Ocean acidification

Newly hatched snow crab larvae.

Effects of ocean acidification on Snow crab reproduction and early life history

Similar to our southern Tanner crab long-term ocean acidification project, we are examining the effects of long-term exposure to acidified waters on snow crab embryonic development, hatching success, calcification, and larval condition and mortality.

Ovigerous females are being reared in one of three treatments: ambient pH (~8.1), pH 7.8, and pH 7.5 for 2 years. Embryonic developmental stages and morphometics are being examined monthly.

At the end of year 1 and year 2, hatching success is being estimated and larval starvation survival and condition experiments are being conducted. At the end of year 1 after larval hatching, mature males were introduced into the female holding tubs so mating could occur prior to extrusion of eggs used in year 2 of the experiment.

At the end of the project female calcification will be analyzed. Due to the design of this project we will be able to examine carryover effects between oogenesis, embryogenesis, and the first larval stage.

Continue reading ‘Alaska shellfish assessment ocean acidification and climate research’

California launches a new team of experts to inform continued action along the U.S. West Coast

Mission: The Task Force will serve as a responsive advisory body that will provide scientific guidance to the OPC in an ongoing manner to inform continued actions on ocean acidification and hypoxia in California and along the West Coast.

In the past few years, California decision-makers have pursued a diverse set of actions on OAH that span management and policy jurisdictions in response to the West Coast OAH Science Panel’s “Major Findings, Recommendations, and Actions” released in 2016. This includes investments to expand OAH observations and monitoring assets, exploring the role of submerged aquatic habitats (e.g., seagrasses and kelps) as a management tool, advancing modeling to identify drivers of OAH and potential hotspots along the coast, and exploring water quality criteria revisions.

Continue reading ‘California Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia Science Task Force’

There are vast unknowns about the future oceans, from what species or habitats may be most under threat to the continuity of earth system processes that maintain global climate. Modeling can be used to predict future states and explore the impacts of climate change, but several key uncertainties such as carbon-climate feedbacks hamper our predictive power.

Continue reading ‘Sensitivity of future ocean acidification to carbon-climate feedbacks’

Lauren Bell is a PhD student at University of California Santa Cruz, studying algal communities’ responses to ocean acidification and warming. Originally from Homer, she completed her Masters degree in Sitka through UAF and has served as a research biologist at the Sitka Sound Science Center.

Continue reading ‘Alaska Ocean Acidification Network- Scientist interview: Lauren Bell’