Valenti Sallares, director of the Spanish National Research Council’s Institute of Marine Sciences, explains to us how acidification is impacting our oceans.
Continue reading ‘Understanding how acidification impacts the ocean (video)’Archive for the 'Resources' Category
Understanding how acidification impacts the ocean (video)
Published 17 April 2024 Presentations Leave a CommentIs there a quick fix for ocean acidification?
Published 17 April 2024 Educational Materials , Resources Leave a CommentTags: resource, video
The ocean is getting more and more acidic. Can we solve it by emptying a giant bottle of antacid into the ocean? No… but the idea of lowering the ocean’s acidity in order to decrease global carbon dioxide levels isn’t all bad. Let’s dive into the science behind ocean alkalinization, and how it could be one part of a larger solution to our global climate crisis.
How Tuesday webinar: coastal and ocean acidification data
Published 21 March 2024 Presentations ClosedOur 3/19/24 “How Tuesday” provided a tour of the Portal’s coastal and ocean acidification monitoring sites maps and an overview of acidification in the Mid-Atlantic. A collection of seven acidification-related maps in the Portal’s Water Quality theme were recently expanded to include 20,000 additional sites where sampling is currently being or has been conducted recently in the region. Taken together, the maps serve as a valuable tool for the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Acidification Network (MACAN) in its goal to develop a robust network that monitors for changes to the region’s water chemistry. The webinar featured a presentation by Carly LaRoche, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Virginia in the Department of Environmental Sciences. Her current research focuses on coastal carbonate chemistry trends at the Virginia Coast Reserve Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) site and also studies the influence of wastewater effluent on coastal acidification in Buzzards Bay, off the Massachusetts coast. Over the past year, Carly has been collaborating with MACAN and MARCO to produce a Coastal and Ocean Acidification Monitoring Inventory for the Mid-Atlantic region.
Continue reading ‘How Tuesday webinar: coastal and ocean acidification data’Marine carbon dioxide removal: from blue carbon to ocean alkalinity enhancement (text & video)
Published 20 March 2024 Events , Presentations ClosedUnraveling the potential of seagrass and macroalgal ecosystems as climate change refugia (presentation)
Published 4 March 2024 Events , Presentations ClosedThe reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is essential to slow down the velocity of climate change. Likewise, the complementary implementation of other mitigation and adaptation strategies is equally important to increase environmental, social, and economic resilience. In coastal areas, one strategy is to focus conservation and management actions on foundation species of marine macrophytes, such as seagrasses and macroalgae. First, the capacity of these ecosystems to store carbon in the long term (blue carbon) makes them important carbon sinks at global scales. Second, their capacity to enhance organisms’ resilience, by minimizing environmental stress through the generation of chemical habitats, makes them important ecosystems to consider as local ocean acidification refugia. However, the complexity and high dynamism of biogeochemistry in coastal seawater, and the scarcity of comprehensive studies, have created uncertainty regarding the generality of potential benefits. Thus, the role of seagrass and macroalgal ecosystems as climate change refugia or hotspots of carbon sequestration is largely unresolved. This talk will show a synthesis of the latter research on these topics and will give a glance at how these concepts can also be applied to seaweed aquaculture as an effective measure to fight climate change in coastal areas.
Continue reading ‘Unraveling the potential of seagrass and macroalgal ecosystems as climate change refugia (presentation)’Collaboration with Canada strengthens ocean acidification science
Published 23 February 2024 Media coverage , Program ClosedNOAA Fisheries continues to foster collaboration with Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Postdoctoral researcher Sam Gurr recently went on an international exchange to advance research on the effects of ocean acidification on shellfish.
Scientists at NOAA Fisheries’ Milford Laboratory in Connecticut, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Pacific Biological Station in British Columbia recently participated in a scientific exchange. It was supported by an Ocean Acidification Collaborative Funding Initiative award to share ocean acidification research methods.
Each laboratory hosted an early-career scientist from the other lab for one week to collaborate and learn methods to examine the effects of ocean acidification on marine invertebrates. The exchange ensures that both research teams can reproduce experimental conditions and measure how shellfish respond to change.
Continue reading ‘Collaboration with Canada strengthens ocean acidification science’New version of the R package seacarb available
Published 19 February 2024 Projects , Science ClosedTags: chemistry, methods
The R package seacarb calculates parameters of the seawater carbonate system and includes functions useful for ocean acidification research. It has just been updated to v3.3.3. It is recommended to use this version rather than any of the earlier ones. The new or updated functions are listed below (thanks to James Orr). The seacarb ChangeLog provides more details:
Continue reading ‘New version of the R package seacarb available’Brian Cox School Experiments: ocean acidification – classroom video (video)
Published 15 February 2024 Educational Materials ClosedThe Royal Society has produced a new set of videos and resources, presented by Professor Brian Cox, based around new and emerging STEM technologies. In this video, Brian joins a teacher to demonstrate an ocean acidification activity, including set-up, demonstration and the experiment being taught with a secondary science class.
