Authors: Morse, J.W., R.S. Arvidson, and A. Luttge 2007 Link: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/cr050358j Abstract: An overview is given of the thermodynamics and kinetics of CaCO3 formation and dissolution and how surface and nanoparticulate chemistry are important in understanding reactivity. Topics covered are major marine carbonate materials, carbonate mineral precipitation and dissolution kinetics relevant to seawater, oceanic sources […]

Author(s): Parker Randall Gassett, Katie O’Brien-Clayton, Carolina Bastidas, Jennie E. Rheuban, Christopher, W. Hunt, Elizabeth Turner, Matthew Liebman, Emily Silva, Adam, R. Pimenta, Jason. Grear, Jackie Motyka, Daniel McCorkle, Esperanza Stancioff, Damian, C. Brady, & Aaron, L Strong July 26, 2021 Abstract: Ocean and coastal acidification (OCA) present a unique set of sustainability challenges at the […]

Author(s):Latimer, J.S., M.A. Tedesco, R.L. Swanson, C. Yarish, P.E. Stacey, and C. Garza (Eds.) 2014 Link:http://www.springer.com/us/book/9781461461258 Abstract: The Executive Summary of Long Island Sound: Prospects of the Urban Sea provides with an overview of key findings detailed in the book. Included are summaries of the the six technical chapters that summarize the knowledge of the human history, […]

2017 File: https://necan.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/nroc-necan-oca-monitoring-workshop-synthesis_final.pdf The Northeast Regional Ocean Council (NROC) is a state and federal partnership that facilitates the New England states, federal agencies, regional organizations, and other interested regional groups in addressing ocean and coastal issues that benefit from a regional response. It is NROC’s mission to provide a voluntary forum for New England states and […]

Author(s): F J Gordillo , F X Niell, F L Figueroa 2001 Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11523657 Higher levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) enhanced growth of a green seaweed (Ulva rigida). (Laboratory study) Abstract: The effects of increased CO2 levels (10,000 microl l(-1)) in cultures of the green nitrophilic macroalga Ulva rigida C. Agardh were tested under conditions of N saturation and N […]

Author(s):  Jessie Turner, Parker Gassett, Charlotte Dohrn, Hanna Miller, Chris Boylan, &Eric Laschever August 1, 2021 Link: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08920753.2021.1947126 Abstract: Increasing OA, combined with other stressors like warming and loss of oxygen, threatens marine species and ecosystems, including those that sustain jobs and support coastal economies. For the last 10 years, U.S. coastal states have played a key […]

Book Authors:(J. Erlandson and R. Torben, Eds.) Chapter Author(s): Bourque, B.J., B. Johnson, and R.S. Steneck Pages: 165-187 Year: 2007 Link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/285982518_Possible_prehistoric_fishing_effects_on_coastal_marine_food_webs_in_the_gulf_of_maine Abstract: In this chapter, we present archaeological and isotope data from a coastal site in Maine that suggests localized fishing down of nearshore coastal food webs may have begun thousands of years before European colonization. […]

Author(s):  SA Siedlecki; J Salisbury; DK Gledhill; C Bastidas; S Meseck; K McGarry; CW Hunt; M Alexander; D Lavoie; ZA Wang; J Scott; DC Brady; I Mlsna; K Azetsu-Scott; CM Liberti; DC Melrose; MM White; A Pershing; D Vandemark; DW Townsend; C Chen; W Mook; R Morrison May 13, 2021 Link:  https://online.ucpress.edu/elementa/article/9/1/00062/116976/Projecting-ocean… Abstract: Ocean acidification […]

Author(s): C. Turley, J.C. Blackford, S. Widdicombe, D. Lowe, P.D. Nightingale and A.P. Rees 2006 Link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/253347878_Reviewing_the_impact_of_increased_atmospheric_CO2_on_oceanic_pH_and_the_marine_ecosystem The world’s oceans contain an enormous reservoir of carbon, greater than either the terrestrial or atmospheric systems. The fluxes between these reservoirs are relatively rapid such that the oceans have taken up around 50% of the total carbon dioxide (CO2) […]

The carbonate system of the Baltic Sea is strongly influenced by the input of low salinity waters during spring and summer originating from the Bothnian Sea, the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Riga as well as by the input of high salinity waters during autumn and winter originating from the North Sea.

This report describes climatological mean monthly distributions of pH, total carbon dioxide concentration, and the degree of CaCO3 saturation for the global surface ocean waters (excluding coastal areas) to depths of approximately 160 feet (50 meters).

This book explores how the balance of chemical elements affects ecological interactions.

Survival of dispersing larvae represents a critical bottleneck that influences the population size of zebra mussels.

Differences in essential fatty acid requirements for different species of fish reflect different dietary and metabolic adaptations to different habitats.

Geographic signatures are physical, chemical, biotic, and human-induced characteristics or processes that help define similar or unique features of estuaries along latitudinal or geographic gradients. Geomorphologically, estuaries of the northeastern U.S., from the Hudson River estuary and northward along the Gulf of Maine shoreline, are highly diverse because of a complex bedrock geology and glacial history. Back-barrier […]

Eighteen marine species exposed to ocean acidification conditions for 60 days exhibited a wide range of responses. Ten of the 18 species were affected negatively with lower rates of net calcification and, in some cases, net loss of shell. Those species included temperate corals, pencil urchins, hard clams, conchs, serpulid worms, periwinkles, bay scallops, oysters, whelks, and […]

Higher levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) enhanced growth of a green seaweed (Ulva lactuca). (Laboratory study)

Unlike most marine invertebrates, the common slipper shell broods its embryos in capsules. This study found that the capsules do not protect the embryos from ocean acidification. When brooded under ocean acidification conditions, larvae had shells that were 6 percent shorter, and the percentage of larvae with abnormalities was 1.5- to 4-fold higher. (Laboratory study)

Vegetative growth and production of gametes by kelp from the North Sea (Germany) increased under ocean acidification conditions. (Laboratory study)

Heat waves, coastal flooding, and river flooding will pose a growing challenge to the region’s environmental, social, and economic systems. This will increase the vulnerability of the region’s residents, especially its most disadvantaged populations. Infrastructure will be increasingly compromised by climate-related hazards, including sea level rise, coastal flooding, and intense precipitation events. Agriculture, fisheries, and […]

This study analyzed thermohaline dynamics of the Gulf of Maine based on data published in 1968. It describes six water masses: Maine Surface Water, Maine Intermediate Water, and Maine Bottom Water as interior water masses; and Scotian Shelf Water, Slope Water, and Georges Bank Water as exterior water masses.

This study analyzed changes in phytoplankton and zooplankton on the Newfoundland and Scotian shelves from 1962 to 2003 in relation to changes in oceanography. Three categories of phytoplankton (color, diatoms, dinoflagellates) increased in abundance in the 1990s, and these increases generally persisted into 2001–2003. This is believed to be a response to the persistent freshening of the water column, […]

Rivers are a dominant source of sediment entering the ocean. The sediment can be trapped in frontal zones and other oceanographic features, leading to high concentrations. Because of this and other processes, the transport of sediment in river-influenced environments often occurs near the seafloor, rather than the surface.

Small phytoplankton (pico-, nano- and microphytoplankton) play an important role in uptake of carbon dioxide on the Scotian Shelf.

The services of ecological systems and the natural capital stocks that produce them are critical to the functioning of the Earth’s life-support system. They contribute to human welfare, both directly and indirectly, and therefore represent part of the total economic value of the planet. This study estimated the economic value of 17 ecosystem services for […]

This study estimated vertical and lateral diffusion coefficients for the Scotian Shelf region using a numerical 2-D approach. It also estimates cross-shelf transport of carbon and nutrients and provides a potential mechanism for CO2 outgassing on the shelf.

