Archive for the 'Resources' Category

State of the global climate 2025

Published 30 March 2026 Newsletters and reports Leave a Comment
Tags: , ,

The temperature of the Earth changes in response to the rate at which energy enters and leaves the Earth system. Increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, all of which reached their highest level in 800 000 years in 2024 (the last year for which we have consolidated global figures), reduce the rate at which energy leaves the Earth system. This imbalance – the Earth’s energy imbalance, a new indicator in this year’s report – leads to an accumulation of excess energy.

One of the longest observational records of climate change is that of global mean near-surface temperature. The past three years are the three warmest years in the 176-year combined land and ocean observational record. The year 2025 is the second or third warmest year, depending on the dataset used, slightly cooler than the record warmth of 2024, due in part to the transition from El Niño at the start of 2024 to La Niña in 2025. The warming seen at the surface and throughout the troposphere represents just 1% of the excess energy trapped by greenhouse gases.

The vast majority of the excess energy – around 91% – has been absorbed by the ocean in the form of heat. Ocean heat content reached a new record high in 2025, reflecting the continued increase in energy.

Another 3% of the excess energy warms and melts ice. In a global set of reference glaciers with long-term measurements, eight of the ten most negative annual glacier mass balances since 1950 have occurred since 2016. The ice sheets on Antarctica and Greenland have both lost significant mass since satellite records began.

The extent of sea ice in the Arctic has decreased in all seasons since satellite measurements began in 1979, and the annual maximum extent in 2025 was the lowest or second lowest in the observed records. Sea-ice extent around Antarctica showed a small long-term increase until 2015, but since then, extents throughout the annual cycle have dropped considerably, and the past four years have seen the four lowest Antarctic sea-ice minima on record.

The warming ocean and melting of ice on land from glaciers and ice sheets have both contributed to the long-term rise in global mean sea level. The rate of global sea-level rise has increased since satellite measurements began in 1993.

The remaining ~5% of the excess energy is stored in the continents, increasing the temperature of the land mass and thereby affecting terrestrial processes.

As well as absorbing the majority of the energy trapped by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases, the ocean has also absorbed around 29% of the anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide in the past decade. While this helps to buffer the effects of climate change, it also alters the chemical composition of the ocean water, reducing the pH in a process known as ocean acidification.

These rapid large-scale changes in the Earth system have cascading impacts on human and natural systems, contributing to food insecurity and displacement where hazards intersect with high vulnerability and limited adaptive capacity.

Continue reading ‘State of the global climate 2025’

Integrated ocean carbon research: a vision primed for implementation

Published 4 March 2026 Newsletters and reports Closed
Tags:

Executive Summary

The mission of the ‘Integrated Ocean Carbon Research’ (IOC-R) programme is to enhance our understanding of the ocean as a changing sink for human-produced CO2 and its climate change mitigation capacity, as well as the vulnerability of ocean ecosystems to increasing CO2 levels. The IOC-R programme aims to provide an actionable foundation for addressing the challenges of ocean carbon research. In doing so, it is contributing to the objectives of the United Nations (UN) Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development by integrating the latest scientific findings and observational data for ocean carbon.

Supported by interdisciplinary research, the understanding of the ocean carbon cycle has advanced significantly since the last release of a report from the IOC-R community (IOC of UNESCO, 2021; Sabine et al., 2024). However, major knowledge and observational gaps remain, leading to considerable uncertainties in model projections. These hamper the development of climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies, including those involving ocean based solutions.

The IOC-R programme itself is co-sponsored by five international research and coordination programmes which have a strong involvement and focus on ocean carbon (Global Carbon Project1, SOLAS2, IMBeR3, CLIVAR4and IOCCP5) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC)6.

This IOC-R report is a global community effort with 72 authors and 13 reviewers from 23 countries. The report aims to guide the scientific focus of these programmes, as well as GOOS7, and to highlight new global cross-cutting priorities of ocean carbon research that help national and international ocean science funding entities determine future areas of investment. It will accomplish this by identifying knowledge gaps and coordinated research approaches to increase understanding about the ocean carbon cycle in a changing world.

