Recognition that ocean acidification (OA) alters calcification rates in many tropical corals and photosynthetic processes in some has motivated research into coral’s carbon processing systems. Here, a multi-compartment coral model is used to assess inorganic carbon fluxes, accounting for carbon uptake, photosynthesis, transport across and between coral tissue and calcification. The increased complexity of this model is enabled by incorporating recent measurements of carbonic anhydrase activity and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) related photosynthetic parameters, allowing the model to respond to changes in external inorganic carbon chemistry. The model reproduced measured gross photosynthesis, calcification rates and calcifying fluid pH from Orbicella faveolata at current oceanic conditions. Model simulations representing OA conditions showed an increase in net photosynthesis and modest decreases in calcification which fall within trends seen in experimental data. Photosynthesis increased due to higher diffusive influx of CO2 into the oral tissue layers, increasing DIC where symbiotic algae reside. The model suggests that decreases in calcification result from increased fluxes of CO2 into the calcifying fluid from the aboral tissue layer and the bulk seawater, lowering its pH and reducing the aragonite saturation state. However, modeled pH drops in the calcifying fluid exceed those observed, pointing to the need for additional empirical constraints on DIC fluxes associated with calcification and coelenteron transport.
Continue reading ‘Inorganic carbon fluxes and perturbations by ocean acidification estimated using a data-constrained, process-based model of coral physiology’Archive Page 235
Inorganic carbon fluxes and perturbations by ocean acidification estimated using a data-constrained, process-based model of coral physiology
Published 6 July 2021 Science ClosedTags: biological response, calcification, corals, individualmodeling, laboratory, modeling, photosynthesis
Anaerobic microbial respiration as a link between 2 carbonate platform drowning and Ocean Anoxic Events
Published 6 July 2021 Science ClosedTags: chemistry, globalmodeling, modeling
The deposition of carbonate rocks is closely tied to Earth’s climate and ocean chemistry. Healthy carbonate platforms produce sediment at a rate that usually keeps up with accommodation changes due to tectonic subsidence and sea level rise. In contrast, platform ‘drowning’ during Ocean Anoxic Events (OAEs) has long been considered a physical expression of biogeochemical changes that reduce shallow-water sedimentation rates. Identifying the exact mechanism(s) that contribute to platform drowning are critical for understanding the nature and duration of environmental disruptions during these events.
Here we present a new model for long-term platform drowning based on changing oceanic gradients in alkalinity and carbonate saturation states. Well-oxygenated oceans are characterized by steep gradients in saturation state with high rates of carbonate ‘over-production’ in the surface ocean and dissolution in the deep ocean. Under reducing conditions, anaerobic microbial metabolisms act to reduce these gradients so that there is less overproduction in the surface ocean which may manifest locally as slower accumulation rates in tropical shallow-water settings. Simple box models show that this is a quasi-steady state process that lasts as long for as long an anoxic condition persist, effectively coupling the timescales of carbonate sedimentation and redox changes. We posit that redox-based changes in ocean gradients act alongside other kill mechanisms to produce the diversity of platform drowning patterns observed in the rock record both in Meseozoic OAEs and for older hyperthermal events.
Continue reading ‘Anaerobic microbial respiration as a link between 2 carbonate platform drowning and Ocean Anoxic Events’Starts the scientific campaign to analyze the ocean circulation and acidification of the North Atlantic
Published 6 July 2021 Web sites and blogs Closed
This Wednesday a team of researchers from the Marine Research Center of the University of Vigo departed from Reykjavik on board the Sarmiento de Gamboa to start the first oceanographic campaign of the BOCATS2 project (Biennial observation of carbon, acidification, transport and sedimentation in the North Atlantic). This study comprises two subprojects, one focused on the characterization of the water column (physical and chemical properties) and the other on the characterization of the sediments to interpret the properties and dynamics of the water masses in the past, which would involve the last tens of thousands of years. This second part is coordinated by CIM-UVigo researchers Guillermo Francés, from the Geological and Biogeochemical Oceanography Group, and Gabriel Rosón, from the Physical Oceanography Group. It supposes a continuation of a first study carried out in 2016 (BOCATS) and has as main objective “to continue with the observational monitoring (recent and past) of the ocean circulation and ocean acidification in the North Atlantic”. The information they will obtain is “essential to advance in the accurate detection of anthropogenic impact and to improve the projections of the adjusted climate models that underpin the IPCC reports for the North Atlantic subpolar gyre (SPNA), a region known for its strong influence on the European climate”, as Guillermo Francés highlights.