Bryozoan colonies that came from larger larvae survived better, grew faster, and reproduced sooner or produced more embryos than colonies that came from smaller larvae. These effects crossed generations, with colonies from larger larvae themselves producing larger larvae.

Diversification of the marine biosphere is intimately linked to the evolution of the biogeochemical cycles of carbon, nutrients, and primary productivity. Analysis of the ratio of carbon-to-phosphorus buried in sedimentary rocks during the past 3 billion years indicates that both food quantity and, critically, food quality increased through time as a result of the evolving […]

Sea urchin larvae from the Mediterranean Sea survived at higher rates under ocean acidification conditions, but they grew smaller. Warmer temperatures increased survival and growth rates of the larvae. The results suggest that ocean acidification and warming could boost populations of the sea urchin, increasing its impact on shallow Mediterranean ecosystems. (Laboratory study)

The Gulf of Maine’s unusual geography and oceanography make it distinct from other continental shelf ecosystems. It has deep basins, shallow offshore banks that limit water flow between the Gulf and the open Atlantic Ocean, strong tidal mixing of it shallower waters, and a seasonal cycle of intense winter cooling, springtime freshwater runoff, and summer warming. […]

Ocean acidification conditions and warmer temperatures reduced the survival, development, growth, and lipid synthesis of hard clam and bay scallop larvae. During the juvenile life stages, ocean acidification negatively affected juvenile eastern oysters and bay scallops, but not hard clams. Larvae were substantially more vulnerable to ocean acidication than juveniles were. These findings suggest that current and […]

Two species of brown kelp responded differently to being grown for 55 days under ocean acidification conditions. One grew more, and the other grew less. There were negative indirect effects on black turban snails that fed on the kelp. (Laboratory study)

Sea urchins living in ocean acidification conditions for 45 days grew less. They were able to actively maintain the pH outside the cells in their bodies. (Laboratory study)

Sea urchin larvae normally have alkaline conditions (pH 9.5) in their stomachs. When larvae were exposed to ocean acidification conditions, the pH of their stomachs decreased. This change could reduce the efficiency of digestion and trigger extra feeding to make up for it.

Sea urchin larvae were able to maintain the pH inside their cells under ocean acidification conditions. (Laboratory study)

Shell growth or crystal microstructure of the ocean quahog did not change under different levels of ocean acidification conditions. (Laboratory study)

Body fluids of the northern sea urchin became acidified when the urchins lived in ocean acidification conditions for 5 weeks. (Laboratory study)

Shell growth of blue mussels from the Baltic Sea decreased under ocean acidification conditions. Data suggest that the reduced shell growth under severe acidification did not result from metabolic depression but from increased cellular energy demand and nitrogen loss. (Laboratory study)

Two dominant marine calcifying phytoplankton species, the coccolithophorids Emiliania huxleyi and Gephyrocapsa oceanica, produced less calcite under ocean acidification conditions. They also had more deformities and higher rates of incomplete development. The findings suggest that ocean acidification could slow down the production of calcium carbonate in the ocean. (Laboratory study)

Ocean acidification and/or warmer temperatures may affect immune response, parasite abundance and diversity, and bacterial infection of blue mussels. (Laboratory study)

Swimming performance of Atlantic cod was not impaired after they had lived under ocean acidification conditions for 4 or 12 months. They did not have different metabolic rates, critical swimming speeds, or aerobic scope compared to those that lived in non-acidified seawater. (Laboratory study)

Blue mussels from the Baltic Sea grew less when raised for seven weeks under ocean acidification conditions and with limited food algae. Corrosion of the internal shell surface occurred at a range of ocean acidification levels when food supply was low. When food supply was high, corrosion occurred only in the two highest levels of ocean acidification. […]

Common periwinkles had lower shell growth rates and less increase in shell thickness when grown in ocean acidification conditions, warmer temperatures, or both. Shells were also less pointed and more rounded. Those changes in shell growth appeared to result from disruption of the periwinkle’s metabolism. (Laboratory studied)

Egg production and hatching success of two copepod species was not affected by ocean acidification conditions during short-term incubations. (Laboratory study)

Viability of copepod eggs and larvae was not affected by exposure to ocean acidification conditions. In contrast, warming by 2 or 4°C increased the viability of some eggs. (Laboratory study)

Exposure to extreme ocean acidification conditions (pH 6.95) did not affect growth of adult female copepods. However, only 4 percent of their eggs successfully yielded larvae.

Hard shell clams and eastern oysters exposed to moderate warming and ocean acidification conditions showed no sign of persistent oxidative stress. This indicates that long-term exposure to moderately elevated CO2 and temperature minimally affects the cellular redox status in these bivalve species and that the earlier observed negative physiological effects of elevated CO2 and temperature must be […]

This article provides an overview of the most recent molecular data on the proteins of mollusk shells.

After six months exposure, warmer temperatures, but not ocean acidification, significantly reduced the shell strength of blue mussels, which were fed for a limited period of only 4-6 hours per day. The rising temperatures seemed to affect shell strength indirectly, as the mussels apparently re-allocated energy from shell formation to maintain their bodies in the warmer […]

This study investigated how 16 intertidal seaweed species from southern Spain used inorganic carbon under different levels of ocean acidification conditions. (Laboratory study)

The heat tolerance of a crab species was affected higher concentrations of carbon dioxide. (Laboratory study)

This textbook discusses geochemical interactions between the ocean, solid earth, atmosphere, and climate.

The copepod Calanus finmarchicus had reduced growth, development, and fecundity when exposed to ocean acidification conditions. However, offspring in the next generation did not have delayed development, suggesting that the species may have an ability to adapt to ocean acidification. The results also suggest that in a more acidified ocean as copepods will have higher respiration rates there will be less […]

Experiments with deep-sea and shallow-water crab species from the U.S. west coast indicated that deep-sea animals, which are adapted to a stable environment and have reduced metabolic rates, lack the short-term acid–base regulatory capacity to cope with the sudden, large increases in carbon dioxide that would occur if carbon dioxide emissions were sequestered in the […]

The Kiel Fjord (Baltic Sea) has large natural variations in carbon dioxide levels. When barnacles from the fjord were raised for 8-12 weeks in warmer seawater under ocean acidification conditions, their growth and condition did not change significantly. Warming increased the shell strength, but ocean acidification conditions had only weak effects. (Laboratory study)

When eelgrass was grown for a year under ocean acidification conditions in outdoor aquaria, they had greater reproductive output, below-ground biomass, and proliferation of new shoots. The findings suggest that ocean acidification will increase the productivity of seagrass meadows. (Laboratory study)

Ocean acidification may alter the biogeographical distribution of a non-calcifying red alga by affecting its photosynthesis and growth. (Laboratory study)

When a green seaweed was grown in tidepools for 31 days under ocean acidification conditions, it grew more and had slightly enhanced photosynthesis.

