Posts Tagged 'education'

VR scuba diving with harbor seals increases ocean connectedness, and the effect of conversational AI on pro-environmental engagement depends on prior experience with seals

Published 12 October 2026 Science Leave a Comment
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Highlights

  • We tested OceanSpeak, a novel approach to marine environmental education that integrates an AI wildlife agent with VR.
  • All participants experienced a significant increase in ocean connectedness and nature connectedness.
  • Adjusting for covariates, AI-powered conversation with a virtual harbor seal led to greater empathy for seals.
  • AI-powered conversation increased pro-environmental engagement among participants with prior experiences with seals.
  • AI-powered conversation improved knowledge of seals for some participants but reduced knowledge of environmental actions.

Abstract

This study presents an empirical investigation of OceanSpeak—a unique combination of virtual reality (VR) scuba diving and conversational artificial intelligence (AI) designed to educate about how ocean acidification and overfishing impact marine life. This pre-registered study examined the effect of interacting with an AI-powered harbor seal on ocean connectedness, empathy with seals, pro-ocean behaviors, and knowledge. The participants were 106 adults affiliated with a university in California, the United States. Participants in the experimental group (N = 53) engaged with the complete version of OceanSpeak, including AI-powered conversation with a virtual harbor seal. We implemented a yoked control design such that participants in the control group (N = 53) were exposed to identical content but experienced another participant’s AI-enabled conversation. In addition, we measured a number of individual differences related to their views on the environment and specific experience with seals. All participants experienced a significant increase in ocean connectedness as a result of the intervention. The control condition outperformed the AI condition regarding knowledge of pro-environmental actions, whereas a small subset of AI participants demonstrated better understanding of seal-specific issues. Without accounting for individual differences, there were no significant differences between conditions in terms of ocean connectedness, empathy, and protective behaviors. However, post hoc analyses indicated that after accounting for baseline ocean connectedness and nature connectedness and their interactions with condition, AI-powered conversation led to significantly more empathy with seals. Moreover, AI-powered conversation with a virtual seal increased protective ocean behaviors among participants with prior seal exposure, suggesting previous experiences with the actor who is speaking in conversational AI may improve the outcome of those interactions.

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Evaluation of a systems thinking task for upper secondary chemistry students in the context of ocean acidification

Published 6 October 2026 Science Leave a Comment
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Global challenges such as ocean acidification can be understood as complex systems involving interconnected causes, effects and relationships. To navigate this complexity, systems thinking (ST) is considered an essential competency that can be fostered through science education. However, empirically tested teaching materials for fostering ST in chemistry education remain scarce. We developed and evaluated a task on ocean acidification based on the ChEMIST table. The task includes subtasks on observation, explanation, modelling, prediction and reflection, including the construction and revision of causal maps on coral decline. The task was piloted with upper secondary students (n = 10) and implemented in a main study (n = 16) using semi-structured interviews. Responses were analysed by subtask, with focus on assessing granularity, complexity and causality of the causal maps. The findings are presented along five ChEMIST characteristics. Findings show that students demonstrated more analytical aspects of ST when identifying elements and direct causal links. More holistic aspects of ST emerged in prediction and reflection subtasks, where students connected ecological, societal and human dimensions of ocean acidification and considered future developments and their own role within the system. Implications include the need for explicit representational scaffolds and prompts that target feedback and cross-level integration.

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I Fina’nå’guen I Famagu’on Put I Tåsi: the impact of phenomena-based learning on explaining and conceptualizing ocean acidification in the Pacific

Published 29 September 2026 Science Closed
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This convergent mixed methods study examined the impact of a new phenomena based (PhBL) lesson plan—grounded by social constructivism and the NGSS framework—on 1) student ability to explain and contextualize a phenomenon, and 2) assess student perceptions of PhBL compared to traditional science instruction. This addressed the shift towards science education reform that better prepares K-12 students for the STEM pipeline and creates student agency surrounding human impact on the environment. Ocean acidification was the selected phenomenon for this study as it was culturally and locally relevant to the participants—sixth-grade science students at a Pacific Island public middle school. Findings revealed apparent differences in the distribution of inductive codes, showing treatment group students acquiring more diverse knowledge of ocean acidification as assessed by graphic organizers and field notes. Findings also showed an increase in student ability to construct accurate explanations of ocean acidification and contextualizations in both treatment and control groups, as assessed by the pre/post-tests. But the treatment group students exhibited the larger increase, alluding to PhBL creating the more effective learning environment. Using the Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES), the instrument revealed no significant differences in perceptions between control and treatment group students. However, treatment group students expressed overall positive experiences and opinions towards PhBL via interview questions—and provided insight that would help inform future PhBL.