The IOC-R community has defined five focus areas for ocean carbon research (Figure ES1), which will be further developed and explained in the report (Section 3):

  1. Evolution of the ocean carbon sink under a changing climate,
  2. The changing role of biology in the ocean carbon cycle,
  3. Carbon exchanges across the land-ocean-ice continuum,
  4. The impact of ocean industrial processes on the ocean bio logical carbon cycle,
  5. Future changes in the carbon cycle from deliberate ocean-based climate interventions.

…

5.b Capacity development

Among the organizations supporting integrated ocean carbon research, nine programmes and organizations, including science networks and programmes, Ocean Decade activities and UN organizations were identified as having a specific mandate in capacity development (Table 1). Many of these focus on human and technical capacity development, as well as awareness raising. However, only a few organizations put emphasis on research policies.

Continue reading ‘Integrated ocean carbon research: a vision primed for implementation’

Summary of ocean acidification data collected by the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program in the U.S. Pacific Islands, 2021—2023

Published 10 February 2026 Newsletters and reports Closed
Tags: , , , , , ,

Coral reefs are among the most biologically diverse and economically valuable ecosystems on earth. They provide billions of dollars annually in food, jobs, recreation, coastal protection, and other critical ecosystem services (Brander & van Beukering, 2013; Costanza et al., 2014). However, these ecosystems are also among the most vulnerable to ocean acidification (OA). Even under the most optimistic model projections, increasing atmospheric and seawater carbon dioxide concentrations are likely to occur over the next few decades, decreasing seawater pH and reducing the availability of the carbonate ion (CO32-) building blocks that corals and other marine calcifiers use to construct reef habitat (Chan & Connolly, 2013; Jiang et al., 2023). OA threatens the persistence of coral reefs by reducing rates of coral and crustose coralline algae (CCA) calcification and accelerating rates of bioerosion, thereby lowering net production of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and compromising the structural complexity and integrity of three-dimensional reef habitat (Cornwall et al., 2021; Hill & Hoogenboom, 2022). As a result, many of the ecological, economic, and cultural values offered by coral reefs could be significantly impacted by OA over the next century.

NOAA’s National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) provides a framework for long-term, national-level monitoring of the U.S.-affiliated coral reef areas. Funded jointly by the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program and Ocean Acidification Program, NCRMP assesses the status and trends of U.S. coral reef ecosystems and supports the management of the nation’s reefs (NOAA Coral Program, 2021). NCRMP’s long-term monitoring of OA and related coral reef ecosystem responses (NCRMP-OA) evaluates patterns and trends in carbonate chemistry and key ecosystem indicators across gradients of biogeography, oceanographic conditions, habitat types, and human impacts. These data sets are used to inform the efficacy of place-based coral reef management in close collaboration with federal, state, and jurisdictional partners.

To assess the progression of OA and impacts on coral reef ecosystems in the U.S. Pacific Islands, NCRMP-OA monitoring includes the following objectives:

  • Conduct carbonate chemistry sampling to monitor spatial variability and temporal change in pH, aragonite saturation state (Ωar), and other carbon system parameters;
  • Conduct diel carbonate chemistry water sampling and oceanographic instrument deployments at select sites;
  • Conduct census-based carbonate budget assessments to estimate rates of coral reef biological carbonate production and erosion.

This report summarizes the monitoring effort and results from 2021–2023 NCRMP-OA sampling and surveys. Additional NCRMP environmental, benthic, and fish data are not included in this report, but they can be accessed at the links provided in the Data Availability section.

Continue reading ‘Summary of ocean acidification data collected by the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program in the U.S. Pacific Islands, 2021—2023’

Upwelling, growing ocean acidification and deoxygenation (video)

Published 26 January 2026 Presentations , Resources Closed
Tags:

Upwelling, growing ocean acidification and deoxygenation: the future of the northern California Current system

Seasonal upwelling in the Northern California Current System supports abundant plankton, fish, and other marine life, but over the past 30 years has also contributed to growing hypoxia and ocean acidification. In this lecture, CMCC Bassi Fellow Samantha Siedlecki associate professor at the University of Connecticut, whose prominent research is informing coastal resilience strategies and helping communities adapt to changing ocean conditions, will shed light on multi-decadal changes in these stressors and how they are influenced by coastal modification of upwelling, contributing to improved projections of future ecosystem health.