Continue reading ‘Brian Cox School Experiments: ocean acidification – classroom video (video)’Brian Cox School Experiments: ocean acidification – research video (video)
Published 14 February 2024 Educational Materials , Resources ClosedThe Royal Society has produced a new set of videos and resources, presented by Professor Brian Cox, based around new and emerging STEM technologies. In this video, we visit Dr Helen Findlay at Plymouth Marine Laboratory, researching the impacts of changing ocean conditions upon marine life. This video links to two others in the series including an ocean acidification classroom activity.
The Royal Society, via YouTube, 29 January 2024. Video.
Policy brief: Ocean acidification poses another threat to the Baltic Sea ecosystem
Published 9 February 2024 Newsletters and reports ClosedIn the coming decades, ocean acidification is expected to become significant also in the Baltic Sea. For an already stressed ecosystem, it represents an additional pressure, and the cumulative effect of this and other environmental impacts can stress species and reduce biodiversity. Protecting the unique environment and future food production requires both significant reductions in carbon dioxide emissions and measures against eutrophication, overfishing and emissions of hazardous substances.
Recommendations
- Increase efforts to meet the carbon emission targets agreed at global and EU level.
- Accelerate action to reduce nutrient inputs from land and thus eutrophication, overfishing and emissions of hazardous substances.
- Promote a national and international ban on the discharge of scrubber washwater into the sea, which can cause severe acidification locally, and encourage the development of alternative fuels.
- Extend the acidification monitoring programmes in both space and time on a resolution that is relevant for species and ecosystems, and combine with biological observations.
- Promote biological research on Baltic species and ecosystems to evaluate their sensitivity to ocean acidification in combination with other local drivers.
Rutgers researchers observe unusual ocean conditions
Published 12 January 2024 Media coverage , Projects Closed
OFF TO WORK: Two underwater robots, called gliders, are deployed last year to observe water quality along the state’s coastal shelf. Gliders move up and down through the water column and take measurements every two seconds. (Photo credit: Chip Haldeman, Rutgers University)
Two Rutgers University scientists recently discussed the possible implications of their findings last summer of low dissolved oxygen and pH off the New Jersey coast, which concurred with numerous reported mortalities of fish, lobsters and crabs.
Grace Saba and Josh Kohut work within Rutgers’s Center for Ocean Observing Leadership, in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences. The center, as the university notes, maintains the world’s most advanced coastal ocean observatory, with platforms consisting of satellite imagery, a radar network for surface current mapping and waves, and a fleet of long-duration autonomous underwater vehicles, called gliders, equipped with physical, chemical and biological sensors.
Continue reading ‘Rutgers researchers observe unusual ocean conditions’Exploring our changing ocean: impacts and response to ocean acidification in the U.S.A.
Published 11 January 2024 Educational Materials , Resources Closed
The ocean has absorbed approximately 90% of excess heat and 25% of the carbon dioxide emissions released into the atmosphere by humans. This increased carbon pollution has consequences for our ocean.
Working together, the OA Alliance, Aquarium Conservation Partnership and NOAA’s Ocean Acidification Program are advancing communications about climate-ocean changes occurring regionally in the U.S. by presenting localized information on unique impacts, responses, and calls to action taking shape across the country.
By regionalizing information and storytelling, “Exploring Our Changing Ocean: Impacts and Response to OA” is supporting education, outreach and calls to action that associated aquarium partners and science institutions can utilize across their larger climate change narratives and outreach efforts.
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Continue reading ‘Exploring our changing ocean: impacts and response to ocean acidification in the U.S.A.’SOARCE Webinar Series: Ocean Acidification in the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa
Published 10 January 2024 Courses and training , Presentations ClosedAmerican Samoa is home to some of the most resilient coral reefs in the world. From the 500-year-old giant Porites corals in Ta’u, to the heat resistant “super corals” in Ofu, and the thriving coral communities in Fagatele Bay. The reefs protect the shorelines, provide food for families, and play an integral role in Samoan culture and heritage. The National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa is working with partners to better understand how ocean acidification may affect these resources and the communities that rely on them. Efforts include monitoring ocean acidification indicators, integration of ocean acidification into climate vulnerability and adaptation efforts, and education and outreach.
Sharing Ocean Acidification Resources for Communicators and Educators (SOARCE) webinar series aims to promote a better supported society. It is an initiative of the Ocean Acidification Programme (OAP) developed and implemented by NOAA.