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Comparing ocean acidification communication strategies and effectiveness in marine education centers

Published 25 August 2026 Science Closed
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Ocean acidification (OA), one of the most impactful aspects of our changing oceans, significantly threatens ecosystems, industries, and communities reliant on at-risk species, such as corals and shellfish. Washington state, with its notable reliance on such species for both its economy and culture and its naturally acidified waters, is especially vulnerable. However, OA remains an under-discussed and misunderstood phenomenon, especially among the public. While many informal marine education centers such as aquariums, science centers, and marine reserves do provide communication on OA, the prevalence, type, and quality of this communication varies drastically, meaning that the public’s ability to receive effective OA education varies as well. Thus, I conducted staff interviews to catalogue the prevalence of OA communication efforts at marine education centers and address barriers to effective OA outreach. I found that while 88% of participating marine education centers discuss OA in some capacity, 81% feel restricted in their ability to talk about OA or ocean change, citing issues such as audience interest and politics. I also conducted visitor surveys at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium to determine how attendees’ preconceived knowledge of OA’s causes, impacts, and mitigation strategies changed based on provided communication and what gaps remain. While visitor knowledge of OA increased by a statistically significant amount (from 63% of visitors knowing essentially nothing about OA before the visit to 44% after; p < 0.001), only 49% of visitors correctly identified fossil fuel emissions as a primary cause of OA. Despite this, 97% of visitors indicated willingness to take action against OA, and nearly equivalent amounts of visitors supported individual-level vs societal-level action. Together, this research lays the groundwork for improving OA communication to the public by highlighting the importance of uplifting meaningful action, intentionally connecting with visitors through community-level and place-based impacts, and addressing staff hesitancy to discuss ocean change issues. Going forward, these recommendations will be critical in driving tangible action to address OA and protect at-risk communities and ecosystems.

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Deep dive: evaluating students’ use of Toulmin’s argumentation pattern in chemistry classrooms for constructing scientific arguments about ocean acidification

Published 14 August 2026 Science Closed
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Science education plays a key role in helping students to become responsible citizens, capable of making appropriate decisions based on scientific information, participating in discussions on socio-scientific issues (SSIs), and taking action in the context of climate change. Thus, achieving scientific literacy in general and practising scientific argumentation skills – as part of scientific literacy – in particular, are essential. Therefore, the pilot study presented here focusses on improving upper secondary students’ (ISCED 3) scientific argumentation skills by implementing Toulmin’s Argumentation Pattern (TAP) in the chemistry classroom. We focus on chemistry education to better understand subject-specific argumentation in chemistry classrooms. This pilot study is part of an interventional study that aims to implement TAP as a construction mechanism to improve students’ scientific argumentation skills. Our study is embedded in the SSI of human-induced ocean acidification. In order to gain insight into students’ scientific argumentation patterns and develop adequate teaching materials, we asked 29 upper secondary students to write well-founded arguments to confirm a claim about calcification of coral skeletons made in a newspaper headline. Students’ arguments were constructed prior to and following the provision of support material based on TAP. These arguments were analysed with regards to their formal quality using qualitative content analysis. Our findings indicate that TAP aligned well with our participants’ intuitive arguments. We discuss our findings and propose how using TAP can contribute to teaching and learning chemistry-specific argumentation skills.

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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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Ocean acidification, a silent threat to life on earth

Published 16 July 2026 Science Closed
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Did you know that the ocean plays a vital role in controlling the planet’s temperature, as well as providing food, minerals, and half of the oxygen we breathe? Another important role is balancing the amount of carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere. Unfortunately, due to large emissions of carbon dioxide over the past few centuries, the ocean is becoming acidic. This process is called ocean acidification. Ocean acidification affects many sea organisms, especially those with shells, like mussels and corals, but it can also affect other animals’ sense of orientation, like fish. Scientists are discovering more about the potential impacts of ocean acidification on the marine system and, consequently, on humans and other life forms who depend on or explore the ocean. In this article, we explain why ocean acidification started, where it has been detected, its present and future impacts on marine life, and how we can help correct it.