On board after six days in confinement
This expedition is no stranger to the special circumstances of the covid-19 pandemic. The scientific team, formed by UVigo researchers Irene Alejo, Marta Pérez Arlucea, Miguel Ángel Nombela and Guillermo Francés, the student of Marine Sciences Mª Fernanda Copete, the technician Susa Álvarez, a researcher of the ICM-CSIC of Barcelona and a student of the Royal Holloway University, were forced to carry out a 6-day quarantine upon arrival in Iceland before being able to board the Sarmiento de Gamboa. Finally, this Tuesday they were able to board the oceanographic vessel, which left Vigo on May 28th with another scientific team that developed, in these weeks, studies framed within another subproject of BOCATS2. After a day on board to prepare last minute issues, yesterday Wednesday the ship left the port of Reykjavik. And as Guillermo Francés explains, the study coordinated by the CIM is part of a larger project, coordinated by the Institute of Marine Research (IIM, CSIC), and funded with 342,430 euros, of which 124,630 correspond to the subproject of the University of Vigo, under the Generation of Knowledge 2019 program of the Ministry of Science and Innovation. The overall objective is to study the millennial and submillennial variability of deep currents through the channels that cross the Reykjanes Ridge (Bight and Charlie-Gibbs fracture zones), southwest of Iceland. These two fracture zones, especially the CGFZ, constitute the main deepwater communication routes between the western and eastern North Atlantic basins, and their hydrography is rather unknown, both at present and in the past when they were under other global climatic conditions. BOCATS2 also intends to continue with the estimation of carbonate and organic carbon flux to sediments, along the lines of the preceding project, essential aspects related to the production, accumulation and preservation of these compounds (carbon cycling, acidification, etc.).
Towards the Bight Fracture Zone
The team aboard the Sarmiento de Gamboa will focus its work on the Bight Fracture Zone, a large transforming ridge that cuts the Reykjanes Ridge and is one of the main pathways for deep water masses between the eastern and western basins of the North Atlantic”. The other ond, he adds, “is the Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone”. The scientific plan for the coming weeks comprises two phases. On the one hand, “the acoustic characterization of the seabed with multi-beam and parametric echo sounders in order to obtain a detailed mapping, the internal structure of the first meters of the sedimentary filling, and the most suitable choice of the sampling points”. The second part of the work will consist of obtaining surface sediment samples using a box- corer type dredge”, to then carry out “the sedimentary registry by means of gravity sieve sampling”. Both operations will be carried out at four different points along the fracture zone, “two to the west of the ridge and two to the east”. The team will return to the port of Vigo in mid-July, but this oceanographic campaign will be followed by a second one in 2023, which will complete the project.
Climate change increases susceptibility to grazers in a foundation seaweed
Published 5 July 2021 Science ClosedTags: algae, biological response, laboratory, mollusks, morphology, multiple factors, North Atlantic, performance, physiology, salinity, temperature
Climate change leads to multiple effects caused by simultaneous shifts in several physical factors which will interact with species and ecosystems in complex ways. In marine systems the effects of climate change include altered salinity, increased temperature, and elevated pCO2 which are currently affecting and will continue to affect marine species and ecosystems. Seaweeds are primary producers and foundation species in coastal ecosystems, which are particularly vulnerable to climate change. The brown seaweed Fucus vesiculosus (bladderwrack) is an important foundation species in nearshore ecosystems throughout its natural range in the North Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic Sea. This study investigates how individual and interactive effects of temperature, salinity, and pCO2 affect F. vesiculosus, using a fully crossed experimental design. We assessed the effects on F. vesiculosus in terms of growth, biochemical composition (phlorotannin content, C:N ratio, and ∂13C), and susceptibility to the specialized grazer Littorina obtusata. We observed that elevated pCO2 had a positive effect on seaweed growth in ambient temperature, but not in elevated temperature, while growth increased in low salinity at ambient but not high temperature, regardless of pCO2-level. In parallel to the statistically significant, but relatively small, positive effects on F. vesiculosus growth, we found that the seaweeds became much more susceptible to grazing in elevated pCO2 and reduced salinity, regardless of temperature. Furthermore, the ability of the seaweeds to induce chemical defenses (phlorotannins) was strongly reduced by all the climate stressors. Seaweeds exposed to ambient conditions more than doubled their phlorotannin content in the presence of grazers, while seaweeds exposed to any single or combined stress conditions showed only minor increases in phlorotannin content, or none at all. Despite the minor positive effects on seaweed growth, the results of this study imply that climate change can strongly affect the ability of fucoid seaweeds to induce chemical defenses and increase their susceptibility to grazers. This will likely lead to widespread consequences under future climate conditions, considering the important role of F. vesiculosus and other fucoids in many coastal ecosystems.
