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Join Pier2Peer!

Published 7 September 2026 Program , Science Leave a Comment

Apply to Join Pier2Peer!

Pier2Peer is an international mentorship program that pairs mentees who are new to ocean acidification work with experienced mentors in the field. The program aims to foster community among ocean acidification (OA) professionals, build long-term capacity to measure and address OA globally, and provide training opportunities to support careers in OA-related fields. 

Pier2Peer is currently accepting applications for mentees and new mentors! Apply by 30 October 2026 to be considered for the 2026-2027 Pier2Peer Cohort. Before applying, please review eligibility requirements and terms of reference on the Pier2Peer webpage.
 

Mentee Application

Mentee Eligibility Requirements

If you are new to the field of ocean acidification, we encourage you to apply to be a Pier2Peer mentee. Pier2Peer mentees can be at any career stage. The time limit to be a Pier2Peer mentee is 2 years, so if you have already been a mentee for two years under a previous match, you are no longer eligible to apply for the Pier2Peer program as a mentee.

Mentees are expected to be self-motivated and to lead the interactions by reaching out to the mentor, introducing themselves, and scheduling the initial and following meetings. It is recommended that the mentee think about their goals and what they would like to accomplish through this mentorship. They are expected to show up prepared for each meeting and to be respectful of the time the mentor

Mentor Application

Mentor Eligibility Requirements

Any GOA-ON member who is an experienced or senior-level scientist and is actively engaged in ocean acidification research is encouraged to become a Pier2Peer mentor. A Pier2Peer mentor should be willing to regularly communicate with their mentee and should be invested in their mentee’s professional growth. Pier2Peer mentors should also be excited about the opportunity to work with mentees whose backgrounds or experiences may be different from their own.

Mentors are expected to be responsive to the mentee in a timely manner and to help support the mentee’s goals to the best of their ability. The mentor can also consider opportunities that they become aware of within their network and pass them on to the mentee, whether or not those opportunities are directly related to the mentor’s work. Mentors will be contacted on an annual basis to confirm their availability for the upcoming cohort of mentees.

Terms of Reference

The Pier2Peer Program supports active mentee/mentor pairs for one year, with the option to renew for a second year. The limit to participate in the program as a mentee is 2 years. To be considered an active participant, mentees must (1) complete the entrance and exit surveys distributed by the Pier2Peer Coordinator and (2) be in regular contact with their mentor. Mentors and mentees are expected to meet at least quarterly during their time in the Pier2Peer program. Participants are expected to be reliable, enthusiastic, willing to learn and grow, open to sharing knowledge and perspectives, and have aligned expectations on what they hope to gain from the experience.

Following completion of the Pier2Peer program, certificates of completion will be awarded to Pier2Peer mentees in good standing. To earn a certificate, mentees must complete the entrance and exit surveys distributed by the Pier2Peer Coordinator and be in quarterly contact with their mentor and/or in attendance at 2 or more Pier2Peer events throughout their tenure as a mentee.

The Pier2Peer Coordinator facilitates mentor/mentee matching, organizes Pier2Peer programming, and serves as a general resource to help mentee/mentor pairs gain the most from their Pier2Peer experience. To date, the Pier2Peer Coordinator sits within the NOAA Ocean Acidification Program and also serves on the GOA-ON Secretariat.

The Matching Process

When new mentors register for the Pier2Peer Program, their information will be used to generate mentor profiles that will be added to a mentor directory. A mentor profile will consist of biographical data, information about a mentor’s research focus and expertise, and details about their mentorship style. The mentor directory will be updated annually to reflect mentors who are available to accept new mentees for the upcoming cohort.

After mentees are accepted into the Pier2Peer program, they will be directed to the list of available mentors and asked to rank up to five possible mentors with whom they would like to work. By giving new mentees the opportunity to browse the profiles of available mentors, they can identify individuals whose interests, skills, and expertise are most aligned with their specific needs. During this process, the Pier2Peer coordinator may also provide suggestions to the mentees based on their application materials.

The Pier2Peer Coordinator will then use all of the information gathered from the mentors and mentees to suggest new pairs. Participants will be notified of their match via an email containing the name, contact information, and country of their partner.

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Choose Your Own (O)Adventure education tool released

Published 17 August 2026 Educational Materials , Resources , Web sites and blogs Closed
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Choose Your Own (O)Adventure brings an interactive experience for your own learning pathway.

The NOAA Ocean Acidification Program is excited to announce the launch of “Choose Your Own (O)Adventure,” a new interactive tool to help you discover ocean and coastal acidification resources tailored to your specific interests and goals.