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Systematic review of chemistry educational strategies and curriculum integration in ocean acidification

Published 8 June 2026 Science Closed
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This systematic literature review examines the trends and developments in ocean acidification education research from 2011 to 2025. Using the PRISMA methodology, 30 articles from the Scopus database were analyzed to identify key themes, research gaps, and future directions in teaching and learning about ocean acidification. The findings reveal a growing interest in integrating ocean acidification into science education curricula, with a significant emphasis on inquiry-based learning, technology-enhanced instruction, and interdisciplinary approaches. The United States leads research production (51 authors), followed by Spain, Sweden, and Greece. Key educational innovations include virtual reality applications, computational modelling, hands-on laboratory experiments, and collaborative learning strategies. With an average of 23.37 citations per document, this field has a substantial academic impact. However, challenges persist in terms of public awareness, teacher preparation, and curriculum integration. The review identifies the critical need for enhanced pedagogical resources, professional development programs, and assessment tools to effectively teach ocean acidification as a climate change issue. These findings provide valuable insights for educators, curriculum developers, and policymakers seeking to strengthen ocean and climate change education in formal and informal settings.

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Fatoata’s NOAA Ocean Acidification Program empowers stewardship among educators and students

Published 19 March 2026 Media coverage Closed
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The remoteness of American Samoa is, for the most part, to our benefit when it comes to the health of our island’s ecosystems. Being in the middle of the ocean, away from everything, has its advantages. Our ocean waters are still relatively clean. Although we deal with marine debris, most of it is land-based and within our control (we just need to control it). We do not have major factories dumping toxins into our waters that kill off hundreds of species. We have even managed to stave off climate change’s evil twin, ocean acidification, and our goal is to keep it that way.

Like trees, the ocean also absorbs carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is created by the burning of fossil fuels. Everyday activities that contribute to CO2 overload in the atmosphere include running your air conditioner all day and driving a car with low fuel mileage, as both require fossil fuels to operate. Increased CO2 in the ocean makes it harder for coral reefs and shell-forming organisms (like clams) to build their skeletons and shells. However, there are solutions too! One of the simplest things you can do with any environmental issue you are passionate about is to share what you know. That is exactly what Tafuna High School marine science educator, Ms. Roberta (Ertta) Laumoli, and her class did this school year.

Ms. Ertta took the first step in contributing to Ocean Stewardship this past summer by participating in Fatoata’s NOAA Ocean Acidification Program (OAP) Educator’s Workshop. The workshop provided educators with tools and resources to help them incorporate ocean acidification in their classrooms. As the school year began, the educators took what they learned about ocean acidification and shared it with their students. Ms.Ertta, Claire Bacus-Deewees and Mary Cheung-Fuk worked together and independently within their classrooms to highlight ocean acidification in their lesson plans. Their students conducted outreach, and got creative, through the development of public service announcements that shared what they learned about ocean acidification. In January, educators shared their teaching experience through photos and public service announcements. Ms. Ertta’s class excelled in all aspects of ocean acidification education, and her students’ public service announcement won first place.

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Empowering environmental awareness through chemistry: a science–technology–society–environment-based approach to teaching acid–base reactions in 11th-grade science

Published 13 January 2026 Science Closed
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This study examines the impact of a Science–Technology–Society–Environment (STSE) educational intervention on the teaching of acid–base reactions to 11th-grade students (n = 17). The didactic sequence combined laboratory experiments, real-data analysis, and an interdisciplinary role-play debate, designed to connect chemical concepts with pressing socio-environmental challenges such as ocean acidification, acid rain, and acid mine drainage. Data collection included a pre- and post-test on environmental awareness and semi-structured interviews, enabling the assessment of both conceptual learning and attitudinal change. Significant conceptual gains were observed, with five of eleven test items reaching a normalized Hake gain ≥ 0.70, alongside increased environmental awareness. Qualitative findings further revealed that students valued the real-world context and interdisciplinary integration, reporting enhanced motivation, civic responsibility, and a more meaningful engagement with science. Overall, the results suggest that STSE-based chemistry instruction not only strengthens students’ understanding of acid–base equilibria but also fosters sustainability competencies essential for responsible and informed citizenship in the 21st century.