The Northern California Current System (nCCS) is known for its high productivity, supporting diverse fisheries through seasonal upwelling – the rise of cold, nutrient-rich waters from the deep ocean to the surface. However, this process also brings environmental challenges for the continental shelf, including hypoxia (low oxygen) and ocean acidification, conditions that have become more frequent and severe over the past 30 years.

In this CMCC Lecture, Samantha Siedlecki, associate professor at the Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, and Bassi Fellow at CMCC Foundation, will present new findings on the historical multi-decadal evolution of compound ocean change in the northern California Current system. Dr. Siedlecki’s results highlight that coastal modification of the upwelling signal appears to amplify rates of deoxygenation and acidification in this system, emphasizing that this process is important to monitor and consider in future ecosystem projections.

The Lecture will explore how both seasonal and long-term changes in upwelling influence oxygen levels and acidity on the continental shelf, and how these changes have been captured using the LiveOcean forecast system to simulate ocean conditions from 1993 to 2022, and key metrics such as the Coastal Upwelling Transport Index (CUTI) and the Biological Effective Upwelling Transport Index (BEUTI).

Finally, the talk will highlight the implications of these findings for marine resource management and for projecting the future health of coastal ecosystems.

Continue reading ‘Upwelling, growing ocean acidification and deoxygenation (video)’

Ocean acidification day of action (video)

Published 23 January 2026 Presentations , Resources Closed
Tags:

The Coastal Acidification Networks (CANs) of the Mid-Atlantic, Gulf of America, Southeast and Caribbean hosted a webinar in recognition of the Ocean Acidification Day of Action on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. Dr. Aurea Rodríguez Santiago, Founder and Director, Taller Ecológico de Puerto Rico, and Dr. De’Marcus Robinson, Postdoctoral Fellow, Florida A&M University, and the CAN coordinators delivered presentations highlighting their work and the actions they are taking to better understand and address the impacts of ocean acidification (OA). The webinar concluded with a panel discussion and Q&A, creating space for dialogue on research, community engagement and collaborative actions to advance ocean acidification awareness and solutions.

Continue reading ‘Ocean acidification day of action (video)’

Yemen fisheries and climate change

Published 31 December 2025 Newsletters and reports Closed
Tags: , ,

Yemen’s extensive coastline, encompassing the southern Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and northwest Arabian Sea, is home to rich marine biodiversity and historically productive fisheries, crucial for the nation’s economy, food security, and livelihoods (Figure 1). However, the intersection of global climate change and a prolonged internal conflict has significantly disrupted marine ecosystems and fisheries management, exacerbating already critical challenges.

This report addresses these pressing issues through two interconnected analyses. The first examines recent climate-driven changes in marine ecosystem health indicators, providing insights into seasonal variability, long-term trends, and impacts from extreme climate events such as Cyclone Tej in 2023. The second analysis investigates the status of Yemen’s fisheries, highlighting historical trends, the impacts of conflict, and gaps in current monitoring and management practices.

Leveraging innovative methodologies, satellite remote sensing, computer vision, and collaborative in situ data collection, the report aims to present a cohesive framework for revitalizing Yemen’s marine research and fisheries management. Ultimately, the findings underscore the urgency of implementing targeted, adaptive, and evidence-based policies to sustain Yemen’s coastal ecosystems and the livelihoods dependent upon them.

The report is structured as follows: Section 1 presents analysis of seasonal variability, climate shocks and extreme events along with longer-term temporal trends on temperature, oceanic biomass and productivity, salinity and ocean acidification in Yemen’s coastal waters; Section 2 presents analysis of the fisheries sector, notably identifying the existing data gaps and the absence of reliable monitoring as a result of the ongoing unrest; based on these analyses, Section 3 proposes a framework for the creation of a dynamic fisheries monitoring and management model; and Section 4 concludes with policy recommendations.