Juvenile Atlantic cod exposed to ocean acidification conditions for 55 days had reduced weight gain, growth rate, and condition. Growth trajectories of those living in medium and high acidification levels were 2.5 and 7.5 times lower than that of those in the low acidification level. The findings suggest that Atlantic cod is more susceptible to ocean acidification […]

This study investigated the response of metamorphosing larvae of a tubeworm species (Hydroides elegans) to two climate change stressors—ocean acidification (pH 7.6) and low oxygen (hypoxia)—and to both combined. (Laboratory study)

This Oceanography paper discusses ocean and coastal acidification processes specific to New England coastal and Nova Scotia shelf waters and reviews current understanding of the biological consequences most relevant to the region. It also identifies key research and monitoring needs to be addressed and highlight existing capacities that should be leveraged to advance a regional understanding of ocean and […]

The limited available evidence about effects on marine fishes of high CO2 and associated acidification of oceans suggests that effects will differ across species, be subtle, and may interact with other stressors. This report is on the responses of an array of early life history features of summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus), an ecologically and economically important […]

Ocean acidification (OA) research seeks to understand how marine ecosystems and global elemental cycles will respond to changes in seawater carbonate chemistry in combination with other environmental perturbations such as warming, eutrophication, and deoxygenation. This paper discusses the effectiveness and limitations of current research approaches used to address this goal. A diverse combination of approaches is […]

In 2007, the US west coast shellfish industry began to feel the effects of unprecedented levels of larval mortality in commercial hatcheries producing the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas. Subsequently, researchers at Whiskey Creek Shellfish Hatchery, working with academic and government scientists, showed a high correlation between aragonite saturation state (Ωarag) of inflowing seawater and survival of larval groups, […]

Through combined physical and chemical surveys of water properties, as well as biological sampling, along the Washington-Oregon-California coast in August 2011, this study showed that large portions of shelf water were corrosive to pteropods. A strong correlation between aragonite saturation state and pteropod shell dissolution is shown. It is estimated that the incidence of severe shell dissolution in pteropods, due to anthropogenic OA, […]

Ocean and coastal acidification is occurring due to uptake of atmopsheric CO2, as well as nutrient-fueled respiration in some estuarine and costal environments. Multiple stressors, influenced by human activity, affect the patterns and severity of acidification. Temperature, deoxygenation, and changes in food webs are particualarly important co-stressors. Development of a theoretical underpinning that considers physiological, ecologial, and evolutionary perspectives to address the […]

Understanding how copepods may respond to ocean acidification (OA) is critical for risk assessments of ocean ecology and biogeochemistry. The perception that copepods are insensitive to OA is largely based on experiments with adult females. Their apparent resilience to increased carbon dioxide (pCO2) concentrations has supported the view that copepods are ‘winners’ under OA. Here, we show […]

Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), primarily from human fossil fuel combustion, reduces ocean pH and causes wholesale shifts in seawater carbonate chemistry. The process of ocean acidification is well documented in field data, and the rate will accelerate over this century unless future CO2 emissions are curbed dramatically. Acidification alters seawater chemical speciation and biogeochemical cycles of many elements […]

In marine ecosystems, rising atmospheric CO2 and climate change are associated with concurrent shifts in temperature, circulation, stratification, nutrient input, oxygen content, and ocean acidification, with potentially wide-ranging biological effects. Population-level shifts are occurring because of physiological intolerance to new environments, altered dispersal patterns, and changes in species interactions. Together with local climate-driven invasion and extinction, these […]

Oceanic uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) is altering the seawater chemistry of the world’s oceans with consequences for marine biota. Elevated partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) is causing the calcium carbonate saturation horizon to shoal in many regions, particularly in high latitudes and regions that intersect with pronounced hypoxic zones. The ability of marine animals, most […]

Ocean acidification, as a consequence of increasing marine pCO2, may have severe effects on the physiology of marine organisms. However, experimental studies remain scarce, in particular concerning fish. While adults will most likely remain relatively unaffected by changes in seawater pH, early life-history stages are potentially more sensitive – particularly the critical stage of fertilization, in which […]

Authors: by Dwight K. Gledhill, Rik Wanninkhof, and C. Mark Eakin 2009 PDF: Observing-Ocean-Acidification-from-Space.pdf Abstract: Space-based observations provide synoptic coverage of surface ocean temperature, winds, sea surface height, and color useful to a wide range of oceanographic applications. These measurements are increasingly applied to monitor large-scale environmental and climate processes that can have an impact […]

The global oceans serve as the largest sustained natural sink for increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations. As this CO2 is absorbed by seawater, it not only reacts causing a reduction in seawater pH (or acidification) but also decreases the carbonate mineral saturation state (Ω), which plays an important role in calcification for many marine organisms. Ocean acidification could affect […]

While larval bivalves are highly sensitive to ocean acidification, the basis for this sensitivity and the longer-term implications of this sensitivity are unclear. Experiments were performed to assess the short-term (days) and long-term (months) consequences of larval stage exposure to varying CO2 concentrations for calcifying bivalves. Higher CO2 concentrations depressed both calcification rates assessed using 45Ca […]

The Eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin, 1791), is the second most valuable bivalve fishery in the USA and is sensitive to high levels of partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2). Here we present experiments that comprehensively examined how the ocean’s past, present and projected (21st and 22nd centuries) CO2 concentrations impact the growth and physiology of larval stages of C. virginica. […]

PDF: Dissolution-mortality-of-juvenile-bivalves-in-coast-marine-deposits.pdf

We show that death by dissolution is an important size-dependent mortality factor for juvenile bivalves. Utilizing a new experimental design, we were able to replicate saturation states in sediments after values frequently encountered by Mercenaria mercenaria in coastal deposits (Ωaragonite = 0.4 and 0.6). When 0.2-mm M. mercenariawere reared in sediments at Ωaragonite = 0.4 and 0.6, significant daily losses […]

Humans have dramatically altered nutrient cycles at local to global scales. We examined changes in anthropogenic nutrient inputs to the northeastern United States (NE) from 1930 to 2000. We created a comprehensive time series of anthropogenic N and P inputs to 437 counties in the NE at 5 year intervals. Inputs included atmospheric N deposition, […]

The ocean carbon cycle is tightly linked with the cycles of the major nutrient elements nitrogen, phosphorus, and silicon. It is therefore likely that enrichment of the ocean with anthropogenic CO2 and attendant acidification will have large consequences for marine nutrient biogeochemistry, and for the microbes that mediate many key nutrient transformations. The best available evidence […]

Ocean acidification (OA) has important implications for the persistence of coral reef ecosystems, due to potentially negative effects on biomineralization. Many coral reefs are dynamic with respect to carbonate chemistry, and experience fluctuations in pCO2 that exceed OA projections for the near future. To understand the influence of dynamic pCO2 on an important reef calcifier, we tested the response […]

Anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) is being absorbed into the ocean, altering seawater chemistry, with potentially negative impacts on a wide range of marine organisms. The early life stages of invertebrates with internal and external aragonite structures may be particularly vulnerable to this ocean acidification. Impacts to cephalopods, which form aragonite cuttlebones and statoliths, are of concern because of […]

Ocean acidification resulting from the global increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration is emerging as a threat to marine species, including crustaceans. Fisheries involving the American lobster (Homarus americanus) are economically important in eastern Canada and United States. Based on ocean pH levels predicted for 2100, this study examined the effects of reduced seawater pH on the growth (carapace length) […]

Although seagrasses and marine macroalgae (macro-autotrophs) play critical ecological roles in reef, lagoon, coastal and open-water ecosystems, their response to ocean acidification (OA) and climate change is not well understood. In this review, we examine marine macro-autotroph biochemistry and physiology relevant to their response to elevated dissolved inorganic carbon [DIC], carbon dioxide [CO2], and lower carbonate [CO32−] […]

Ocean acidification represents a threat to marine species worldwide, and forecasting the ecological impacts of acidification is a high priority for science, management, and policy. As research on the topic expands at an exponential rate, a comprehensive understanding of the variability in organisms’ responses and corresponding levels of certainty is necessary to forecast the ecological effects. […]

Ocean acidification is a pervasive stressor that could affect many marine organisms and cause profound ecological shifts. A variety of biological responses to ocean acidification have been measured across a range of taxa, but this information exists as case studies and has not been synthesized into meaningful comparisons amongst response variables and functional groups. We used […]

Using CO2 perturbation experiments, we examined the pre- and post-settlement growth responses of a dominant biofouling tubeworm (Hydroides elegans) to a range of pH. In three different experiments, embryos were reared to, or past, metamorphosis in seawater equilibrated to CO2 values of about 480 (control), 980, 1,480, and 2,300 latm resulting in pH values of around […]

The effect of ocean acidification on the fatty acid composition of a natural plankton community in the Arctic was studied in a large-scale mesocosm experiment, carried out in Kongsfjorden (Svalbard, Norway) at 79° N. Nine mesocosms of ~50 m3 each were exposed to 8 different pCO2 levels (from natural background conditions to ~1420 μatm), yielding pH values (on the total scale) from ~8.3 to […]

The growth and development of the aragonitic CaCO3 otoliths of teleost fish could be vulnerable to processes resulting from ocean acidification. The potential effects of an increase in atmospheric CO2 on the calcification of the otoliths were investigated by rearing Atlantic cod Gadus morhua L. larvae in 3 pCO2 concentrations—control (370 µatm), medium (1800 µatm) and high (4200 µatm)—from March to May 2010. […]

This paper reviews the maternal effects that increase the fitness of offspring, as well as maternal effects that increase maternal fitness at the expense of offspring fitness.