Continue reading ‘Climate change increases susceptibility to grazers in a foundation seaweed’Measuring coastal acidification using in situ sensors in the National Estuary Program
Published 5 July 2021 Newsletters and reports ClosedEstuaries and coastal areas are highly vulnerable to the impacts of acidification on shellfish, coral reefs, fisheries, and the commercial and recreational industries that they support. Yet, little is known about the extent of this vulnerability and the estuary-specific drivers that contribute to acidification, such as nutrient enrichment from stormwater, agriculture and wastewater discharges, upwelling of CO2 -rich seawater, elevated atmospheric CO2 from urban and agricultural activities, benthic and marsh-driven processes, and alkalinity and carbon content of freshwater flows. Comprehensive, high resolution monitoring data are needed at varying spatial and temporal scales to provide actionable information tailored to each estuary. Because carbonate chemistry in the coastal environment can be affected by nutrient dynamics, understanding how nutrient inputs exacerbate acidification impacts is essential for the formulation of estuary-specific actions.
EPA supports coastal acidification monitoring and research in various ways (Table 1). The purpose of this report is to share EPA’s approach to long-term coastal acidification monitoring in which it initiated the use of autonomous monitoring sensors for dissolved carbon dioxide (pCO2) and pH deployed in situ in estuaries across the country through EPA’s National Estuary Programs (NEP) and their partners. This approach captures the high-resolution data that are needed to understand variability associated with acidification and ultimately to inform trends and mitigation and adaptation strategies for these vulnerable systems. This report details the plans and experiences of ten NEPs geographically distributed around the U.S. coast and their partners in conducting this monitoring over the last four years (2015–2019). The report illustrates the monitoring goals, deployment methods, data analysis, costs, preliminary results, and the role of partnerships in their successes. The preliminary results have already improved our understanding of baseline carbonate chemistry conditions in these estuaries, the factors affecting spatial and temporal variability, and the drivers responsible for changes in pCO2 and associated acidification. The sensors are successfully capturing seasonal variability and finer temporal trends that provide information on diel variability, physical processes (e.g., weather, tides), and biological activity which cannot be captured with discrete sampling alone. The preliminary data indicate that there are regional differences in the drivers of acidification, particularly the influence of upwelling events vs. land-based freshwater sources. Several of these NEPs have calculated aragonite saturation state, an indicator of conditions in which mollusk shells begin to dissolve and have identified certain vulnerable conditions for shellfish and other economically-important species in their estuaries.
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Continue reading ‘Measuring coastal acidification using in situ sensors in the National Estuary Program’Climate change, the science – 5.3 – ocean acidification (text & video)
Published 5 July 2021 Presentations ClosedA series of videos on Climate Change by Professor Tim Lenton of the University of Exeter.
PLAYLIST: https://tinyurl.com/Climate-Change-Sc…
See playlist description for topic headings.
Continue reading ‘Climate change, the science – 5.3 – ocean acidification (text & video)’Technical note: stability of tris pH buffer in artificial seawater stored in bags
Published 2 July 2021 Science ClosedTags: laboratory, methods
Equimolal tris (2-amino-2-hydroxymethyl-propane-1,3-diol) buffer in artificial seawater is a well characterized and commonly used standard for oceanographic pH measurements. We evaluated the stability of tris pH when stored in purportedly gas-impermeable bags across a variety of experimental conditions, including bag type and storage in air vs. seawater over 300 d. Bench-top spectrophotometric pH analysis revealed that the pH of tris stored in bags decreased at a rate of 0.0058±0.0011 yr−1 (mean slope ±95 % confidence interval of slope). The upper and lower bounds of expected pH change at t=365 d, calculated using the averages and confidence intervals of slope and intercept of measured pH change vs. time data, were −0.0042 and −0.0076 from initial pH. Analyses of total dissolved inorganic carbon confirmed that a combination of CO2 infiltration and/or microbial respiration led to the observed decrease in pH. Eliminating the change in pH of bagged tris remains a goal, yet the rate of pH change is lower than many processes of interest and demonstrates the potential of bagged tris for sensor calibration and validation of autonomous in situ pH measurements.