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Pier2Peer graduates 20 mentees to build capacity toward addressing ocean acidification

Published 8 September 2025 Web sites and blogs Closed
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Twenty Pier2Peer mentee graduates, representing 17 countries, join the global professional community for ocean acidification monitoring and research. After successfully completing two years of one-on-one mentorship with experts in the field of ocean acidification, this cohort pursued capacity building projects with the guidance of their mentors, advancing their regions’ ability to measure and address ocean acidification. Half of the mentors of this year’s graduating class are U.S. based ocean acidification experts, demonstrating the strong international leadership the United States offers to ocean acidification science. Projects ranged from revitalizing a carbonate chemistry laboratory in the Galapagos Islands to understanding the impact of ocean acidification on coral reef ecosystems in the Gulf of Mannar.

Building capacity for ocean acidification tracking and forecasting means going beyond U.S. waters. As ocean acidification poses a threat to fisheries, aquaculture, and coastal communities in the U.S. and beyond, it is imperative that countries work together to train the next generation of experts to improve our global capacity to measure and address changing ocean chemistry. The mentorships often forge long-lasting relationships.

“What is more exciting is that I keep gaining other skills from my mentor as we implement the project, such as how to identify and understand the research gaps through a literature search and review.” -Anonymous Pier2Peer Mentee

The Pier2Peer program, coordinated through the Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network and administered by The Ocean Foundation, meets this need by pairing experienced researchers with scientists new to the field of ocean acidification. Mentorship pairing facilitates the transfer of knowledge, skills, and data, and ultimately expands the community of professionals working toward addressing impacts of changing ocean chemistry. As an international mentorship program, Pier2Peer facilitates international collaboration and capacity building to better prepare the United States and its neighbors to respond to ocean acidification. Pier2Peer also builds capacity through training and scholarships.

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Ocean acidification: impacts on marine ecosystems

Published 11 July 2025 Science Closed
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Ocean acidification, driven primarily by increased atmospheric CO₂ absorption, is one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. This paper examines the chemical mechanisms underlying acidification, its historical trends, and the widespread implications for marine organisms and ecosystems. It examines physiological and ecological effects on species ranging from microscopic plankton to coral reefs and addresses broader ecosystem-level disruptions and their cascading impacts. The socioeconomic implications, particularly for coastal communities and fisheries, are evaluated alongside mitigation strategies and the importance of long-term research and monitoring. The study underscores the urgency of interdisciplinary approaches to understanding and combating ocean acidification as part of the global climate agenda.

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Ocean acidification education program expands in Southeast

Published 10 July 2025 Media coverage Closed
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An ocean acidification education program called 4-H pH is coming to Angoon and Petersburg this summer, on the heels of its success in Sitka, to teach elementary school students how to test water for its pH levels.

“In some of these communities in Southeast they are monitoring ocean acidification, and in some they might not be, so the idea is also for community awareness,” said 4-H program assistant Jasmine Shaw with the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service, who led the Sitka program with Christina Buffington of the Geophysical Institute and Natalie Monacci of the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, both at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

The idea was to create a curriculum designed for elementary school students that anyone could use, rather than just 4-H, to teach ocean acidification testing, Shaw said.

4-H pH is a specific ocean acidification education program developed for youth, particularly those in elementary school. It aims to engage young people in collecting and understanding data related to ocean acidification, its impacts and potential solutions. Ph measure acidic or alkaline levels.

The curriculum is designed to be accessible and adaptable, not just for 4-H clubs, but for anyone interested in teaching about ocean acidification.

The project, funded by the NOAA Ocean Acidification Program, is part of a citizen science program called Global Learning & Observations to Benefit the Environment Program, or GLOBE. The program is led by NASA to advance science and educate tomorrow’s workforce. The National Science Foundation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and U.S. Department of State are also part of GLOBE.

About a dozen Sitka youth participated in the program from January through May. They learned to measure pH temperature and dissolved oxygen, and measurements were uploaded to the GLOBE program’s open-source database.

During their spring break, 4-H pH students assisted the Sheet’ká Ḵwáan Tribe on its weekly ocean-monitoring trip. They learned about pH in the kitchen with a guest chef. They also created artwork as part of the program and looked at future career opportunities.

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A psychologically wise intervention to inform relational organizing in the face of climate and ocean change

Published 28 April 2025 Science Closed
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Widespread climate action is broadly recognized as necessary to reduce climate change impacts on oceans (“ocean change”), but threats to ocean ecosystems are commonly perceived as distant, irrelevant, and unchangeable. Communicating about ocean change, therefore, requires message framing strategies targeting evidence-based psychological precursors to behavior. In a pre-registered case study of coastal visitors in Oregon, United States (n = 2414), we tested the influence of psychologically wise message about ocean change on climate action intentions. We primarily focused on influencing relational organizing: people’s willingness to encourage others to act. A behavior-specific message targeting relational organizing efficacy beliefs significantly but weakly increased intentions for relational organizing regarding ocean change compared to a control. Neither a connectedness to coast (place-based) message nor an ocean acidification (proximate threat-based) message had detectable effects on intentions. Our results suggest that targeting relational organizing efficacy may increase climate action intentions for the protection of coastal ecosystems.