While this study does not include formal projections, observed decadal trends across Yemen’s marine regions allow for indicative interpretation of the likely direction of change in key ecosystem indicators. The table below summarizes historical trajectories (2004 – 2024) of these variables, which may inform expectations of future biological productivity if current drivers persist.

Continue reading ‘Yemen fisheries and climate change’

Why is ocean acidification harmful to krill?

Published 22 December 2025 Presentations Closed

Dive deep into the critical environmental issue of ocean acidification and discover its devastating impact on krill, a tiny creature with a colossal role in marine ecosystems.

This video uncovers the intricate science behind how changing ocean chemistry threatens krill populations worldwide. In this video, you will learn:

  • How rising CO2 levels lead to ocean acidification.
  • The specific biological mechanisms by which acidification harms krill’s shells and physiology.
  • The cascading effects of krill decline on the entire Antarctic food web.
  • The broader implications of ocean acidification for marine biodiversity and global climate.
Continue reading ‘Why is ocean acidification harmful to krill?’

Ocean change in the northeastern Atlantic and adjacent seas: a multi-dimensional challenge for the environment, society, and economy

Published 17 October 2025 Newsletters and reports Closed
Tags: , , , ,

An ocean narrative is a powerful tool for making complex ocean changes better accessible while informing decision-making and inspiring collective action. This ocean narrative reports on ocean change in the northeastern Atlantic and adjacent seas and discusses its broader implications for Europe’s environment, economy, and society. The region is experiencing warming and acidification at rates exceeding the global average, with rising sea levels and record severe marine heatwaves (MHWs). These changes threaten marine ecosystems, biodiversity, cultural heritage, and key economic sectors, such as aquaculture and coastal tourism, which rely heavily on the balance and the health of the ocean. This ocean narrative emphasizes the importance of regional ocean indicators for the northeastern Atlantic and adjacent seas and underscores the importance of localized responses, as ocean changes affect regions differently, particularly in semi-enclosed seas such as the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea. The findings stress the urgency of timely action and the need to strengthen evidence-based and strategic ocean knowledge transfer at the science and policy interface for informed decision-making that balances environmental sustainability, economic resilience, and social inclusivity to address the growing challenges of ocean change in the northeastern Atlantic and its adjacent seas.

Continue reading ‘Ocean change in the northeastern Atlantic and adjacent seas: a multi-dimensional challenge for the environment, society, and economy’

A collaborative assessment of coastal ocean acidification monitoring in Maine & standard operating procedures and best practices for the collection of continuous pH data in coastal marine environments

Published 16 October 2025 Newsletters and reports Closed
Tags: , , ,

The ‘Sensor Squad’ of the Maine Ocean Climate Collaborative is the product of a 2023 Maine Coastal and Marine Climate Action Fund grant to conduct “A two-year pilot project designed to address and overcome technological barriers to ocean acidification data collection, develop protocols to elevate quality assurance and ensure comparable data, and meet regularly to discuss project results and data compilation”. The Squad consists of representatives from Friends of Casco Bay (FOCB), Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve (WNERR), and the University of New Hampshire (UNH). This report is a summary of their efforts to assess affordable, repeatable means of continuously monitoring ocean acidification.

Ocean and coastal acidification (OCA) are a growing concern, and efforts to monitor these changing and potentially damaging conditions are still emerging. This project will inform additional organizations that are working in collaborative ways to understand and track OCA and address goals of both the Maine Ocean Acidification Study Commission and the Maine Climate Council. The project involves field and lab studies to evaluate a glass electrode pH sensor, and then investigations into the use of a regression model to calculate total alkalinity as a second carbonate parameter.