Increased levels of atmospheric CO2 are anticipated to cause decreased seawater pH. Despite the fact that calcified marine invertebrates are particularly susceptible to acidification, barnacles have received little attention. We examined larval condition, cyprid size, cyprid attachment and metamorphosis, juvenile to adult growth, shell calcium carbonate content, and shell resistance to dislodgement and penetration in the barnacle Amphibalanus amphitrite reared from […]

Numerous monitoring efforts are underway to improve understanding of ocean acidification and its impacts on coastal environments, but there is a need to develop a coordinated approach that facilitates spatial and temporal comparisons of drivers and responses on a regional scale. Toward that goal, the California Current Acidification Network (C-CAN) held a series of workshops to develop […]

 Experimental assessments of species vulnerabilities to ocean acidification are rapidly increasing in number, yet the potential for short- and long-term adaptation to high CO2 by contemporary marine organisms remains poorly understood. We used a novel experimental approach that combined bi-weekly sampling of a wild, spawning fish population (Atlantic silverside Menidia menidia) with standardized offspring CO2 exposure experiments and parallel pH monitoring of […]

Energy availability and local adaptation are major components in mediating the effects of ocean acidification (OA) on marine species. In a long-term study, we investigated the effects of food availability and elevated pCO2 (ca. 400, 1000 and 3000 μatm) on growth of newly settled Amphibalanus (Balanus) improvisus to reproduction, and on their offspring. We also compared two different populations, which were presumed […]

The impact of medium-term exposure to CO2-acidified seawater on survival, growth and development was investigated in the North Atlantic copepod Calanus finmarchicus. Using a custom developed experimental system, fertilized eggs and subsequent development stages were exposed to normal seawater (390 ppm CO2) or one of three different levels of CO2-induced acidification (3300, 7300, 9700 ppm CO2). […]

Ocean acidification poses an ongoing threat to marine organisms, and early life stages are believed to be particularly sensitive. The boreal calanoid copepod Calanus finmarchicus seasonally dominates the standing stock of zooplankton in the northern North Sea and North Atlantic, and due to its size and abundance is considered an ecological key species linking energy from primary producers to higher […]

Our present understanding of ocean acidification (OA) impacts on marine organisms caused by rapidly rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration is almost entirely limited to single species responses. OA consequences for food web interactions are, however, still unknown. Indirect OA effects can be expected for consumers by changing the nutritional quality of their prey. We used a […]

Seaweeds are key species of the Baltic Sea benthic ecosystems. They are the substratum of numerous fouling epibionts like bryozoans and tubeworms. Several of these epibionts bear calcified structures and could be impacted by the high pCO2 events of the late summer upwellings in the Baltic nearshores. Those events are expected to increase in strength and […]

Underway and in situ observations of surface ocean pCO2, combined with satellite data, were used to develop pCO2 regional algorithms to analyze the seasonal and interannual variability of surface oceanpCO2 and sea-air CO2 flux for five physically and biologically distinct regions of the eastern North American continental shelf: the South Atlantic Bight (SAB), the Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB), the Gulf of Maine (GoM), […]

Ocean acidification (OA) is rapidly emerging as a significant problem for organisms, ecosystems, and human societies. Globally, addressing OA and its impacts requires international agreements to reduce rising atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations. However, the complex suite of drivers of changing carbonate chemistry in coastal environments also requires regional policy analysis, mitigation, and adaptation responses. In order […]

We present experiments that examined the metamorphosis, growth, and survivorship of larvae from three species of commercially and ecologically valuable shellfish (Mercenaria mercenaria, Argopecten irradians, and Crassostrea virginica) at the levels of CO2 projected to occur during the 21st century and beyond. Under CO2 concentrations estimated to occur later this century (~66 Pa, 650 ppm), M. mercenaria and A. irradians larvae exhibited dramatic declines (>50%) […]

The combustion of fossil fuels has enriched levels of CO2 in the world’s oceans and decreased ocean pH. Although the continuation of these processes may alter the growth, survival, and diversity of marine organisms that synthesize CaCO3 shells, the effects of ocean acidification since the dawn of the industrial revolution are not clear. Here we present experiments that examined the […]

Distributions of total alkalinity (TA), dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), and other parameters relevant to the marine inorganic carbon system were investigated in shelf and adjacent ocean waters during a U.S. Gulf of Mexico and East Coast Carbon cruise in July–August 2007. TA exhibited near-conservative behavior with respect to salinity. Shelf concentrations were generally high in […]

Ocean acidification, characterized by elevated pCO2 and the associated decreases in seawater pH and calcium carbonate saturation state (Ω), has a variable impact on the growth and survival of marine invertebrates. Larval stages are thought to be particularly vulnerable to environmental stressors, and negative impacts of ocean acidification have been seen on fertilization as well as on embryonic, larval, and […]

Ocean acidification, characterized by elevated partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2), generally has negative effects on early life stages of invertebrates. We tested the idea that fertilization is a critical CO2 exposure stage for the bay scallopArgopecten irradians by determining the effects on bay scallops of exposure to high CO2 (pCO2 ~2600 ppm, pH ~7.30) from fertilization to 7 d old. To assess […]

A mesocosm experiment was conducted to quantify the effects of medium term (5 wk) exposure to acidified seawater on the structure of Nereis virens (Polychaeta) burrows and sediment nutrient fluxes. Worms were exposed to seawater acidified to a pH of 7.3, 6.5 or 5.6 using carbon dioxide (CO2) gas. These treatments mimicked the effects of either ocean acidification (pH 7.3) or […]

Development of seasonal hypoxia was studied weekly in the western narrows of Long Island Sound (WLIS) during the summers of 1992 and 1993 by measuring hydrographic properties, biological oxygen demand (BOD), biomass, production, and mortality of phytoplankton and bacterioplankton in the water column. Dissolved oxygen in bottom waters was low and variable during stratified periods (19–51% saturation), […]

Although ocean acidification is expected to reduce carbonate saturation and yield negative impacts on open-ocean calcifying organisms in the near future, acidification in coastal ecosystems may already be affecting these organisms. Few studies have addressed the effects of sedimentary saturation state on benthic invertebrates. Here, we investigate whether sedimentary aragonite saturation (Ωaragonite) and proton concentration ([H+]) affect burrowing and […]

Author(s): Dickson, R.R., R. Curry, and I. Yashayaev Date: 2003 Abstract: It has long been recognized that the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (MOC) is potentially sensitive to greenhouse–gas and other climate forcing, and that changes in the MOC have the potential to cause abrupt climate change. However, the mechanisms remain poorly understood and our ability to detect […]

Anthropogenic CO2 emissions are acidifying the world’s oceans. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that ocean acidification can impact survival, growth, development and physiology of marine invertebrates. Here, we tested the impact of long-term (up to 16 months) and trans-life-cycle (adult, embryo/larvae and juvenile) exposure to elevated pCO2 (1,200 μatm, compared to control 400 μatm) on the green sea urchin Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis. Female fecundity was […]