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OAP funds 7 ocean acidification education projects across the nation

Published 17 January 2025 Web sites and blogs Closed
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The NOAA Ocean Acidification Program (OAP) is pleased to announce the FY24 Education Mini-grant Program awards. The seven projects selected for this competitive grant opportunity will deliver ocean and coastal acidification education tools and programs in underserved and/or Indigenous communities or Tribes. The awarded projects are led by Tribal members, nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, and public organizations. The work will occur across the nation in American Samoa, the U.S. West Coast, Alabama, and North Carolina, filling some gaps in ocean acidification education and outreach and reaching new communities.

Ocean and coastal acidification are emerging issues that have far reaching impacts on ocean health and long-term sustainability of ecosystems and people. It is critical that educators have access to the latest science and tools on these topics and are able to effectively share the science of ocean and coastal acidification, potential impacts and positive actions to diverse audiences in accessible ways. 

Each project will address at least one of three goals laid out in the NOAA Ocean Acidification Education Implementation Plan. The proposed work will engage students, particularly from underserved and/or Indigenous communities or Tribes. This funding aims to increase ocean acidification awareness and action, and foster interest in career pathways in NOAA mission disciplines. 

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Explaining ocean acidification to non-specialized audiences

Published 8 January 2025 Science Closed
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Ocean acidification constitutes one of the primary consequences of anthropogenic climate change, generating multiple negative effects in the marine realm. However, there is a generalized lack of knowledge of society on this specific topic. The acidic sublittoral volcanic vents located at Punta de Fuencaliente (Canary Islands) constitute an unequalled natural lab. Accordingly, a marine observatory of climate change associated to these vents has been recently established, the OMACC. Research conducted there will enable making projections of utmost utility to identify the roadmap on mitigation and adaptation to climate change. Yet, in order to involve and mobilize society accordingly, this research needs to be approached and made accessible to non-specialized audiences. To that end, from the Transference Unit BISAGRA Visual Thinking and in the framework of the project visUaLL, we developed a thorough communication program associated to the OMACC, based on visual thinking. Amongst the elements developed there is a motion graphics animation on ocean acidification. Here we explain the procedure followed and provide the results of a preliminary survey conducted to ascertain the usefulness of the generated animation in effectively approaching the topics to non-specialized audiences. Overall, surveyed people understood better the concepts in question after viewing the video, confirming that the developed animation significantly enhances the understanding of the contents addressed.

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The effect of virtual reality (VR) settings on nature relatedness and attitudes towards environment in gifted students

Published 7 January 2025 Science Closed
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The aim of the research was to explore the effect of educational interventions implemented in desktop-based VR and ımmersive virtual reality (IVR) settings on gifted students’ nature relatedness and attitudes towards environment. A a single group pretest-posttest weak experimental model was implemented. The participants involved in the study consisted of a group of 27 gifted students (age mean = 12.8), comprising 10 males and 17 females. The training program was implemented across three distinct sessions utilizing the Imedu VR platform. The training program used Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning principles, applying Exaggerated Feedback in the second session and Corrective Feedback in the third as instructional design elements. The initial phase encompassed a duration of 120 minutes of distance learning that emphasized Sustainable Development Goals, with a particular focus on ocean acidification. Subsequently, participants engaged in a 30-minute IVR experience utilizing Oculus Quest 2 headsets to investigate the effect of ocean acidification on organisms and ecosystems. The final session comprised a 30-minute escape room activity conducted in a distance learning format via Imedu to reinforce what the students learned. Preceding and succeeding the intervention, students completed the Nature Relatedness (NR) Scale and the Revised New Environmental Paradigm Scale (R-NEP). Following confirmation of data normality, a paired samples t-test was employed to compare pretest and posttest scores. The study revealed a statistically significant enhancement in nature relatedness and attitudes towards environment among gifted students (p < .05). Effect sizes were high for NR (Cohen’s d = 1.099) and moderate for R-NEP (Cohen’s d = 0.539). The integration of VR technologies in gifted education for cultivating nature relatedness and attitudes towards environment is thus encouraged.