Continue reading ‘A collaborative assessment of coastal ocean acidification monitoring in Maine & standard operating procedures and best practices for the collection of continuous pH data in coastal marine environments’

Planetary Health Check 2025

Published 15 October 2025 Newsletters and reports Closed
Tags: ,

The Planetary Health Check (PHC) Report provides an assessment of the state of our planet. It is based on the Planetary Boundaries (PBs) – the nine processes that are known to regulate the stability, resilience (ability to absorb disruptions) and life-support functions of our planet. Each of these processes, such as Climate Change or Ocean Acidification, is currently quantified by one or two Control variables. The 2025 PHC report concludes that seven out of nine Planetary Boundaries have been breached, with all of those seven showing trends of increasing pressure – suggesting further deterioration and destabilization of planetary health in the near future.

Continue reading ‘Planetary Health Check 2025’

Global ocean change in the era of the triple planetary crisis

Published 15 October 2025 Newsletters and reports Closed
Tags: ,

This ocean narrative is grounded in global ocean indicators and framed around climate, biodiversity, and sustainable development. In 2024, global ocean heat content (OHC) reached record levels, with continued heat uptake of 0.35 ± 0.1 W m−2 and steady acceleration of 0.14 ± 0.1 W m−2 per decade since the 1960s. Sea surface temperatures (SSTs) exceeded 21 °C globally in both 2023 and 2024, while global mean sea level rise reached its highest recorded rate of 4.1 ± 0.1 mm yr−1 (2016–2024). No part of the ocean is untouched by the so-called triple planetary crisis as proclaimed by the United Nations, where pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change are putting pressure on marine systems worldwide. Over 8 % (10 %) of marine biodiversity hotspots, 8 % (11 %) of large marine ecosystems (LMEs), and 14 % (32 %) of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ) are exposed to warming (acidification) beyond global rates. The triple planetary crisis converges across all ocean basins, with 16 % (30 %) of endangered (critically endangered) corals exposed to rapid ocean warming or acidification (rapid pH loss), and 75 % of countries emitting > 10 000 t plastic waste are near critically endangered and endangered corals. These overlapping pressures threaten key species, ecosystems, and the ocean’s role in climate stability. These findings underscore the need for enhanced and sustained ocean observing systems, improved information on uncertainties in indicator design, and robust science-based information to guide policy, planning, and action for protecting the ocean. The ocean is our sentinel, reflecting the health of the planet and the trajectory of future environmental changes. Protecting the ocean through concerted global cooperation informed by integrated evidence-based and strategic ocean knowledge is essential to ensure the ocean can continue to play its crucial role in sustaining life and regulating Earth’s climate.

Continue reading ‘Global ocean change in the era of the triple planetary crisis’

National Coral Reef Monitoring Program socioeconomic monitoring component: summary findings for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 2024

Published 26 September 2025 Newsletters and reports Closed
Tags: ,

The Socioeconomic Component of the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) collects socioeconomic data across all United States (U.S.) coral reef territories and jurisdictions to inform human dimensions indicators. These indicators fall under the broad categories of population demographics, human use of coral reef resources, and knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of coral reefs and coral reef management. The overall goal of this endeavor is to understand the status and trends of each jurisdiction’s population, social and economic structure, interactions with coral reef resources, and responses to local coral reef management. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) uses this information to help address coral reef issues at local, regional, and national levels, as well as to inform continuing research and communication products. NOAA CRCP staff, along with educators and managers in the jurisdictions, use this information to monitor changes in coral reef–dependent communities and jurisdictions and ensure outreach programs are designed to achieve their goals.

This report presents primary data collected for the second socioeconomic monitoring cycle in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) (the first monitoring cycle was completed in 2016). The household survey was conducted in person from February to March 2024. Results are representative of the CNMI resident population as a whole and island strata of Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. Key highlights from the results include:

  • Activity Participation: Over 70% of CNMI residents participated in beach recreation and swimming/wading in both 2016 and 2024, and participation in most activities increased from 2016 to 2024.
  • Seafood: Nearly all (98%) residents consumed seafood in at least some of their meals on average, and 84% of those residents ate seafood from local coral reefs.
  • Importance of Coral Reefs: Over 80% of residents believed that CNMI’s coral reefs were extremely important for coastal protection, food, and human health. Two-thirds of residents also believed that coral reefs were important for cultural events (such as fiestas and ceremonies) and for establishing or maintaining social relationships and family ties.
  • Perceived Resource Conditions: At least 50% of residents believed ocean water quality and the amount of fish in CNMI were good, but residents were generally split on whether these conditions will worsen or improve over the next 10 years.
  • Threats to Coral Reefs: Residents were generally more familiar with a variety of threats to coral reefs in 2024 than they were in 2016. In 2024, the highest increase in familiarity was with coral bleaching. Between 46-49% identified coral bleaching, marine litter, pollution, and ocean acidification as severe threats to coral reefs.
  • Support for Management Strategies: At least 80% of residents supported active coral reef restoration, community participation in marine resource management, new requirements for improved wastewater treatment, and increased restrictions on coastal construction practices to prevent soil and stormwater runoff. From 2016 to 2024, support level for various management strategies generally decreased but was still high overall.
  • Marine Protected Areas: The majority of residents were aware of existing marine protected areas (MPAs) or marine preserves in CNMI. Over 70% of residents believed that MPAs have led to improved coral reef protection, and 64% believed that MPAs have improved the amount and size of fish. Perceptions of most MPA impacts were more negative in 2024 than they were in 2016, but residents were more likely to perceive positive impacts to fishermen livelihoods than in 2016.
  • Conservation Behaviors: Over 80% of residents believed that it was extremely important for CNMI residents to engage in activities that help protect coral reefs. Most residents generally engaged in routine conservation-oriented behaviors such as reducing household electricity or water use or using fewer single-use plastics. Less than 50% of residents had taken longer-term actions such as maintaining or upgrading septic or sewer systems. Commonly stated barriers to action were lack of opportunity, lack of knowledge, and lack of permission.
  • Awareness of Coral Reef Rules and Regulations: Nearly 90% of residents believed it was unacceptable to leave trash on the beach, and 60% believed it was unacceptable to anchor a boat on coral or remove coastal vegetation. Opinions were mixed about the acceptability of touching corals, operating a boat in shallow reef areas, having fires on the beach, and feeding fish, birds, or mammals, suggesting a potential need for more outreach to improve compliance through increased awareness of rules and regulations.
Continue reading ‘National Coral Reef Monitoring Program socioeconomic monitoring component: summary findings for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 2024’

A policy analysis for climate adaptation in Japanese fisheries

Published 16 September 2025 Newsletters and reports Closed
Tags: , ,

Japan plays a key role in the world’s production and consumption of seafood. In 2021, the fishing industry is estimated to have generated over 637 billion Japanese yen for the country’s GDP (Klein, 2024), and the Japanese government ranks as one of the top spenders globally in terms of public sector support for the fisheries sector (OECD, 2022). Additionally, Japan ranks the highest in per capita seafood consumption globally, constituting one of the top three markets for seafood (Guillen et al., 2019; Swartz et al., 2010).

Climate change is rapidly changing Japanese fisheries, which have long been a significant economic and cultural part of Japanese life. This time of change presents an opportunity for the Japanese government to reconsider its approach to fisheries management. Particularly, it presents an opportunity to center equity values in fisheries management, which have traditionally been overlooked relative to other public values such as economy, effectiveness, and efficiency. As climate impacts disproportionately disadvantage marginalized populations in fisheries, it is crucial to incorporate an environmental justice perspective into policymaking. This time of change serves as an opportunity to dismantle long-standing institutions that have been perpetuating social inequities.

This report presents a policy analysis for climate adaptation in Japanese fisheries. The policy analysis report is prepared for the Fisheries Agency of Japan. The objective is to provide the Japanese government with an assessment of policy options that they can consider for climate change adaptation. Findings are discussed in the form of tradeoffs between policy options. We seek to promote equitable policymaking by incorporating equity assessments into our policy analysis.

Continue reading ‘A policy analysis for climate adaptation in Japanese fisheries’

New ocean acidification policy infographics

Published 15 September 2025 Educational Materials , Resources Closed
Tags:

The Ocean Acidification Research for Sustainability (OARS) Outcome 7 is focused on policy engagement for ocean acidification. The Outcome 7 working group recently published a series of infographics on the following themes:

  • Ocean acidification as a risk to marine sectors and coastal communities
  • Ocean acidification information can support local actions
  • Global frameworks and national policies for taking action on ocean acidification

Download the ocean acidification policy infographics here.