Skip the search for quality ocean acidification resources

Instead of wading through an ocean of information, access high-quality resources founded on the best available science and teaching best practices through. Whether you are an educator looking for classroom-ready materials, a student researching a project, or simply someone interested in learning more about how our oceans are changing, this tool makes finding information easier than ever. Dive into our curated collection for ocean and coastal acidification background, classroom ready, or regional and species-specific resources.

What you can do with Choose Your Own (O)Adventure

Our interactive feature in the gallery helps you quickly navigate our curated library to find the exact resources you need or you can browse our full CYOA collection.

  • Filter by Interest: Quickly navigate our curated library to find exactly what you need.
  • Search by Category: Browse resources based on specific criteria, including region, species, or grade level.
  • Find Vetted Content: Access background information and educational tools that have been vetted for teaching and communication best practices.

We invite you to explore the gallery on your own or follow a personalized learning path tailored to your specific interests and goals into our curated collection and follow a personalized learning path to unlock new insights about ocean and coastal acidification.

Also available is our full, searchable resources collection where you can find these materials, multimedia, reports and more.

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Seeing the whole lab: 360° videos as an immersive tool for science teacher education

Published 23 July 2026 Educational Materials , Science Closed
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This presentation explores the use of 360° videos as an immersive, pedagogically structured tool to support pre-service teachers in planning and enacting laboratory-based science activities. A 360° video was developed around an ocean acidification experiment to model fair testing, capturing the full laboratory process. The setting for this project was a science laboratory room that is equipped for physics, chemistry, biology, and environmental science instruction in a teacher education program at a Canadian university. The 360° video allows pre-service teachers to experience the lab procedure, enhancing procedural competence and instructional readiness before conducting experiments with their future students. This pilot also demonstrates the potential for 360° videos to support student science laboratory preparedness, laboratory safety awareness, science learning motivation, and engagement. Future research will examine pre-service teachers’ experiences using the video as a pre-laboratory intervention and extend its use to in-service teacher professional development. This study highlights 360° videos as a scalable, immersive strategy to strengthen teacher preparation and enhance experiential hands-on science learning.

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The Third World Ocean Assessment

Published 20 July 2026 Newsletters and reports , Science Closed
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Share the knowledge on the ocean

The ocean is the foundation of life on Earth. But its health is at grave risk as ecosystems and habitats approach or surpass critical tipping points. In the search for solutions, ocean science is indispensable. The third World Ocean Assessment offers the most comprehensive evaluation to date, providing Governments, institutions and the public with the evidence needed to shape coordinated, effective action.

Five years ago, the previous Assessment found persistent degradation of marine ecosystems. This third Assessment documents a deepening crisis, as climate change, pollution, overfishing and biodiversity loss put ocean systems under severe strain. Its findings demand urgent action, through stronger multilateral cooperation, greater ambition and decisions grounded in the best available science.

This Assessment comes midway through the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. It takes stock of what we have learned, how far we have come and what more is needed to secure a healthy, resilient ocean for current and future generations.

The entry into force of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction in January 2026 marks a historic milestone for ocean stewardship and multilateral cooperation. Now we must translate that momentum, and the latest science, into decisive action for a healthy and resilient ocean.

May this Assessment strengthen our resolve to protect the ocean and, in doing so, help safeguard our climate, our food systems, our prosperity and our future.

António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations

…

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Lessons learned report — GOOD-OARS Summer School 2025

Published 17 July 2026 Courses and training , Newsletters and reports , Science Closed

The GOOD-OARS International Summer School 2025 aimed to equip the next generation of ocean scientists with the multidisciplinary research skills to enhance our understanding of how marine ecosystems will respond over the coming decades and support efforts to address harmful impacts on the ocean.

The Global Ocean Oxygen Decade (GOOD) and the Ocean Acidification Research for Sustainability (OARS) programmes are endorsed under the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) and led by the Global Ocean Oxygen Network (GO2NE) and the Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network (GOA-ON) of IOC-UNESCO.

This Lessons Learned Report provides a summary and key insights on the training from the organisers and participants.

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MACAN coastal acidification in the classroom curriculum- grades 9-12

Published 15 July 2026 Educational Materials , Resources , Science , Web sites and blogs Closed
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This curriculum developed by the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Acidification Network (MACAN) brings coastal and ocean acidification into the classroom in clear, practical ways. It provides complete lesson plans, hands-on activities, and data-driven investigations that support student inquiry while aligning with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

Designed for high school classrooms, the lessons can be taught as a full unit or selected individually to fit existing course needs.