Continue reading ‘Technical note: stability of tris pH buffer in artificial seawater stored in bags’Selection experiments in the sea: what can experimental evolution tell us about how marine life will respond to climate change?
Published 2 July 2021 Science ClosedTags: adaptation, algae, biological response, corals, crustaceans, echinoderms, molecular biology, mollusks, mortality, otherprocess, physiology, phytoplankton, prokaryotes, reproduction, review
Rapid evolution may provide a buffer against extinction risk for some species threatened by climate change; however, the capacity to evolve rapidly enough to keep pace with changing environments is unknown for most taxa. The ecosystem-level consequences of climate adaptation are likely to be the largest in marine ecosystems, where short-lived phytoplankton with large effective population sizes make up the bulk of primary production. However, there are substantial challenges to predicting climate-driven evolution in marine systems, including multiple simultaneous axes of change and considerable heterogeneity in rates of change, as well as the biphasic life cycles of many marine metazoans, which expose different life stages to disparate sources of selection. A critical tool for addressing these challenges is experimental evolution, where populations of organisms are directly exposed to controlled sources of selection to test evolutionary responses. We review the use of experimental evolution to test the capacity to adapt to climate change stressors in marine species. The application of experimental evolution in this context has grown dramatically in the past decade, shedding light on the capacity for evolution, associated trade-offs, and the genetic architecture of stress-tolerance traits. Our goal is to highlight the utility of this approach for investigating potential responses to climate change and point a way forward for future studies.
Continue reading ‘Selection experiments in the sea: what can experimental evolution tell us about how marine life will respond to climate change?’Microbiome response differs among selected lines of Sydney rock oysters to ocean warming and acidification
Published 2 July 2021 Science ClosedTags: biological response, BRcommunity, community composition, laboratory, molecular biology, mollusks, multiple factors, otherprocess, prokaryotes, South Pacific, temperature
Oyster microbiomes are integral to healthy function and can be altered by climate change conditions. Genetic variation among oysters is known to influence the response of oysters to climate change and may ameliorate any adverse effects on oyster microbiome, however, this remains unstudied. Nine full-sibling selected breeding lines of the Sydney rock oyster (Saccostrea glomerata) were exposed to predicted warming (ambient = 24°C, elevated = 28°C) and ocean acidification (ambient pCO2 = 400, elevated pCO2 = 1000 µatm) for four weeks. The haemolymph bacterial microbiome was characterised using 16S rRNA (V3-V4) gene sequencing and varied among oyster lines in the control (ambient pCO2, 24°C) treatment. Microbiomes were also altered by climate change dependent on oyster lines. Bacterial α-diversity increased in response to elevated pCO2 in two selected lines, while bacterial β-diversity was significantly altered by combinations of elevated pCO2 and temperature in four selected lines. Climate change treatments caused shifts in the abundance of multiple Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs) driving change in the microbiome of some selected lines. We show that oyster genetic background may influence the Sydney rock oyster haemolymph microbiome under climate change and that future assisted evolution breeding programs to enhance resilience should consider the oyster microbiome.