Ocean acidification is a global, long-term problem whose ultimate solution requires carbon dioxide reduction at a scope and scale that will take decades to accomplish successfully. Until that is achieved, feasible and locally relevant adaptation and mitigation measures are needed. To help to prioritize societal responses to ocean acidification, we present a spatially explicit, multidisciplinary vulnerability […]

Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution humans have released ~500 billion metric tons of carbon to the atmosphere through fossil-fuel burning, cement production and land-use changes. About 30% has been taken up by the oceans. The oceanic uptake of carbon dioxide leads to changes in marine carbonate chemistry resulting in a decrease of seawater pH and carbonate ion […]

Ocean acidification, caused by increasing atmospheric concentrations of CO2, is one of the most critical anthropogenicthreats to marine life. Changes in seawater carbonate chemistry have the potential to disturb calcification, acid–base regulation, blood circulation and respiration, as well as the nervous system of marine organisms, leading to long-term effects such as reduced growth rates and reproduction. In […]

The accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will lower the pH in ocean waters, a process termed ocean acidification (OA). Despite its potentially detrimental effects on calcifying organisms, experimental studies on the possible impacts on fish remain scarce. While adults will most likely remain relatively unaffected by changes in seawater pH, early life-history stages are potentially more sensitive, […]

After a pelagic larval phase, infaunal bivalves undergo metamorphosis and transition to the underlying sediments to begin the benthic stage of their life history, where they explore and then either accept or reject sediments. Although the settlement cues used by juvenile infaunal bivalves are poorly understood, here we provide evidence that carbonate saturation state is […]

The annual timing of river flows is a good indicator of climate-related changes, or lack of changes, for rivers with long-term data that drain unregulated basins with stable land use. Changes in the timing of annual winter/spring (January 1 to May 31) and fall (October 1 to December 31) center of volume dates were analyzed […]

Kinematics of swimming behavior of larval Atlantic cod, aged 12 and 27 days post-hatch (dph) and cultured under three pCO2 conditions (control-370, medium-1800, and high-4200 μatm) from March to May 2010, were extracted from swim path recordings obtained using silhouette video photography. The swim paths were analyzed for swim duration, distance and speed, stop duration, and horizontal and […]

Today’s surface ocean is saturated with respect to calcium carbonate, but increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations are reducing ocean pH and carbonate ion concentrations, and thus the level of calcium carbonate saturation. Experimental evidence suggests that if these trends continue, key marine organisms—such as corals and some plankton—will have difficulty maintaining their external calcium carbonate skeletons. Here we […]

The Gulf of Maine Coastal Current (GMCC), which extends from southern Nova Scotia to Cape Cod Massachusetts, was investigated from 1998 to 2001 by means of extensive hydrographic surveys, current meter moorings, tracked drifters, and satellite-derived thermal imagery. The study focused on two principal branches of the GMCC, the Eastern Maine Coastal Current (EMCC) that extends along […]

Variability in the circulation of coastal oceans must ultimately be driven by changes in the meteorological conditions that force currents in the coastal ocean, and by variability in the waters entering the coastal ocean from elsewhere. If a coastal ocean is to be understood and modeled accurately, the external forcing that drives the largest portions […]

Anomalously high precipitation and river discharge during the spring of 2005 caused considerable freshening and depletion of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in surface waters along the coastal Gulf of Maine. Surface pCO2 and total alkalinity (TA) were monitored by repeated underway sampling of a cross-shelf transect in the western Gulf of Maine (GOM) during 2004–05 to examine […]

The seasonal variability of inorganic carbon in the surface waters of the Scotian Shelf region of the Canadian northwestern Atlantic Ocean was investigated. Seasonal variability was assessed using hourly measurements, covering a full annual cycle, of the partial pressure of CO2, (pCO2), and hydrographic variables obtained by an autonomous moored instrument (44.3°N and 63.3°W). These […]

Unsustainable fishing simplifies food chains and, as with aquaculture, can result in reliance on a few economically valuable species. This lack of diversity may increase risks of ecological and economic disruptions. Centuries of intense fishing have extirpated most apex predators in the Gulf of Maine (United States and Canada), effectively creating an American lobster (Homarus americanus) monoculture. […]

Nutrient loading to estuaries with heavily populated watersheds can have profound ecological consequences. In evaluating policy options for managing nitrogen (N), it is helpful to understand current and historic spatial loading patterns to the system. We modeled N inputs to Narragansett Bay from 1850 to 2000, using data on population, human waste disposal, livestock, fertilizer, and […]

Ocean acidification results in co-varying inorganic carbon system variables. Of these, an explicit focus on pH and organismal acid–base regulation has failed to distinguish the mechanism of failure in highly sensitive bivalve larvae. With unique chemical manipulations of seawater we show definitively that larval shell development and growth are dependent on seawater saturation state, and not on carbon dioxide […]

Multiple natural and anthropogenic processes alter the carbonate chemistry of the coastal zone in ways that either exacerbate or mitigate ocean acidification effects. Freshwater inputs and multiple acid-base reactions change carbonate chemistry conditions, sometimes synergistically. The shallow nature of these systems results in strong benthic-pelagic coupling, and marine invertebrates at different life history stages rely on both […]

Increased nutrient loading into estuaries causes the accumulation of algal biomass, and microbial degradation of this organic matter decreases oxygen levels and contributes towards hypoxia. A second, often overlooked consequence of microbial degradation of organic matter is the production of carbon dioxide (CO2) and a lowering of seawater pH. To assess the potential for acidification in eutrophic estuaries, […]

Ocean acidification reduces the concentration of carbonate ions and increases those of bicarbonate ions in seawater compared with the present oceanic conditions. This altered composition of inorganic carbon species may, by interacting with ultraviolet radiation (UVR), affect the physiology of macroalgal species. However, very little is known about how calcareous algae respond to UVR and ocean […]

Humans are continuing to add vast amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere through fossil fuel burning and other activities. A large fraction of the CO2 is taken up by the oceans in a process that lowers ocean pH and carbonate mineral saturation state. This effect has potentially serious consequences for marine life, which are, however, difficult […]

The ongoing warming and acidification of the world’s oceans are expected to influence the marine ecosystems, including benthic marine resources. Ocean acidification may especially have an impact on calcifying organisms, and the European lobster (Homarus gammarus) is among those species at risk. A project was initiated in 2011 aiming to investigate long-term effects of ocean acidification on […]

Seagrass ecosystems are expected to benefit from the global increase in CO 2 in the ocean because the photosynthetic rate of these plants may be Ci-limited at the current CO 2 level. As well, it is expected that lower external pH will facilitate the nitrate uptake of seagrasses if nitrate is cotransported with H+ across the membrane as in terrestrial plants. Here, […]

Common sunstar larvae and juveniles in ocean acidification conditions grew faster without apparent effects on survival or body structure. Unlike the larvae of some other sea star species that feed on plankton, larval common sunstars rely on nutrition provided in their egg. This difference in life history may enable some species of sea stars to better withstand ocean acidification. (Laboratory […]

Ocean acidification increased the rate at which sponges bored into scallop shells. At pH 7.8, sponges bored twice the number of papillar holes and removed two times more shell weight than at pH 8.1. Greater erosion caused by the lower pH weakened the scallop shells. A warmer water temperature had little effect on sponge growth, survival, or boring […]

This paper reports nearly 20 years of measurements of seawater pH and associated parameters at Station ALOHA in the central North Pacific Ocean near Hawaii. The data show a long-term decrease of approximately 0.0019 pH units per year.

A species of burrowing shrimp was able to tolerate ocean acidification conditions (pH 7.64) for 35 days. At a lower pH of 7.35, individuals experienced extracellular acidosis, suggesting they had little or no buffering capacity, although there was no evidence of negative impacts on metabolism, osmotic regulation, shell mineralogy, growth, or overall activity. At pH 6.71, all individuals died; […]

Atmospheric nitrogen and sulfur from human activities have substantial impacts on coastal waters, where ocean acidification could have the most severe implications for humans.