Lesson 1: This section introduces the curriculum and key concepts in ocean acidification through background reading and short videos. It includes NGSS-aligned questions and transcripts that can be used in class or for flipped learning.
Lesson 2: Students learn how carbon moves through Earth’s systems and how emissions affect atmospheric CO₂. An interactive game helps reinforce sources and sinks through hands-on participation.
Lesson 3: Students explore how increased atmospheric CO₂ changes ocean pH and water chemistry. Demonstrations and guided activities help introduce the foundational processes behind ocean acidification.
Lesson 4: Through hands-on lab activities, students investigate the chemical reactions that drive ocean acidification. These labs also introduce how changes in chemistry affect shell formation in marine organisms.
Lesson 5: Students compare ocean and coastal acidification using data and infographics. The lesson emphasizes how estuaries and coastal waters experience different conditions than the open ocean.
Lesson 6: Students examine data on Mid-Atlantic species to understand how decreasing pH affects growth, reproduction, and survival. They connect changes in chemistry to impacts on living organisms.
Lesson 7: Students work individually and in groups to analyze data related to bivalve health. The lesson focuses on interpreting evidence and drawing conclusions about the effects of dissolved CO₂.
Lesson 8 Part 1: This lesson engages students in investigating declining bay scallop populations while exploring the scientific method and experimental design. Students analyze data, build critical thinking skills, and examine coastal acidification’s impacts on biological species.
Lesson 8 Part 2: In Part 2, students apply the scientific method to investigate the bay scallop mystery by reviewing key steps, conducting research, developing hypotheses, and designing experiments to guide their inquiry.
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Ocean acidification education toolkit – Pacific Northwest

Published 15 July 2026 Educational Materials , Resources , Science , Web sites and blogs Closed
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Bring your students into the Pacific Northwest to discover how the ocean acts like a carbon sponge and its effects on salmon and plankton that fuel the ecosystem. This toolkit utilizes effective communication strategies to convey the significance of ocean acidification effects and empower mitigation actions within communities. Tested in classrooms, this toolkit increased ocean acidification literacy for ages 9 and older. Students can become OA Ambassadors as they apply what they know toward ocean acidification solutions.

The toolkit includes four NGSS aligned modules that can be used independently or together. Each module includes the ocean acidification literacy goal, a value that can be used to better engage or connect with students, discussion guide, and solutions students can take part. In addition, an optional script that uses specific language will guide the instructor in successful and effective ocean acidification dialogue.

ModuleDescription
I. Our Ocean: The Giant SpongeStudents learn how the ocean absorbs carbon dioxide and the difference between regular and uncontrolled amounts through a guided demonstration.
II. Our Changing OceanStudents make the connection between carbon dioxide in the ocean and increased acidity. With a simple experiment, they compare ocean acidity now with the past.
III. Swim, Snack, SinkStudents learn about the impacts of increased acidity on the plankton that feed the food web through an interactive activity.
IV. Senseless Salmon!Students understand the impacts of ocean acidification on a salmon’s ability to smell to migrate and avoid predators through a game.
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Korea Ocean Acidification Watch (K-OA Watch)

Published 25 June 2026 Projects , Science , Web sites and blogs Closed

Lead institution:

POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology) – Republic of Korea

Korea Ocean Acidification Watch (K-OA Watch) is joint initiative of POSTECH and the Korea Hydrographic and Oceanographic Agency (KHOA) under the OARS Programme.

Centered on the Ieodo Ocean Research Station (northern East China Sea), the project conducts long-term monitoring of ocean acidification in shelf waters.

Weekly sampling targets three core carbonate parameters (pH, TA, DIC), from which additional parameters are derived. This effort will capture long-term trends, seasonal patterns, and short-term variability in acidification, while also quantifying the carbon uptake capacity of shelf seas and identifying its primary drivers.

All quality-controlled data, methods, and code will be openly shared through global repositories, strengthening OARS syntheses and improving regional OA forecasts.

The outcomes will directly inform risk assessment and adaptation strategies for fisheries and coastal communities, contributing to SDG 14.3 by addressing and mitigating OA impacts.