Continue reading ‘Microbiome response differs among selected lines of Sydney rock oysters to ocean warming and acidification’Tidal mixing of estuarine and coastal waters in the Western English Channel controls spatial and temporal variability in seawater CO2
Published 2 July 2021 Science ClosedTags: chemistry, field, modeling, North Atlantic, regionalmodeling
Surface ocean CO2 measurements are used to compute the oceanic air–sea CO2 flux. The CO2 flux component from rivers and estuaries is uncertain. Estuarine and coastal water carbon dioxide (CO2) observations are relatively few compared to observations in the open ocean. The contribution of these regions to the global air–sea CO2 flux remains uncertain due to systematic under-sampling. Existing high-quality CO2 instrumentation predominantly utilise showerhead and percolating style equilibrators optimised for open ocean observations. The intervals between measurements made with such instrumentation make it difficult to resolve the fine-scale spatial variability of surface water CO2 at timescales relevant to the high frequency variability in estuarine and coastal environments. Here we present a novel dataset with unprecedented frequency and spatial resolution transects made at the Western Channel Observatory in the south west of the UK from June to September 2016, using a fast response seawater CO2 system. Novel observations were made along the estuarine–coastal continuum at different stages of the tide and reveal distinct spatial patterns in the surface water CO2 fugacity (fCO2) at different stages of the tidal cycle. Changes in salinity and fCO2 were closely correlated at all stages of the tidal cycle and suggest that the mixing of oceanic and riverine end members determines the variations in fCO2. The observations demonstrate the complex dynamics determining spatial and temporal patterns of salinity and fCO2 in the region. Spatial variations in observed surface salinity were used to validate the output of a regional high resolution hydrodynamic model. The model enables a novel estimate of the air–sea CO2 flux in the estuarine–coastal zone. Air–sea CO2 flux variability in the estuarine–coastal boundary region is dominated by the state of the tide because of strong CO2 outgassing from the river plume. The observations and model output demonstrate that undersampling the complex tidal and mixing processes characteristic of estuarine and coastal environment bias quantification of air-sea CO2 fluxes in coastal waters. The results provide a mechanism to support critical national and regional policy implementation by reducing uncertainty in carbon budgets.
Continue reading ‘Tidal mixing of estuarine and coastal waters in the Western English Channel controls spatial and temporal variability in seawater CO2’NOAA Science Camp webinar: what’s up with carbon? the 5 W’s of ocean acidification
Published 2 July 2021 Events ClosedDate: Tuesday, July 6, 2021
Time: 10:00 am Pacific time / 9 am Alaska time
Webinar
Register for the GoToWebinar event.
The webinar will last about 60 minutes with moderated questions and answers throughout. This webinar will be recorded and posted afterward with English captions and Spanish subtitles. (Grades 6-8 but all ages will enjoy).
NOAA Science Camp summer activities
NOAA Science Camp is hosting two weeks with interactive webinars, aimed at students in grades 6–8 (but of interest to all ages!). We feature NOAA scientists, educators, and partners to explore NOAA’s work on climate change and marine mammals. Learn about current research. Connect to what’s going on in your communities. Join us to ask questions to our presenters and learn more about weather, oceanography, marine life, fisheries and more!
The 2021 NOAA Science Camp is coordinated by NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center, and Washington Sea Grant. The webinars are modeled on the NOAA Live! webinars coordinated by Woods Hole Sea Grant and the NOAA Regional Collaboration Network. Contact Lisa.Hiruki-Raring@noaa.gov with any questions.
Continue reading ‘NOAA Science Camp webinar: what’s up with carbon? the 5 W’s of ocean acidification’In a flash: how bioluminescent organisms signal ocean acidification
Published 2 July 2021 Web sites and blogs ClosedOcean acidification is on the rise as our seas soak up rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. Although the increase in the last 200 years over the industrial age has been modest, the change is noticeable. A recent presentation at the annual Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology conference showed that when the ocean is more acid, bioluminescence is brighter.
The presentation highlighted work by researchers from the University of Hawaii, who mimicked the anticipated rise in ocean acidity to investigate its effect on secretory bioluminescence, as Science News reports. After extracting the bioluminescence chemicals from various marine organisms, the light reaction generated in the increased acidity was up to 15% brighter, according to the presentation abstract. This suggests ocean acidification could have a major effect on light generation in a host of bioluminescent ocean organisms and seriously affect the marine sensory environment.
Ocean Life and Bioluminescence
Bioluminescence is a way of life for millions of sea creatures who generate their own light sources to feed, mate and escape predators in the gloomy depths. Some organisms, such as the dinoflagellates that create red tides, make the light internally. But for others, the process is external or secretory. Because it requires a chemical reaction, bioluminescence is often governed by surrounding acidity. For secretory bioluminescence, it’s the pH of the surrounding seawater that is important.
Continue reading ‘In a flash: how bioluminescent organisms signal ocean acidification’The ocean has a serious case of heartburn. Is relief on the way?
Published 2 July 2021 Web sites and blogs 1 CommentThe Earth’s atmosphere contains more carbon dioxide (CO2) than at any time in the last 20 million years, researchers say. The levels would be even higher if it weren’t for the ocean, which slurps up carbon emissions and stores roughly 60 times more carbon than the atmosphere. But high carbon levels in the ocean are causing the pH of seawater to drop and ocean acidity to rise. This phenomenon, known as ocean acidification, has given our top ally in the fight against climate change a serious case of heartburn.