Climate change, rising atmospheric carbon dioxide, excess nutrient inputs, and pollution in its many forms are fundamentally altering the chemistry of the ocean, often on a global scale and, in some cases, at rates greatly exceeding those in the historical and recent geological record. Major observed trends include a shift in the acid-base chemistry of […]

Shark feeding could be affected by changes in seawater chemistry projected for the end of this century. When smooth dogfish were placed for five days in ocean acidification conditions, their odor tracking behavior was impaired, and they attacked less. (Laboratory study)

When juvenile oysters were exposed to ocean acidification and/or low salinity, they had greater mortality, less energy stored in their tissues, and loss of soft tissue indicating energy deficiency. Ocean acidification and low salinity also reduced the hardness and fracture resistance of their shells. (Laboratory study)

For juvenile hard-shell clams, ocean acidification alone or in combination with low salinity reduced the hardness and fracture toughness of their shells. This may reduce protection against predators. Salinity should be taken into account when predicting the effects of ocean acidification on estuarine bivalves. (Laboratory study)

For three ecologically important estuarine fish species—inland silverside, Atlantic silverside, and sheepshead minnow—the early life stages were more sensitive to low oxygen than they were to low pH. The combination of low oxygen and low pH had the biggest effect. The results suggest that ocean acidification and hypoxia may reduce the availability of these forage fish for predators. […]

Hermit crabs living in highly acidified seawater (pH 6.8) were less likely to leave a suboptimal shell in favor of an optimal shell. Those that did change shells took longer to do so. Crabs in acidified water also moved less and had lower flicking rates of their antennae (a ‘sniffing’ behavior in decapods). Reduction in seawater […]

Brittlestar larvae died within 8 days after being transferred into acidified seawater (pH 7.9). The larvae had reduced growth and abnormal development and body structure. The brittlestar used in this study, Ophiothrix fragilis, dominates the seabed ecosystem off northwestern Europe, and the findings suggest that ocean acidification could lead to major changes in the ecosystem. (Laboratory study)

Green sea urchins were able to adjust their internal pH level within 5 days after being placed in ocean acidification conditions, but sea stars (Leptasterias polaris) were not. Internal pH did not appear to be related to immune response. (Laboratory study)

Ocean acidification (pH 7.7) impaired growth and development of an intertidal barnacle (Semibalanus balanoides), but warmer temperature (+4 °C) did not. The mineral composition of the shells did not change with either ocean acidification or warmer temperature. The combination of reduced growth and maintained mineral content suggests that the barnacles shifted their energy from growth toward maintaining […]

Author(s): Helen S. Findlay, Michael A. Kendall, John I. Spicer & Stephen Widdicombe  Findlay, H.S. 2010b Link:  http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00227-009-1356-1 Post-larvae of an intertidal barnacle (Elminius modestus) grew more slowly under ocean acidification conditions, but there were no impacts on its shell calcium content and survival by either ocean acidification or warmer temperature. were observed in high CO2 but there were no impacts on shell […]

 Ocean acidification did not have a major impact at the cellular level in the gill epithelia of green crabs. (Laboratory study)

In ocean acidification conditions (pH 7.7) embryos of an intertidal barnacle developed more slowly. Survival of adult barnacles dropped by 22 percent, and the mineral structure of adult shells changed. (Laboratory study)

When Atlantic herring eggs were fertilized, incubated, and hatched in ocean acidification conditions, there was no effect on embryo development or hatch rate. There was also no clear relationship between ocean acidification and length, weight, yolk sac area, or otolith area of the newly hatched larvae. However, the larvae did have reduced concentrations of RNA, which could lead […]

Ocean acidification may favor growth of algal turfs rather than kelp forests. Such a change would affect the many species associated with algal turf or kelp forest habitats.

This field study in Papua New Guinea examined the effects of natural carbon dioxide seeps on coral reef ecosystems. At reduced pH, coral diversity was lower, population replenishment and abundance of some corals decreased, and interactions among species changed. Reef development ceased below pH 7.7. Ocean acidification, together with warmer temperatures, will probably lead to severely reduced […]

In the gulf toadfish, respiratory gas transport and acid–base balance are affected by ocean acidification. While the full physiological impacts are not known, the changes could compromise several physiological systems. (Laboratory study)

While ocean acidification may have some negative effects on the eggs of amphipods, exposure to low-salinity water is likely to affect the eggs more, based on ocean acidification trends projected for the next 300 years. (Laboratory study)

A coralline red alga that lives in tide pools, where it is common for CO2 levels to fluctuate tremendously daily and seasonally, was relatively robust to ocean acidification conditions, compared to other types of coralline algae. (Laboratory study)

A species of copepod (Tisbe battagliai) had decreased reproduction and growth when exposed to ocean acidification conditions. Over time, these changes could result in smaller brood sizes, smaller females, and perhaps later maturing females, which could destabilize the food web. (Laboratory study)

Ocean acidification conditions interfered with the chemoreception, or “smelling”, that hermit crabs use to find shells and prey. The hermit crabs moved less, had lower flicking rates of their antennae (a ‘sniffing’ behavior in decapods), and were less successful in locating the odor source. (Laboratory study)

Blue mussels in acidified seawater for 32 days had suppressed immune responses. (Laboratory study)

Blue mussels in pH 7.1 seawater for 44 days had reduced shell growth, and those in pH 6.8 virtually stopped growing. In less acidified water—pH 7.4 or 7.6—shell growth was not significantly reduced.

Juvenile oysters living in acidified seawater had higher mortality rates and less growth of shell and soft-body tissues. They also had higher metabolic rates, likely because of the higher energy cost of maintaining their body chemistry. The high-CO2 conditions also reduced the hardness and fracture toughness of the shells. (Laboratory study)

Blue mussels exposed to highly acidified seawater for sixty days were able to protect their body tissues involved in reproduction, digestion, and respiration. However, the physiological defenses take energy away from other life processes, meaning that long-term exposure to ocean acidification may result in reduced growth and health of blue mussels. (Laboratory study)

When larvae of blue mussels were kept in ocean acidification conditions predicted for 2100 (pH 7.6) there was no marked effect on fertilization, development, abnormalities, or feeding. However, although the mussel larvae were able to form shells, after two months of exposure they were 28 percent smaller than larvae raised in present-day ocean pH conditions (pH 8.1). Northern shrimp larvae […]

In the early life stages of a coralline alga, mortality and growth abnormalities increased with small changes in pH. However, rate of growth remained similar, potentially by re-directing energy from other life processes. (Laboratory study)

Bacterial infection of blue mussels increased under ocean acidification conditions. (Laboratory study)

Studies in Italy and in the Chesapeake Bay, USA, found that seagrasses lost phenolics, which protect against grazing and disease, when living in high CO2/low pH conditions. The findings suggest that seagrassses may be vulnerable to higher grazing rates under ocean acidification.

When scientists collected pteropods living in the Southern Ocean, where high levels of CO2 caused low availability of calcium carbonate in the water for building shells, they found that the pteropods’ shells had severely dissolved. In the laboratory, pteropods incubated under similar CO2 conditions had equivalent levels of dissolution.

Normally, common periwinkles produce thicker shells in the presence of crab predators. This study found that they did not do so when living in acidified seawater for 15 days. The snails apparently compensated for their lack of defensive shell-building by moving more to avoid the crabs. In a natural setting, this change in behavior could […]

This study used Earth system models to examine how four of the major stressors of ocean ecosystems—warming, acidification, deoxygenation, and changes in primary productivity—may evolve over the 21st century.

Health of Atlantic halibut may be affected by moderate ocean acidification—by itself and combined with warmer temperatures.