Start Date: 1/1/2026
End Date: 12/31/2030

Lead Contact: Kitack Lee (ktl@postech.ac.kr)

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Sea to shining sea: NOAA launches dual coastwide ocean acidification research missions

Published 17 June 2026 Program , Science , Web sites and blogs Closed

NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown during the 2021 West Coast Ocean Acidification research cruise with a NOAA mooring measuring ocean chemistry in the foreground. Credit: NOAA

This June, NOAA’s Ocean Acidification Program (OAP) launches two major research missions at sea to track how changing ocean chemistry is affecting marine life along both the East and West coasts of the United States. 

OAP’s East Coast (ECOA-4) and West Coast (WCOA 2026) Ocean Acidification research cruises collect the highest quality information that serve as vital benchmarks for research, monitoring and modeling in each region. By coupling ocean chemistry, biology and physics, researchers are able to better understand how ocean acidification impacts marine life. Each coastwide cruise occurs every four years on average. Data collected during these cruises “serve as a vital back-bone to NOAA’s ocean acidification observing enterprise allowing us to document the primary drivers and risks of acidification along much of the nation’s coastal waters,” says OAP Acting Director Dwight Gledhill. 

Tracking potential El Niño effects

This year’s missions are particularly timely as a predicted El Niño builds during the missions. This concurrence provides a unique opportunity to assess how these conditions affect ocean chemistry and marine ecosystems. El Niño is a natural variation in sea temperature that occurs when weaker than normal trade winds occur. Warmer conditions can shift where marine species occur – and where people need to fish – and significantly alter ecosystems and fisheries. If conditions develop as predicted, ECOA-4 and WCOA 2026 will both capture how El Niño conditions affect ocean acidification and impacts to marine resources. 

Delivering critical information on two coasts

The ECOA-4 research cruise will survey the Atlantic seaboard from Florida to Canadian waters and launches first in early June for a 50-day journey. WCOA 2026 departs from San Diego, CA and heads north to Washington over a month of sampling. Both coastal research cruises collect coastwide data of ocean biogeochemical and physical conditions and how conditions are affecting marine resources. Research cruises are needed to obtain the quality and breadth of measurements required to infer long-term changes and to see how marine life responds to ocean acidification.

Already, each coast has experienced the effects of ocean acidification on fisheries, aquaculture and ecosystems. The data collected by ECOA-4 and WCOA 2026 are fundamental to validating ocean models and forecast changes in ocean acidification and other conditions like hypoxia and warming to better prepare for future impacts to valued fisheries and ecosystems. 

East Coast Atlantic sea scallop fishermen are working together with researchers to develop research and adaptive management strategies addressing the impacts of ocean acidification and warming. The information also validates ocean and other models such as the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Forecast System (CBEFS) used by resource managers, shellfish growers and fishermen. The West Coast, which first saw devastating impacts to oyster farming, now produces forecasts through J-SCOPE that incorporate measures of ocean acidification and other ocean conditions into integrated ecosystem assessments and fisheries management. Research of economically, ecologically and culturally valuable species like Dungeness crab, krill and oysters also benefit from the data produced by these coast-wide research missions.

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NOAA launches fourth East Coast Ocean Acidification mission

Published 17 June 2026 Program , Science , Web sites and blogs Closed

Scientists deploy a CDT rosette that to collect water samples on ECOA-3. Credit: NOAA OMAO

The NOAA Ocean Acidification Program’s (OAP) fourth East Coast Ocean Acidification (ECOA-4) research mission set sail from Newport, RI today to assess ocean acidification and its impacts on marine resources. Over the next several weeks, researchers aboard the NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow will conduct an intensive survey of the Atlantic seaboard, from Florida to Canada’s waters. The team is led by the University of New Hampshire and joined by others at the NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Laboratory, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science and University of Delaware for the duration of the mission through July 28th. 

The predicted upcoming El Niño provides the ECOA-4 mission a unique opportunity to observe changes in ocean chemistry and impacts on ecosystems from surface to seafloor as conditions build. El Niño events bring warmer water, wetter conditions and alter severe weather patterns in the region. This could disrupt plankton communities, shift species distributions, and affect fisheries. A strong El Niño could raise sea surface temperatures 2°C (3.6°F) or more above average. 

ECOA-4 provides an essential “snapshot” of the carbon system and ocean chemistry. Data collected during ECOA-4 “allow us to monitor decadal changes in the coastal ocean and validate regional ocean forecasts essential for decision support,” says OAP’s Acting Director Dwight Gledhill. OAP conducts ECOA cruises every four years on average. By measuring chemistry, biology and physics concurrently, researchers can better understand the complex environmental impacts on the East Coast.