Continue reading ‘New ocean acidification policy infographics’

Ocean and coastal acidification monitoring priorities for the Northeast US and Eastern Canada

Published 20 August 2025 Newsletters and reports Closed
Tags: ,

The Interagency Working Group on Ocean Acidification Monitoring Prioritization Plan 2024 calls for Coastal Acidification Networks to identify the ocean and coastal acidification (OCA) monitoring needs most important for their regions. The Northeast Coastal Acidification Network (NECAN) organized a webinar series to study regional needs, which culminated with a workshop in November 2023. This workshop led to the identification of six priority new Monitoring Needs in addition to the maintenance of current monitoring efforts:

  • Improve spatial and temporal scale of monitoring co-located OCA variables and biological measurements to better resolve variability of acidification dynamics in concert with biological processes
  • Increase subsurface monitoring to understand how conditions vary at depth
  • Increase the number of high-frequency monitoring assets that measure at least two of four carbon parameters
  • Increase near-real-time and rapid response observing capacity for episodic events
  • Determine fluxes and rates that would help parameterize and constrain regional modeling efforts to understand past conditions and project future trends
  • Increase spatial coverage of “climate”-quality observations

This report presents monitoring needs and opportunities for consideration by coastal managers, decision makers, researchers, and monitoring groups. It offers options to apply new capacity or funding to the expansion of OCA monitoring in the NECAN region. Writing the report led to the identification of eight cross-cutting actions which will lead to the implementation of these Monitoring Needs:

  1. Expand monitoring beyond carbonate chemistry to provide a complete assessment of OCA, its effects, and future trends.
  2. Enhance or leverage existing monitoring platforms for a cost-effective and collaborative approach to creating a more complete OCA monitoring system in the NECAN region.
  3. Expand the NECAN membership to include protected area experts, terrestrial biogeochemists and hydrologists, fisheries experts, social scientists, Tribal liaisons, project leads from large assessments, and other important stakeholders, rights holders and decision makers.
  4. Increase funding in the Northeast to both sustain currently-stretched efforts and grow a more robust ocean acidification monitoring program.
  5. Pursue immediate implementation of proxy approaches or interim strategies for measurements with technological or capacity limitations, while new technologies are being developed.
  6. Synthesize monitoring information to advance the understanding of OCA in the region.
  7. Deploy monitoring assets strategically, with end-user needs in mind, ensuring that the collected data is accessible, relevant, and useful for decision-making.
  8. Share NECAN’s experience in developing these recommendations with other Coastal Acidification Networks and regional monitoring programs.
Continue reading ‘Ocean and coastal acidification monitoring priorities for the Northeast US and Eastern Canada’

A day in the life of an ocean acidification scientist

Published 29 July 2025 Resources Closed
Tags:

This is the third video in the ProBleu Water Chemistry Science Story. Join Amy Kenworthy from the Plymouth Marine Laboratory as she joins PhD student Lily Anna Stokes in the field and the lab, where she takes samples that will help her uncover how ocean acidification is affecting coastal environments.

Continue reading ‘A day in the life of an ocean acidification scientist’

Ocean acidification exceeded the Planetary Boundary limit back in 2020, according to newest research (video)

Published 25 July 2025 Presentations Closed

I chat about the latest science on Ocean Acidification exceeding the safe planetary boundary in 2020. As global industry continues to accelerate the burning of fossil fuels pumping ever increasing amounts of Greenhouse Gases into the atmosphere, the oceans attempt to absorb more and more of the CO2, greatly increasing the ocean acidity.

Here is all the latest, and not so greatest on global ocean acidification. Since colder water can dissolve more GHGs, the polar oceans are the region facing the greatest ocean acidification threat. However, ocean acidification is still increasing enough in the lower latitude regions posing increasing risk to global coral reefs.