 Adult copepods living in acidified water had lower egg production and hatching success. (Laboratory study)

Increased CO2 and temperature acted together to increase the growth of algal turfs, which produced twice as much biomass and covered four times as much space. Experimental removal of algal turfs led to greater establishment of young kelp. The findings suggest that ocean acidification and warming could potentially cause a loss of kelp forests and an increase […]

Although pteropods are able to build shells at low aragonite saturation state, the production of their shell appears to be very sensitive to decreased pH. (Laboratory study)

When larvae of Mediterranean pteropods were cultured in pH 7.82 water, they had malformations and less shell growth. At pH 7.51, the larvae did not make shells but survived and showed normal development. In a natural setting, the smaller shells or lack of shells would have both ecological and biogeochemical consequences. These results suggest that pteropod larvae, as well as the […]

Calcification rate of pteropods dropped 28 percent at pH levels projected for 2100. This result supports the concern for the future of pteropods in a high-CO2 world, as well as of those species dependent upon them as a food resource. (Laboratory study)

Marine phytoplankton have many characteristics, such as rapid cell division rates and large population sizes, that may enable them to adapt to ocean acidification and other types of global change. This paper reviews findings from previous studies to evaluate whether this adaptation is likely to occur, and it stresses the need to consider different types of phytoplankton separately.

The common sea star (Asterias rubens) appeared to withstand the effects of reduced seawater pH, at least for short-term exposures of 15 to 27 days, with no significant changes in the strength of its tube feet or the RNA/DNA ratio of its tissues. (Laboratory study)

Survival of pteropods in Puget Sound, Washington, may not be greatly affected by present ocean pH levels and those projected for the near future, although their shells may be more prone to dissolving. (Laboratory study)

The release of dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP) by marine algae has major impacts on the global sulphur cycle and may influence local climate through the formation of dimethylsulphide (DMS). However, the effect of global change on DMSP/DMS (DMS(P)) production by algae is not well understood. This study examined the effect of low pH on DMS(P) production and epithelial cell morphology […]

The calcium carbonate skeleton of a coralline red alga was estimated to become highly vulnerable to dissolving at an aragonite saturation state between 1.1 and 0.9, which is projected to occur in some parts of the Arctic between 2030 and 2050 if carbon emissions follow “business as usual” scenarios. (Laboratory study)

Corals collected in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, exhibited a complex set of responses when exposed to ocean acidification conditions, different nutrient levels, and two different temperatures. For example, female corals were more sensitive than males to elevated CO2 levels. Considering gender and spawning may be important when considering how populations of marine calcifiers will change in response to […]

Growth and photosynthetic efficiency of a coralline alga decreased under high CO2 levels. These changes could affect the alga’s ability to compete with other macroalgae (seaweeds). (Laboratory study)

A coralline alga took up and used carbon and nutrients differently when living under ocean acidification conditions for 12 weeks, and the changes affected its ability to compete with other macroalgae (seaweed). (Laboratory study)

When grown under ocean acidification conditions, a non-calcifying seaweed (Chondrus crispus) grew to cover more area, while a calcifying alga (Corallina officinalis) decreased in the area it covered. (Laboratory experiment)

Under conditions expected in the 21st century, global warming and ocean acidification will cause corals to become increasingly rare on reef systems. This review presents future scenarios for coral reefs that predict increasingly serious consequences for reef-associated fisheries, tourism, coastal protection, and people.

Blue mussels and ocean quahogs from the Baltic Sea appeared to tolerate wide ranges of seawater temperature and ocean acidification over a period of 13 weeks. (Laboratory study)

Based on experiments with corals collected in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, this paper presents a conceptual model of how changes in nutrients and ocean acidification may interact to produce the range of effects that have been observed in different coral studies. (Laboratory study)

In green sea urchins from the Baltic Sea, the spines appear to be vulnerable to ocean acidification, which might reduce the urchins’ protection against predators. Intestinal epithelia may play a role in mediating acid-base balance in the urchin. (Laboratory study)

Experiments with blue mussels from the Baltic Sea revealed a molecular basis of observed changes in physiology in response to ocean acidification. (Laboratory study)

Weekly growth rate of a cold-water seaweed (Porphyra linearis) averaged 53% in regular air and 28% in CO2-enriched air. (Laboratory study)

Ocean acidification increased the negative effects of cadmium pollution on the immune systems of quahogs and eastern oysters, potentially making them more vulnerable to pathogens and disease. (Laboratory study)

Experiments with quahogs exposed to trace metal pollutants under ocean acidification conditions revealed complex interactions and indicated that variations in environmental CO2 may modulate the biological effects of trace metals. (Laboratory study)

When exposed to ocean acidification conditions (pH 7.7) for 80 days, coralline algae survived by increasing their calcification rates. However, those algae for which the pH had been dropped rapidly, rather than slowly and gradually, exhibited weaknesses in their calcite skeletons. (Laboratory study)

Sea stars collected in Nova Scotia, Canada, grew more slowly under ocean acidification conditions, and their growth rate decreased further with a warmer temperature. In contrast, blue mussel grew more quickly with no response to temperature within the tested range. Predation of sea stars on mussels, measured as per-capita consumption rate, decreased in acidified conditions by 50 […]

When the Gulf toadfish was exposed to levels of ocean acidification that are projected to occur by 2300, it lost greater amounts of bicarbonate ions through its intestine. (Laboratory study)

A species of phytoplankton changed how it used carbon and energy when it was exposed to higher CO2 levels. The effects differed depending on whether the CO2 level change happened over 15-16 generations versus 33-57 generations. (Laboratory study)

The Arctic spider crab (Hyas araneus) appears to have a threshold of ocean acidification beyond which it fails to acclimate. In a 10-week experiment, it had a limited ability to adjust to effects of ocean acidification with and without also experiencing a warmer temperature. (Laboratory study)

When they were exposed to air at low tide, photosynthesis by three species of intertidal seaweeds was not saturated at present-day levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). They may benefit, while exposed to air, from atmospheric CO2 rise.

A coralline alga had reduced calcification in ocean acidification conditions. (Laboratory study)

When a coralline alga was exposed to both ocean acidification and solar UV radiation, its growth, photosynthesis, and calcification rates were greatly reduced, compared to when it was exposed only to solar UV radiation. The calcified layer of the alga appeared to provide protection from UV. The results imply that ocean acidification causes coralline algae to suffer from […]

Calcification rates of the blue mussel and the Pacific oyster decline with increasing ocean acidification. Mussel and oyster calcification may decrease by 25 percent and 10 percent, respectively, by the end of the century. (Laboratory study)

The effects of ocean acidification on the growth and shell production by juvenile and adult shelled molluscs are variable among species and even within the same species, precluding the drawing of a general picture. This is, however, not the case for pteropods, with all species tested so far, being negatively impacted by ocean acidification. The blood of shelled […]

In larval scallops, ocean acidification (pH 7.4–7.6) reduced survivorship by more than 50 percent. Low-oxygen water inhibited growth and metamorphosis. When exposed to both low oxygen and ocean acidification at the same time, scallops fared worse than under either one by itself. In early life stage clams, low oxygen led to 30 percent higher mortality, and acidified […]

Higher levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) enhanced growth of a green seaweed (Ulva rigida). (Laboratory study)

Ocean acidification caused Eastern oysters and hard shell clams to accumulate more metal pollutants, which affected their physiology. (Laboratory study)

Aerobic scope and cardiac performance of Atlantic halibut increased following 14–16 weeks exposure to elevated temperatures and even more so in combination with CO2-acidified seawater. However, the increase does not translate into improved growth. Instead, long-term exposure to CO2-acidified seawater reduces growth at temperatures that are frequently encountered by this species in nature, indicating that […]

Over the contiguous United States, precipitation, temperature, streamflow, and heavy and very heavy precipitation increased during the twentieth century. 