Data collected during ECOA-4 are fundamental to the models and forecasts that resource managers and others use to protect valued regional industries. Key fisheries, such as the Atlantic sea scallop, are impacted by ocean acidification and warming and stand to benefit from improved models and predictions.

Ultimately, the high quality information from ECOA-4, combined with ongoing efforts across the East Coast, provide a more comprehensive understanding of ocean chemistry. Together, coastal communities and industries can better safeguard valuable marine ecosystems and livelihoods against the long-term challenges of ocean and coastal acidification.

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HELCOM strategic approach to ocean acidification

Published 16 April 2026 Newsletters and reports Closed
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Acidification of the global oceans is a major trend. In the past, a well-documented trend of increasing alkalinity has partly counter acted drivers of acidification in the Baltic Sea. However, decrease in pH has been observed in areas of intense respiration of organic matter and hypoxia. General long-term projection indicates intensified acidification of the Baltic Sea.

There is uncertainty in how ocean acidification may impact the Baltic Sea ecosystem in the future. Developing a shared view of the current evidence base would be a first step in HELCOM. This could inform future work on adapting policies or developing new measures. In order to understand ocean acidification of the Baltic Sea, there is a need to better understand the carbon-cycle. Monitoring and measurements of carbon parameters are central to the assessment of eutrophication, a topic which has been a focus area of HELCOM for decades. Alkalinity of the Baltic Sea waters is a key element to be addressed and is a focus area for this strategic approach. There could be differences in alkalinity between surface- and deep-waters that would need to be better understood, and there are knowledge gaps in how the Baltic Sea functions in terms of alkalinity sources and sinks.

The HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan 2021 sets the scene for this HELCOM strategic approach to ocean acidification; “Although acidification is currently not a major trend in the Baltic Sea ecosystem, it is an advancing and significant trend in the world’s oceans, directly connected to carbon dioxide emissions. The long-term forecast for the Baltic Sea also projects an increased acidification, but neither the carbon chemistry of the Baltic Sea nor possible impacts of acidification on biota are fully understood yet, and mitigation measures have not been considered so far. “

The role of HELCOM is to facilitate a science-policy dialogue on how ocean acidification affects the Baltic Sea ecosystem and related services, and to explore options for adaptation to this pressure and encourage actions to reduce CO2 emissions by taking action on climate change.

HELCOM also has a role in coordinating environmental monitoring in the Baltic Sea. An overarching aim of this strategic approach is to develop a future monitoring programme that is optimised on the regional scale in terms of spatial and temporal scope.

This strategic approach describes how HELCOM will use its existing structures to assess and address the emerging pressure of ocean acidification. HELCOM will collaborate with other organisations and institutions to create an evidence base to inform policy actions and measures. HELCOM will coordinate work between its subsidiary bodies to ensure best available scientific knowledge is used to create a coherent response to ocean acidification.

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Acidification in the Earthʼs oceans: trends and persistence

Published 13 April 2026 Newsletters and reports Closed
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This paper applies fractional integration methods to obtain evidence on ocean acidification, namely the decrease in the pH level in the Earth’s oceans, using the annual Hawaii Ocean Time-series Station ALOHA series as well as the logged one for the period 1985-2024. The chosen modelling framework is more general than standard ones based on the I(0) versus I(1) dichotomy and sheds light on the long memory and persistence properties, as well as on the possible presence of trends, in the pH Level in the Earth’s oceans. The results indicate that the series exhibit a negative and significant time trend; however, whether or not the null hypothesis of a unit root is rejected depends on the assumption made about the errors. The key finding (when the errors are not incorrectly specified as I(0) processes) is the presence of long memory, which implies that the effects of shocks are long-lived, regardless of whether or not mean reversion occurs. Moreover, the recursive analysis indicates that both the degree of persistence and the downward trend in the pH level have increased over time. This evidence points to the urgent need for decisive policies to address the issue of ocean acidification and protect marine life and biodiversity.

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State of the global climate 2025

Published 30 March 2026 Newsletters and reports Closed
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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.

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Integrated ocean carbon research: a vision primed for implementation

Published 4 March 2026 Newsletters and reports Closed
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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.

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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
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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.

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Upwelling, growing ocean acidification and deoxygenation (video)

Published 26 January 2026 Presentations , Resources Closed
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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.

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Ocean acidification day of action (video)

Published 23 January 2026 Presentations , Resources Closed
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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.

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Yemen fisheries and climate change

Published 31 December 2025 Newsletters and reports Closed
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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.

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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.
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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
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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.

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