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Fortunately, the weathering of rocks on land produces alkalinity, which has an “antacid” effect once it washes into the ocean. Researchers estimate there is currently the equivalent of 200 billion antacid tablets in the global ocean. Alkalinity also plays a critical role in helping the ocean store carbon. But there’s a problem: alkalization of the ocean from the natural geological cycle is slow, sometimes taking hundreds of thousands of years to occur.
Adam Subhas, a marine chemist at WHOI, wants to speed up the process. He is investigating the viability of an ocean intervention-based process known as ocean alkalinity enhancement, which he loosely describes as adding “Tums” to the ocean.
Continue reading ‘The ocean has a serious case of heartburn. Is relief on the way?’Transplanted bleaching-resistant coral retain their resistance to heat
Published 2 July 2021 Web sites and blogs Closed
Katie Barott of the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Arts & Sciences led a study to see if climate-change resistant corals could grow on battered reefs after transplantation. Her team took corals that survived a severe bleaching event and transplanted them to a new reef where they retained their resilient qualities.
This is excellent news because the looming threat of the climate crisis, acidification, and warming oceans hangs heavy on the world’s coral reefs. Most of them are struggling to adapt to the increasingly inhospitable waters.
Scientists are concerned that corals will fall victim to global warming very soon because mass bleaching events occur more frequently. This new study’s findings offer hope that hardy corals could be the saviors, restoring ruined reefs in the future. Barott and colleagues believe this strategy can buy corals more time as the world battles climate change.
Coral bleaching occurs when the ocean warms to higher-than-normal temperatures, prompting corals to expel the algae they contain, which is their food source. Without sustenance, the coral turns white and eventually dies. The phenomenon has plagued Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and Hawaii’s reefs in recent years.
Continue reading ‘Transplanted bleaching-resistant coral retain their resistance to heat’Can climate change make lightning… supercharged? (text & video)
Published 2 July 2021 Presentations ClosedThe oceans absorb a lot of CO2, leading to a variety of effects like ocean acidification. But you might not expect one of those effects: stronger lightning strikes.
Continue reading ‘Can climate change make lightning… supercharged? (text & video)’Global review of the impact of naturally occurring shallow water CO2 seeps
Published 1 July 2021 Science ClosedTags: algae, biological response, calcification, chemistry, corals, crustaceans, mitigation, mollusks, phanerogams, photosynthesis, review, vents, zooplankton
Studying the local impacts of natural marine discharges can help in understanding the local impacts of large-scale restoration programs. This paper reviews studies of naturally occurring CO2 rich hydrothermal vents to understand how nature responds. Venting CO2 raises both total DIC, and the CO2 partial pressure by a factor of 10 or 20 times, lowering the pH and the saturation state of calcium carbonate, impeding calcification by calcifying organisms.
The ocean is a relatively stable environment and significant changes to water chemistry caused by high levels of CO2 input impacts marine organisms. Many algae are able to survive and photosynthesise at low pH levels, and some may actually benefit from an increase in dissolved CO2. However, coralline and calcareous algae that form carbonate skeletons are negatively impacted at low pH. Ecologically and economically valuable marine flora such as kelp, seagrass and certain seaweeds can benefit from increased DIC, exhibiting increases in photosynthetic and growth rates. Kelp and seagrass may also increase local pH levels, creating refuges for calcifying marine species.
The calcification rates of Many marine invertebrates decrease with increasing pCO2. At sites closer to vent openings, with lower pH, the abundance and diversity of invertebrates is significantly reduced. This can impact species valuable to the fishery and aquaculture industry by directly affecting recruitment, growth and survivorship of species such as mussels and oysters and indirectly through reduced abundance of invertebrate prey for herring and mackerel. Corals are also negatively impacted by declining pH and calcium carbonate saturation, yet not all hard corals respond evenly. More resilient genera such as Porites can survive pH drops to approximately 7.8, however below this value reef development is virtually absent and the habitat is dominated by algae and soft corals.
Naturally occurring low pH sites are relatively common in the marine environment and though they clearly alter species composition and abundance, the locally lower pH does not kill marine life, and beyond dispersion zones species are unaffected. Global ocean acidification is a serious problem, however the impacts of local releases of CO2 are relatively limited, resulting in community shifts towards low pH tolerant species. Reversal of global ocean acidification is essential, and restoration of the oceans will require huge carbon dioxide removal (CDR) processes.
