a news stream provided by the Ocean Acidification International Coordination Center (OA-ICC)
A selection of educational resources for the high school classroom:
NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program. Resource.
Resource type: website
Resource format: webpage
The Coral Reef Conservation Program is a partnership between the NOAA Line Offices that work on coral reef issues. We bring together expertise from across NOAA for a multidisciplinary approach to understanding and conserving coral reef ecosystems.
NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program. Resource.
Resource type: website
Resource format: webpage
Education and outreach are vital to improving the public’s awareness and understanding of ocean acidification. This includes not only increasing the general awareness that ocean acidification is happening now, but also understanding the current scientific knowledge and impacts of our ocean’s changing chemistry.
NOAA Ocean Acidification Program (OAP). Resource.
Resource type: website
Resource format: webpage
We, as humans, are deeply connected to our ocean whether we realize it our not. Our ocean regulates climate like the heart regulates blood flow in our bodies. Humidity, rain, and temperature are all controlled by our ocean. Burning fossil fuels adds excess heat and carbon dioxide that disrupt this system and make it harder to maintain a stable climate.
OCEAN ACIDIFICATION: Our ocean absorbs excess CO2 when we burn fossil fuels to power cars and create electricity. This excess CO2 increases acidity in our ocean on a global scale.
COASTAL ACIDIFICATION: Nutrients entering the water from land exacerbates acidification in near shore waters.
NOAA Ocean Acidification Program (OAP). Resource.
Resource type: graphic/poster
Resource format: document/pdf
Educators, students, and curious people everywhere — come explore the ocean and atmosphere.
The NOAA Education Portal is your one-stop shop to connect with learning and teaching resources about the ocean and atmosphere. Discover curricula, lesson plans, and real-time data to bring NOAA science into your classroom. Explore opportunities for educators and students of all levels. Apply for competitive funding for education projects.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Resource.
Resource type: website
Resource format: webpage
The mission of the NOAA Ocean Acidification Program (OAP) is to better prepare society to respond to changing ocean conditions and resources by expanding understanding of ocean acidification, through interdisciplinary partnerships, nationally and internationally. The content on this channel includes various seminars the NOAA Ocean Acidification Program has hosted to increase understanding of ocean acidification and tools that are available to scientists, educators, and communicators
NOAA Ocean Acidification Program (OAP). Resource.
Resource type: film
Resource format: video
With support from the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Union, the CarboSchools project developed eight experiments for students. The experiments help young people to understand the basics of ocean acidification. In the first half, all eight experiments are explained in great detail. Teachers will find information on the preparation and running of the experiments as well as answers to any questions.
BIOACID, 1 September 2012. Resource.
Resource type: guides/manuals
Resource format: document/pdf
Marine Conservation Institute is dedicated to securing permanent, strong protection for the oceans’ most important places for us and future generations. It uses the latest science to identify important marine ecosystems, advocate for their protection, and measure progress toward effective, sustainable marine protection.
Marine Conservation Institute (MCBI). Resource.
Resource type: website
Resource format: webpage
A selection of brochures related to ocean acidification:
Biological Impacts of Ocean Acidification (BIOACID). Resource.
Resource type: website
Resource format: webpage
A healthy ocean is essential to all life on Earth. The ocean is not limitless, and today, marine species and ecosystems are facing unprecedented threats due to human use and destructive practices.
Scientific studies have confirmed that well-regulated, well-enforced marine protected areas (MPAs) can provide significant ecological benefits, increase resilience to natural and anthropogenic disturbances, and allow for ecosystem recovery. For example, fully- and highly-protected MPAs can allow depleted fish populations to recover, serve as refuges for endangered species, and increase resilience to climate change.
At the Marine Conservation Institute, we utilise the best available science to identify important marine ecosystems and advocate for their protection. We advocate for the creation of MPAs, strong and effective regulations, and preserving representative and special areas in the world’s oceans. We have been doing this work since the onset of our organization and will continue to do so as we strive toward 30% of the ocean protected by 2030.