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Will climate change alter the swimming behavior of larval stone crabs?: a guided-inquiry lesson

Published 23 December 2024 Science Closed
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The ocean has absorbed ~one third of the excess atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) released since the Industrial Revolution. When the ocean absorbs excess CO2, a series of chemical reactions occur that result in a reduction in seawater pH, a process called ocean acidification. The excess atmospheric CO2 is also resulting in warmer seawater temperatures. These stressors pose a threat to marine organisms, especially during earlier life stages (i.e., larvae). The larvae of species like the Florida stone crab (Menippe mercenaria) are free swimming, allowing a population to disperse and recruit into new habitats. After release, stone crab larvae undergo vertical swimming excursions in response to abiotic stimuli (gravity, light, pressure) allowing them to control their depth. Typically, newly hatched larvae respond to abiotic cues that would promote a shallower depth distribution, where surface currents can transport them offshore to complete development. As larvae develop offshore, they become less sensitive to certain abiotic stimuli, which promotes a deeper depth distribution that may expose them to variable current speeds, thus influencing the direction of advection (horizontal movement). Environmental stressors like ocean acidification and elevated seawater temperatures may also impact the larvae’s natural response to these abiotic stimuli throughout ontogeny (development). Changes in their natural swimming behavior due to climate stressors could, therefore, influence the transport and dispersal of the species. This guided-inquiry lesson challenges introductory marine biology and oceanography students to determine how future ocean pH and temperature projections could impact the swimming behavior of Florida stone crab larvae.

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Ecophysiology and ocean acidification in marine mollusks: from molecule to behavior

Published 17 October 2024 Science Closed
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Ecophysiology and Ocean Acidification in Marine Mollusks: From Molecule to Behavior provides an extensive overview of the latest research on the various ecophysiological effects of ocean acidification on marine mollusks. This book synthesizes historical information and recent findings on the effects of environmental change, ocean warming, and acidification on key mollusks and their life-history. It also discusses the underlying mechanisms underpinning the effects of ocean warming and acidification. Written by internationally recognized experts in the field of marine biology, this book systematically examines the effects of ocean acidification on the reproduction, growth and development, physiological metabolism, immunity, and behavior of marine mollusks.

The book concludes by discussing the implications of current research, acknowledging data limitations in the field, and proposing future research directions, providing a better understanding of the potential impacts of ocean acidification on mollusks and the global aquaculture industry and inspiring new thinking for future research practices. It will be an indispensable resource for researchers, practitioners, undergraduate and graduate students, conservationists, and aquaculturists alike who are interested in marine environmental change, ecology, physiology, and marine biology.

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Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14.3.1 Indicator Quick Guide

Published 16 October 2024 Science Closed
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Submitting data to assess OA globally

Background

In 2015, the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda and a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), including a goal dedicated to the ocean, SDG 14, which calls to “conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development”. Under this SDG 14, there are 10 Targets addressing a range of ocean issues and 10 Indicators, which are the measurable components of the Target. The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO was identified as the custodian agency for the SDG Target 14.3: “Minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levels”, and the associated SDG Indicator 14.3.1 (“Average marine acidity (pH) measured at agreed suite of representative sampling stations”).

The SDG 14.3.1 Indicator Methodology provides the necessary guidance on how to conduct ocean acidification observation. The Methodology contains guidance on sampling strategy, measurement methods and calculation, methodology and instrumentation, links to community agreed Best Practices and Standard Operating Procedures, data quality categories and data quality control mechanism as well as recommendations for the calculation of the seawater carbonate system, including how to account for the uncertainty of measurements. It further offers support on how to and what kind of data sets to submit to IOC, to ensure the production of quality-controlled global and possibly regional products of surface ocean acidification.

The full text of the Methodology as well as the data template, the metadata template and the metadata instructions files can be downloaded from the SDG 14.3.1 Data Portal website (https://oa.iode.org/). The SDG 14.3.1 Data Portal is a tool for the submission, collection, validation, storage, and sharing of ocean acidification data and metadata submitted towards the SDG 14.3.1 Indicator.

This present document is an introduction to the SDG 14.3.1 Methodology, providing an introduction to some aspects of the guidance provided within the Methodology. This document should therefore not replace the Methodology; please make sure to read and apply the SDG 14.3.1 Methodology elaborated here.

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