ABSTRACT

Ocean acidification has been identified in the Planetary Boundary Framework as a planetary process approaching a boundary that could lead to unacceptable environmental change. Using revised estimates of pre-industrial aragonite saturation state, state-of-the-art data-model products, including uncertainties and assessing impact on ecological indicators, we improve upon the ocean acidification planetary boundary assessment and demonstrate that by 2020, the average global ocean conditions had already crossed into the uncertainty range of the ocean acidification boundary. This analysis was further extended to the subsurface ocean, revealing that up to 60% of the global subsurface ocean (down to 200 m) had crossed that boundary, compared to over40% of the global surface ocean. These changes result in significant declines in suitable habitats for important calcifying species, including 43% reduction in habitat for tropical and subtropical coral reefs, up to 61% for polar pteropods, and 13% for coastal bivalves. By including these additional considerations, we suggest a revised boundary of 10% reduction from pre-industrial conditions more adequately prevents risk to marine ecosystems and their services; a benchmark which was surpassed by year 2000 across the entire surface ocean.

Continue reading ‘Ocean acidification exceeded the Planetary Boundary limit back in 2020, according to newest research (video)’

Chemical and biological oceanographic conditions in the Labrador Sea from 2019 to 2023

Published 10 July 2025 Newsletters and reports Closed
Tags: , ,

The Atlantic Zone Off-Shelf Monitoring Program samples the AR7W line annually. This report summarises trends from 2019-2023 for three regions: AR7W-W (Labrador shelf and slope), AR7W-C (central Labrador Sea), and AR7W-E (Greenland shelf and slope). Samples revealed a continued increase in dissolved inorganic carbon and a decrease in pH from 2019 to 2023. Mean concentration of CFC-12 decreased in 2020, and SF6 continued its steady increase. Mean temperature from 0-100 m in the Labrador Sea was above normal in 2019, below normal on the next mission (2022), and near or above normal in 2023. Surface (0-100 m) nutrients were mainly below normal from 2019-2023, which could be attributed to mission timing. However, below-average deep nutrients (>100 m, less impacted by sampling timing) suggests a profound change in the biogeochemistry of the Labrador Sea. Integrated (0-100 m) chlorophyll-a was below normal in 2019 and in AR7W-E in 2022-2023, but above normal elsewhere, with a record high value in AR7W-C in 2022 caused by an unusually large bloom of Phaeocystis spp.. Satellite data revealed high variability in the timing of the spring and fall blooms and surface average chlorophyll-a concentration. Mesozooplankton abundances showed high interannual variability since 2019.

Continue reading ‘Chemical and biological oceanographic conditions in the Labrador Sea from 2019 to 2023’

Report presenting the data quality aspects in relation with the submission mechanism requested to report towards the SDG indicator 14.3.1

Published 7 July 2025 Newsletters and reports Closed
Tags: ,

This document is MINKE’s Deliverable 9.12 “Report presenting the data quality aspects in relation with the submission mechanism requested to report towards the SDG indicator 14.3.1”. It describes MINKE perspectives on the monitoring of carbonate system variables, in particular pHT, in order to address the SDG 14.3 request regarding ocean acidification. The D9.12 summarises the carbonate chemistry Best Practices, uncertainty concepts and calculations discussed within MINKE and will be useful for reporting carbonate variables to the SDG ocean acidification portal.

Continue reading ‘Report presenting the data quality aspects in relation with the submission mechanism requested to report towards the SDG indicator 14.3.1’

A mid-decade check-in: the NOAA ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes acidification research plan 2020-2029

Published 19 May 2025 Newsletters and reports Closed

Starting in 2020, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has carried out research guided by the Ocean, Coastal, and Great Lakes Acidification Research Plan: 2020-2029 (the Research Plan). In the ensuing years, NOAA has tracked progress towards implementing the actions in the Research Plan. As we move into the second half of the decade, we would like to take this opportunity to take stock of the progress NOAA has made and reflect on the work ahead to continue to advance the research goals.

Continue reading ‘A mid-decade check-in: the NOAA ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes acidification research plan 2020-2029’

Subscribe

Search

  • Reset

OA-ICC Highlights

Resources