Marine Conservation Institute (MCBI). Resource.
Resource type: website
Resource format: webpage
From the Arctic to the tropics, ocean acidification changes life in the sea. By absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere, the ocean slows down global climate change. But in seawater, the greenhouse gas causes a chemical reaction with far-reaching consequences: carbonic acid is formed, and the pH drops. Many plants and animals that build their shells or skeletons of calcium carbonate are at serious risk, because they need more energy to maintain growth in more acidic water. Also the development of important food fish can be affected. Organisms that convert carbon dioxide into energy by photosynthesis, however, could benefit. In addition, certain species are able to adapt to new conditions in the long run. The roles in the marine food web are redefined, while other factors such as rising temperatures, loss of oxygen, eutrophication, pollution or overfishing additionally might further influence the effects of ocean acidification.
The German research network BIOACID examines the effects of acidification on the life and biogeochemical cycles in the ocean – and on all those who depend on it.
The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) supports the project that is coordinated by GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel.
Biological Impacts of Ocean Acidification (BIOACID), 1 November 2016. Resource.
Resource type: film
Resource format: video
Scientists refer to ocean acidification as the other carbon problem. The first, of course, is global warming.
People have heard about global warming for decades, but it’s only over the past five years that experts really understood that the carbon dioxide is causing a problem for the oceans as well.
When we burn coal, oil, and gas, we introduce carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, but the atmosphere touches the ocean over 70 percent of Earth’s surface, so this carbon dioxide we’re putting into the atmosphere we are also putting into the ocean.
What happens when so much carbon dioxide, 22 millions tons of it each day, mixes with ocean water? In terms of chemistry, the answer is simple: it becomes an acid.
Since the industrial revolution, the ocean acidity has increased by 30. If we continue to pollute as we are right now, the ocean acidity will double by the end of the century compared to pre-industrial times. That’s a big problem.
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Resource.
Resource type: film
Resource format: video
This publication from the Australian Academy of Science aims to address confusion created by contradictory information in the public domain. It sets out to explain the current situation* in climate science, including where there is consensus in the scientific community and where uncertainties exist.
‘The science of climate change: questions and answers’ were prepared by a working group of nine members co-chaired by Dr Ian Allison FAA and Professor Mike Raupach FAA FTSE. The document was also reviewed by an oversight committee of eight members chaired by Professor John Zillman AO FAA FTSE. This publication is an update of the Academy’s 2010 booklet of the same name.
Australian Academy of Science, 1 February 2015. Resource.
Resource type: website
Resource format: document/pdf
Calcified coralline algae are ecologically important in rocky habitats in the marine photic zone worldwide and there is growing concern that ocean acidification will severely impact them. Laboratory studies of these algae in simulated ocean acidification conditions have revealed wide variability in growth, photosynthesis and calcification responses, making it difficult to assess their future biodiversity, abundance and contribution to ecosystem function. Here, we apply molecular systematic tools to assess the impact of natural gradients in seawater carbonate chemistry on the biodiversity of coralline algae in the Mediterranean and the NW Pacific, link this to their evolutionary history and evaluate their potential future biodiversity and abundance. We found a decrease in the taxonomic diversity of coralline algae with increasing acidification with more than half of the species lost in high pCO2 conditions. Sporolithales is the oldest order (Lower Cretaceous) and diversified when ocean chemistry favoured low Mg calcite deposition; it is less diverse today and was the most sensitive to ocean acidification. Corallinales were also reduced in cover and diversity but several species survived at high pCO2; it is the most recent order of coralline algae and originated when ocean chemistry favoured aragonite and high Mg calcite deposition. The sharp decline in cover and thickness of coralline algal carbonate deposits at high pCO2 highlighted their lower fitness in response to ocean acidification. Reductions in CO2 emissions are needed to limit the risk of losing coralline algal diversity.