Continue reading ‘Global review of the impact of naturally occurring shallow water CO2 seeps’The Tipping Point Project: studying the effects of ocean acidification on pink salmon in Alaska (text & video)
Published 1 July 2021 Presentations ClosedThis summer in Seward, Alaska a lab-based study is underway to understand the response of pink salmon to elevated acidity due to ocean acidification. The study, led by Amanda Kelley at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, is part of a larger project looking at the ability to predict tipping points in the marine ecosystem with respect to acidity and warming, and assess the institutional opportunities and barriers to implementing OA adaptation strategies in Alaska salmon fisheries. The project is funded by NOAA’s Ocean Acidification Program. Project partners include the University of Alaska Fairbanks, NOAA Fisheries, the Alaska Ocean Observing System, the University of Wyoming, the University of Alaska Anchorage, the Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute and the Meridian Institute.
Project website: Informing Adaptation Decisions for Alaska’s Salmon Fisheries | Alaska Ocean Observing System (aoos.org)
Continue reading ‘The Tipping Point Project: studying the effects of ocean acidification on pink salmon in Alaska (text & video)’Job ID: 23323
Location: Main Campus
Application Deadline: 30 July 2021
Position Overview
The Department of Geogrpahy in the Faculty of Arts invites applications for a Research Associate, Ocean Acidification Community of Practice Coordinator. This Full-time Fixed Term position is for approximately 6 months (based on length of grant funding), with the possibility of extension.
The Research Associate will support the activities of the Canadian Ocean Acidification Community of Practice, a MEOPAR initiative.
The Research Associate will ideally be located in Calgary, although remote work for this position will be considered. Applicants who are located in Calgary (or intend to relocate) as well as those interested in working remotely are both encouraged to respond to this job posting.
Primary Purpose of the Position:
The Research Associate will be responsible for the day-to-day management and operation of the Canadian Ocean Acidification Community of Practice (CoP). This CoP works across the many domains of Ocean Acidification (OA) research, from the chemistry of acidification, through its biological impacts, to industry and policy concerns. It brings together multiple sectors (government, academia, industry, non-profit), disciplines (chemistry, biology, technology development, social vulnerabilities, policy development) and regions (Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic). The overarching goals of the CoP are to coordinate actors across all sectors, disciplines, and regions to share expertise and data, to identify pressing needs for OA research/knowledge, and to create a collaborative and supportive environment for groups affected by ocean acidification.
Presented by Highfield Hall & Gardens and the Marine Biological Laboratory Falmouth Forum
Exhibition Dates:
July 14 – October 31, 2021
Location:
Highfield Hall & Gardens
56 Highfield Drive | Falmouth, MA
Hours:
Tuesday – Friday, 10 AM – 4 PM
Saturday – Sunday, 10 AM – 2 PM
Admission:
$10/Adult | $8/Senior Members, Military, & Children Free
Click here for more information on this exhibit.
The Marine Biological Laboratory and Highfield Hall & Gardens are pleased to bring artist Courtney Mattison to Falmouth for a unique summer 2021 exhibition.
Turn the Tide explores the delicate beauty of coral reefs through Courtney Mattison’s intricately detailed and large-scaled ceramic works that draw on her background in marine conservation, biology and policy. Her glazed stoneware and porcelain wall reliefs and sculptural objects translate concepts from climate science into aesthetically compelling forms, bringing the exuberance and fragility of coral reefs above the surface and into view.
Turn the Tide includes a site-sensitive adaptation of Mattison’s 2019 work, Malum Geminos, which explores the dual threats of climate change and ocean acidification that are causing coral reefs to sicken, bleach and erode into the sea. The artist adapted pieces from this wall relief for installation in the Beebe Gallery alongside selections from her Fossil Fuels and Hope Spots series. In addition to highlighting the human-caused threats facing coral reefs, Turn the Tide celebrates the beauty of these unique marine ecosystems and aims to inspire hope and action.
About the Artist
Courtney Mattison has been commissioned to create work for permanent collections including those of the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta and Lindblad Expeditions’ National Geographic Endurance ship. Her work has been exhibited at prominent venues including the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, The American Museum of Ceramic Art, the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
This exhibition was made possible through the generous support of the Brabson Library and Educational Foundation, the Martha’s Vineyard Bank Charitable Foundation, and the Woods Hole Foundation.
Continue reading ‘Turn the tide Art exhibition’
