen during past marine heatwaves. WCOA 2026 will couple ocean chemistry, biology, and physics to build a more comprehensive view of how extreme events impact biogeochemistry and ecosystems.
Led by researchers at the University of Washington’s Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, & Ecosystem Studies and NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL), researchers will collect high-quality ocean chemistry data, phytoplankton, zooplankton, and other observations. Scientists will also collect environmental DNA, which can reveal the diversity and abundance of ocean life in different ocean conditions.
Data collected during WCOA 2026 are essential for validating models and forecasts of ocean conditions like J-SCOPE. This short term (six to nine month) forecast is used for the California Current Integrated Ecosystem Assessment. High quality ocean carbon chemistry data is required to forecast the saturation state of calcium carbonate, the mineral building block used by shellfish like Dungeness crabs, clams, and oysters.
“Results from past WCOA cruises have provided novel insights into acidification rates and impacts in coastal and estuary habitats that provide our nation with rich fish and shellfish resources,” says Co-Chief Scientist Dr. Simone Alin from PMEL. She also notes that “these findings have also contributed to innovative tools and information products that support healthy fisheries, ecosystems, and communities.” Resource managers and harvesters can use this information to inform fisheries management decisions.
Other coordinated regular coastal fisheries surveys, including the California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI) enhance the impact of WCOA 2026. By conducting biological net tows at established stations, researchers will gain high-quality data on marine life.
Ultimately, the data collected through WCOA 2026 will serve as a foundational benchmark for monitoring, modeling and research in the region. These data will provide calibration information for sensor networks designed to fill measurement gaps between research cruises. With the potential for sampling to occur as ocean conditions change with El Niño, NOAA and our partners will be able to better understand how extreme conditions alter vital marine resources like Dungeness crabs, krill, plankton and other fisheries. The mission concludes on July 16th.
NOAA Ocean Acidification Program, 20 July 2026. Article.
0 Responses to “NOAA sets sail on landmark West Coast Ocean Acidification survey”