Continue reading ‘Major loss of coralline algal diversity in response to ocean acidification’Pseudo-nitzschia australis (Frenguelli), a toxigenic pennate diatom capable of producing the neurotoxin domoic acid (DA), was examined in unialgal laboratory cultures to quantify its physiological response to ocean acidification (OA) – the decline in pH resulting from increasing partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) in the oceans. Toxic blooms of P. australis are common in the coastal waters of eastern boundary upwelling systems (EBUS), including those of the California Current System (CCS) off the west coast of the United States where increased pCO2 and decreased seawater pH are well-known. This study determined the production of dissolved (dDA) and particulate DA (pDA), the rates of growth and nutrient (nitrate, silicate and phosphate) utilization, cellular elemental ratios of carbon and nitrogen, and the photosynthetic response to declining pH during the exponential and stationary growth phases of a strain of P. australis isolated during a massive toxic bloom that persisted for months along much of the U.S. west coast during 2015. Our controlled lab studies showed that DA production significantly increased as pCO2 increased, and total DA (pDA + dDA) normalized to cell density was 2.7 fold greater at pH 7.8 compared to pH 8.1 (control) during nutrient-limited stationary growth. However, exponential growth rates did not increase with declining pH, but remained constant until pH of 7.8 was reached, and then specific growth rates declined by ca. 30%. The toxin results demonstrate that despite minimal effects of OA observed during the nutrient-replete exponential growth phase, the enhancement of DA production, notably the 3-fold increase in particulate DA per cell, with declining pH from 8.1 to 7.8 during the nutrient-depleted stationary phase, supports the hypothesis that increasing pCO2 will result in greater toxic risk to coastal ecosystems from elevated ambient concentrations of particulate DA. The ecological consequences of decreasing silicate uptake rates and increasing cellular carbon quotas with declining pH may potentially ameliorate some negative impacts of OA on Pseudo-nitzschia growth in natural systems.
Continue reading ‘Effects of ocean acidification on the growth, photosynthetic performance, and domoic acid production of the diatom Pseudo-nitzschia australis from the California Current System’Coralline algae play foundational roles in coastal ecosystems and are globally significant components of benthic habitats down to the limits of the photic zone. Despite their vulnerability to ocean acidification (OA) and importance in low light environments, there is a limited understanding of how the interplay between irradiance and OA influences coralline reproduction and recruitment. To better understand this interaction, a 212-day experiment was run exposing coralline communities to two pH(T) levels (present-day pH(T) 8.07/ OA pH(T) 7.65) and a gradient of daily light dose (0.35, 0.17 and 0.1 mol m-2 d-1), based on in situ measurements. In the highest light dose treatment, lowered seawater pH projected for 2100 (pH(T) 7.65) reduced recruitment by 56%. This OA-driven reduction in recruitment was amplified under reduced light, with recruitment near zero in the lowest light treatment. This study shows, for the first time, the increased vulnerability of coralline community recruitment to OA under low light. Coralline algae are known to be the deepest growing macroalgae and thus, in these low light zones, OA many have the potential to reduce coralline depth distribution.
Continue reading ‘Low irradiance amplifies negative effects of ocean acidification on recruitment of coralline algae communities’In this study, the variations of the seawater carbonate system parameters and air-sea CO2 flux (FCO2) of Shen’ao Bay, a typical subtropical aquaculture bay located in China, were investigated in spring 2016 (March to May). Parameters related to the seawater carbonate system and FCO2 were measured monthly in 3 different aquaculture areas (fish, oyster and seaweed) and in a non-culture area near the bay mouth. The results showed that the seawater carbonate system was markedly influenced by the biological processes of the culture species. Total alkalinity was significantly lower in the oyster area compared with the fish and seaweed areas, mainly because of the calcification process of oysters. Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and CO2 partial pressure ( pCO2) were highest in the fish area, followed by the oyster and non-culture areas, and lowest in the seaweed area. Oysters and fish can have indirect influences on DIC and pCO2by releasing nutrients, which facilitate the growth of seaweed and phytoplankton and therefore promote photosynthetic CO2 fixation. For these reasons, Shen’ao Bay acts as a potential CO2 sink in spring, with an average FCO2 ranging from -1.2 to -4.8 mmol m-2 d-1. CO2 fixation in the seaweed area was the largest contributor to CO2 flux, accounting for ca. 58% of the total CO2 sink capacity of the entire bay. These results suggest that the carbonate system and FCO2 of Shen’ao Bay were significantly affected by large-scale mariculture activities. A higher CO2 sink capacity could be acquired by extending the culture area of seaweed.