Continue reading ‘SOARCE Webinar Series: Ocean Acidification in the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa’The Ocean of Tomorrow: Episode 2 with Linn Hoffmann – Ocean Acidification and the Marine World
Published 8 January 2024 Educational Materials , Presentations , Resources ClosedWelcome to our new Ocean Acidification series!
This expert talk is based on chapter 2 in The Ocean of Tomorrow teachers booklet, created by the New Zealand Marine Studies Centre and can be downloaded in the link below.
This short talk is perfect for teacher and student PD! Use the video as a stand-alone or together with the classroom activity demonstrated in The Ocean of Tomorrow: Activity 2B. Enjoy!
Continue reading ‘The Ocean of Tomorrow: Episode 2 with Linn Hoffmann – Ocean Acidification and the Marine World’The Ocean of Tomorrow: Episode 1 with Kim Currie – Ocean Acidification and the Marine World
Published 2 January 2024 Educational Materials , Resources ClosedWelcome to our new Ocean Acidification series for teachers and students!
This expert talk is based on chapter 1 in The Ocean of Tomorrow teachers booklet, created by the New Zealand Marine Studies Centre and can be downloaded in the link below.
This short talk is perfect for teacher and student PD! Use it as a stand-alone or together with the classroom activity demonstrated in The Ocean of Tomorrow: Activity 1B. Enjoy!
Continue reading ‘The Ocean of Tomorrow: Episode 1 with Kim Currie – Ocean Acidification and the Marine World’COP28 session – Ocean Carbon Dioxide Removal: Science, Governance and Policy for safe and transparent implementation
Published 14 December 2023 Events , Presentations ClosedThe ocean is the planets’ largest carbon reservoir. Interest in using marine spaces to facilitate CDR for climate change mitigation must be based on solid science and address environmental impacts, risks, co-benefits, technical feasibility, cost effectiveness and political/societal acceptance.
Speakers: Christopher Pearce (NOC, UK); Shaun Fitzgerald (Cambridge, UK); Ken Buesseler (WHOI, USA); David Koweek (Ocean Visions, USA); Margret Leinen (Scripps, USA); Paul Holtus (WOC, USA); Sarah Cooley (Ocean Conservancy, USA); Nianzhi Jiao (Xiamen, China); Miranda Böttcher (SWP, Germany)
UN Climate Change – Events, YouTube, 11 December 2023. Video & text.
The IAEA Coordinated Research Project (CRP) “Evaluating the Impact of Ocean Acidification on Seafood – a Global Approach” concludes its 5-year work
Published 12 December 2023 Meetings , Projects Closed
The IAEA Coordinated Research Project (CRP) “Evaluating the Impact of Ocean Acidification on Seafood – a Global Approach”, supported by the Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre (OA-ICC), conducted its final meeting on 4-7 December 2023 at the IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories in Monaco. Spanning over a period of five years (2018-2023), the project brought together scientists affiliated with research institutions from 14 IAEA Member States (Argentina, Bahamas, Brazil, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Egypt, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Morocco, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey), creating a joint platform for collaboration on a project of shared interest in the area of seafood security with broader socio-economic implications.
Using a jointly agreed research protocol developed at the first project meeting in Sweden in 2019, all participating scientists embarked on a long-term laboratory experiment (8 months) on select species of particular economic, social and cultural relevance for their countries. A total of 16 species – from mollusks and crustaceans to echinoderms and fish – were submitted to lower pH treatments to assess the impact of ocean acidification on organism development and performance, observe existing resilience and/or adaptation pathways and prompt potential local aquaculture measures and vaster global mitigation solutions.
Continue reading ‘The IAEA Coordinated Research Project (CRP) “Evaluating the Impact of Ocean Acidification on Seafood – a Global Approach” concludes its 5-year work’OA-ICC virtual exhibition booth at COP28 Virtual Ocean Pavilion
Published 1 December 2023 Events , Resources Closed
The IAEA Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre (OA-ICC) joined this year’s Virtual Ocean Pavilion running on the sidelines of the UNFCCC COP28 in Dubai, UAE, from 22 November to 12 December 2023.
Our exhibition booth, located under the Exhibit Hall area of the pavilion, offers all visitors relevant information on the main project activities in the areas of science, capacity building and communication, also emphasizing the role that the IAEA plays in ocean acidification research through the use of nuclear sciences and technology, its leadership in coordinated global action and potential solution design. The booth gives access to useful resources developed under the project (news stream, bibliographic database, data compilation on the biological response to ocean acidification), publications, videos and links to other relevant information platforms curated by OA-ICC’s partners.
Continue reading ‘OA-ICC virtual exhibition booth at COP28 Virtual Ocean Pavilion’
