Changing Ocean Chemistry on the US West Coast: From Knowledge to Action
Tessa M Hill1, Aurora M Ricart2, Kristy Kroeker3, Ana Spalding4, Brian Gaylord5, Eric Sanford6, Jessica Kauzer7, Hayley Carter7, Elizabeth Whiteman7, Hannah M Palmer8, Melissa Ward9, Esther Kennedy10, Sarah Close11 and Emily Knight7, (1)University of California Davis, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Davis, CA, United States, (2)Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California Davis & Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, Bodega Bay, United States, (3)University of California Davis, Davis, United States, (4)Oregon State University, School of Public Policy, Corvallis, United States, (5)Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California Davis and Bodega Marine Laboratory, Bodega Bay, CA, United States, (6)Bodega Marine Lab, Bodega Bay, United States, (7)California Ocean Science Trust, Oakland, CA, United States, (8)University of California Merced, Life & Environmental Sciences, Merced, CA, United States, (9)Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California Davis, Davis, United States, (10)University of California, Davis, Earth & Planetary Sciences, Davis, United States, (11)Lenfest Ocean Program, Washington, DC, United States
Abstract:
Recent work has revealed numerous consequences of reduced ocean pH (termed ‘ocean acidification’, or OA) for marine life. Decreases in pH and concurrent changes to the carbonate chemistry of seawater reduce growth, calcification, reproduction, and survival in many taxa. Chief among affected organisms are species of economic, ecological, and cultural importance along the West Coast of the U.S. Although West Coast states are at the forefront of working on science-based tools to inform management (e.g., Washington Ocean Acidification Blue Ribbon Panel, West Coast Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia Science Panel), decision making requires knowing where to act, which species will be impacted, and what policy or management responses may yield relevant responses.
Here we overview a new project to identify where organisms are most vulnerable to ocean acidification and related stressors along the U.S. West Coast. Through a synthesis of existing oceanographic data on changing ocean chemistry and a meta-analysis of responses of marine species, we are integrating spatial patterns of environmental stressors with environmental thresholds for several groups of culturally, economically, and ecologically important marine invertebrates (e.g., sea urchins, Dungeness crabs, abalone, clams). As part of this work, we are incorporating feedback from industry, conservation, state and federal agencies, and tribal representatives on our research objectives and intended outcomes. For instance, we are conducting online webinars and in-person workshops to gather feedback from decision-makers. In these venues, we have gathered information on timelines for incorporating this information into policy and management, types of decisions this work can support, gaps and needs in knowledge, and modes of engagement between scientists and decision-makers to facilitate uptake. The workshops are also sparking new relationships among agencies and forging new links between researchers and decision-makers. In prioritizing communication and building partnerships from the inception through the conclusion of the project, we aim to make the research results as useful as possible to management and policy.