Continue reading ‘Impacts of large-scale aquaculture activities on the seawater carbonate system and air-sea CO2 flux in a subtropical mariculture bay, southern China’In light of the chronic stress and mass mortality reef-building corals face under climate change, it is critical to understand the processes essential to reef persistence and replenishment, including coral reproduction and development. Here we quantify gene expression and size sensitivity to ocean acidification across a set of developmental stages in the rice coral, Montipora capitata. Gametes and then embryos and swimming larvae were exposed to three pH treatments ranging from 7.8 (Ambient), 7.6 (Low) and 7.3 (Xlow) from fertilization to 9 days post-fertilization. Embryo development and size, planula volume, and stage-specific gene expression were compared between treatments at each stage to determine the effects of acidified seawater on early development. While there was no measurable size differentiation between fertilized eggs and embryos at the prawn chip stage exposed to ambient, low, and extreme low pH, early gastrula and planula raised in reduced pH treatments were significantly smaller than those raised in ambient seawater, suggesting an energetic cost to developing under low pH. However, no differentially expressed genes emerged between treatments at any time point, except swimming larvae. Larvae from pH 7.6 showed upregulation of genes involved in cell division, regulation of transcription, lipid metabolism, and oxidative stress in comparison to the other two treatments, and smallest sizes in this treatment. While low pH appears to increase energetic demands and trigger oxidative stress, the developmental process is robust to this at a molecular level, with swimming larval stage reached in all pH treatments.
Continue reading ‘Energetics but not development is impacted in coral embryos exposed to ocean acidification’They are the archives of the oceans. Corals are a great indicator of how much human activities affect our oceans. Funded by the Franco-German fellowship program “Make Our Planet Great Again,” researchers in the U Bremen Research Alliance are studying the extent of global warming in tropical waters.
The forearm-thick whitish drill core held by Dr. Henry Wu of the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) has come a long way. It originates from a stony coral from the coastal region off Rotuma, an island in the Republic of Fiji, more than 15,000 kilometers from Bremen. The oldest corals being examined by the paleo-climatologist are more than 100,000 years old. In the course of their lives, they have accumulated a vast amount of information.
Corals grow on average a few millimeters per year. They thrive best in clean water and live up to 50 meters below the surface of the sea, where sunrays can still reach them. Just like the growth rings of trees, the micro samples from their calcareous skeleton tell of changing environmental conditions: temperature fluctuations, the amount of rainfall, ocean acidification, and salinity – and they do so with month-to-month precision.
Wu is using these archives of the ocean within the context of his five-year research project. “Climate has always been changing naturally. We want to know: How profound were these changes? What impact has industrialization had since the beginning of the 19th century?” says the researcher. “If we know the past, we can better predict the future.”
Continue reading ‘Corals – witnesses to the climate emergency’A 3-Day, In-person Professional Development workshop for Middle and High School Teachers
Date: 23-25 August 2021
Time: 9:00 am – 4:30 pm PDT
Location: Padilla Bay NERR, 10441 Bay View-Edison RD, Mount Vernon, Washington 98273, United States, View Map
Participants in this workshop will:
What you will receive:
21 STEM Clock Hours (free)
Ocean Sciences Sequence curriculum
$100 stipend upon implementation in classroom
Inexpensive housing options available in Padilla Bay’s guesthouse.
Questions? Email: Susan Wood, swood@padillabay.gov
Continue reading ‘Teaching climate change and ocean acidification’
