In the News
NOAA and partners sail to the Gulf of Alaska to study ocean acidification
The waters of Alaska are vast, cold and vulnerable to the effects of ocean acidification. On Tuesday July 14, 2015 NOAA and partners departed to survey new waters in the Gulf of Alaska. “This will be the first broad scale, comprehensive survey in this area” said Dr. Jessica Cross, chief scientist for this expedition. The team from NOAA and the University of Alaska will be looking at the distribution of pteropods and other microscopic plants (phytoplankton) and animals (zooplankton) during the survey. The data collected on this cruise will allow scientists at NOAA and University of Washington’s Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean (JISAO) to make more accurate predictions of future conditions of the Gulf of Alaska.
Ocean Acidification Threatens Shellfish Hatcheries
New research paints an unsettling picture of the future of shellfish in coastal Alaska. The effects of ocean acidification are worsening and could mean the end of hatcheries in the next 25 years if costly mitigation efforts aren’t put in place.
Climate Change Could Drain Global Seafood Supplies
Seafood lovers are set to see less shellfish, salmon and other fish on their dinner plates as climate change warms the oceans and makes them more acidic.
Rapidly Acidifying Arctic Ocean Threatens Species
Parts of the Arctic Ocean within the next 10 years could reach levels of ocean acidification that would threaten the ability of marine animals to form shells, new research suggests.
Acidity Levels in Chukchi and Beaufort Seas Could Reach Threatening Levels by 2030
Rising levels of acidity in oceans is a direct result of increased carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere and over the course of next few decades acidity levels in Chukchi and Beaufort seas could reach levels of acidity that threaten the ability of animals to build their shells.