This study used two methods to estimate the exchange of carbon dioxide between the atmosphere and ocean.

A brown seaweed (Fucus vesiculosus) grew more slowly in ocean acidification conditions. Consumption of the seaweed by an isopod (Idotea emarginata) was not affected by ocean acidification or temperature. However, reduced growth of the seaweed at high CO2 concentrations might reduce its capability to recover from intense herbivory.

This study showed the effects of ocean acidification on ecosystems at coastal sites where volcanic CO2 vents lower the pH of the water. Along gradients of normal pH (8.1–8.2) to lowered pH (mean 7.8–7.9, minimum 7.4–7.5), typical rocky shore communities with abundant calcareous organisms shifted to communities lacking scleractinian corals with significant reductions in sea urchins and coralline algae. […]

Deep-water prawns (Pandalus borealis) exposed to severely acidified seawater (pH 6.86) for 16 days were able to compensate by accumulate buffering bicarbonate ions at levels comparable to those reported for shallow-living decapod crustaceans. (Laboratory study)

Exposure of Atlantic herring larvae to ocean acidification conditions resulted in stunted growth and development, poorer condition, and severe tissue damage in many organs. The degree of damage increased at higher levels of ocean acidification. (Laboratory study)

Intracellular concentration of DMSP remained unaffected in two macroalgae species (Ulva lactuca and U. clathrata) under ocean acidification conditions, but significant differences in extracellular production of DMSP and DMS occurred in U. lactuca. (Laboratory study)

Four species of pteropods from the tropical Pacific Ocean that naturally migrate into low-oxygen waters were not adversely affected when grown under ocean acidification conditions. However, another pteropod species, which does not migrate, responded to ocean acidification conditions with reduced oxygen consumption and ammonia excretion. This indicates that the natural chemical environment of individual species may influence their resilience […]

Four species of intertidal brown seaweeds increased their uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2) as ambient CO2 concentration increased, while one other species did not. The amount of increased CO2 uptake changed seasonally with temperature, and for one species the results indicated that future impacts of increased CO2 would be greatest during the spring growth period.

This study investigated the possible effects of ocean acidification on the calcareous skeleton of a Mediterranena bryozoan by transplanting live and dead colonies into an area of natural volcanic carbon dioxide vents in the Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy. Colonies remained alive at the below-normal and acidic pH sites during the 45-day experiment, but corrosion was very striking after 128 days, […]

Bryozoan colonies were grown at a site in the Tyrrhenian Sea (Italy) where natural emissions of carbon dioxide associated with volcanic activity lower seawater pH to 7.76, simulating levels of ocean acidification predicted for the end of the 21st century. The colonies showed impaired growth and had fewer defensive polymorphs. In addition, corrosion of the skeleton was observed in […]

Exposure of juvenile green seaweed to ocean acidification conditions for 80 days affected their ability to photosynthesize. (Laboratory study)

When pre-winter juvenile pteropods were cultured at a range of warmer temperatures and ocean acidification levels for 29 days, temperature was the overriding cause of increased mortality. However, ocean acidification was the main factor in reducing shell diameter by 10-12 percent and increasing shell degradation by 41 percent. This study suggests that rising temperature and ocean acidification may cause […]

Some copepods (Calanus species) in the Arctic routinely encounter a range of seawater pH levels each day as they migrate vertically in the ocean; they were not severely affected when exposed to ocean acidification conditions in the laboratory. In contrast, a copepod species (Oithona similis) that does not vertically migrate, and therefore does not routinely encounter a range of pH […]

Between 1959 and 2008, 43 percent of each year’s carbon dioxide emissions remained in the atmosphere on average. The rest was absorbed by carbon sinks on land and in the ocean.

Two species of phytoplankton (coccolithophores) had higher rates of deformities when pH of seawater in the laboratory was different from present-day ocean pH. Examination of geological samples of coccolithophores did not reveal higher levels of deformities, suggesting that coccolithophores have adapted to changes in ocean pH over geological time.

Carbon dioxide partial pressure and vitamin B12 interactively influenced growth, carbon fixation, trace metal requirements, and trace metal net use efficiencies of the subarctic diatom Attheya sp. (Laboratory study)

This book provides a comprehensive summary of knowledge of the hard clam by experts in various disciplines.

A non-bicarbonate using red seaweed grew more rapidly with increasing carbon dioxide. (Laboratory study)

Ocean acidification conditions did not affect survival, body size, or developmental speed of a copepod species during any of its life stages. Egg production and hatching rates also did not change among generations of females exposed to ocean acidification conditions. Thus, this copepod appears more tolerant to ocean acidification than some other types of marine life, […]

Reproduction and larval development of two copepod species were sensitive to extreme ocean acidification conditions. The hatching rate tended to decrease, and mortality rate of young copepods tended to increase. (Laboratory study)

Under extreme ocean acidification conditions (pH 6.8), the egg production rates of copepods decreased significantly. For two species of sea urchins, fertilization rate of eggs decreased with increasing ocean acidification conditions. Furthermore, the size of urchin larvae decreased and deformities increased. These effects on marine life could lead to changes in the carbon cycle and the marine ecosystem. (Laboratory study)

Muscle length and claw strength of green crabs decreased after the crabs had been in ocean acidification conditions (pH 7.7) for 5 months. Periwinkles tended to have weaker shells in response to acidification. Predation by green crabs on periwinkles did not appear to change under ocean acidification conditions. (Laboratory study)

Ocean acidification conditions reduced the amount of dissolved iron taken up by diatoms and coccolithophores. Iron is a limiting nutrient in large oceanic regions, and the ongoing acidification of seawater is likely to increase the iron stress of phytoplankton populations in some areas of the ocean. (Laboratory study)

Ocean acidification conditions suppressed the metabolism of an Antarctic pteropod by approximately 20 percent in some instances. However, the effect on metabolism depended on abundance of phytoplankton in the region and the pteropods’ baseline level of metabolism. Pteropod populations may be compromised by climate change, both directly by acidification-related suppression of metabolism and indirectly by changes in the phytoplankton […]

Ocean acidification levels predicted for 2100 (seawater pH 7.8) did not significantly affect growth, arm regeneration, biochemical composition, or righting behavior of a sea star. (Laboratory study)

Spider crab larvae that developed under ocean acidification conditions had higher metabolic rates. However, the larvae seem to be able to compensate for higher metabolic costs as their development time and survival was not affected. (Laboratory study)

King scallops in Norway clapped their shells (an escape response) with less force after being exposed to ocean acidification conditions for at least 30 days. The number of claps was unchanged, however. Ocean acidification also narrows the thermal tolerance range of scallops, resulting in elevated vulnerability to temperature extremes. These effects of ocean acidification could affect scallop […]

Growth rate and biomass of a seaweed (the red alga Chrondrus crispus) increased only when ocean acidification was accompanied by warmer temperatures. Photosynthesis was reduced under ocean acidification conditions. (Laboratory study)

This article provides an overview of how rivers, which tend to be acidic compared to the ocean, affect shellfish, with a focus on the Gulf of Maine.

The current fraction of total anthropogenic CO2 emissions stored in the ocean appears to be about one-third of the long-term potential.

Common periwinkles consumed less food when living under ocean acidification conditions for five weeks, after having been exposed to those conditions for two weeks prior to the experiment. Their food—a biofilm of diatoms, cyanobacteria, and various microbes—increased during that period. However, another group of periwinkles consumed more food than the first group; they had been exposed to ocean […]

Bryozoan colonies were able to survive short-term exposure to high levels of ocean acidification at normal temperatures. However, its ability to calcify at higher temperatures was compromised.

This study investigated changes in mineralization in 18 species of marine calcifiers, which were reared for 60 days in different levels of ocean acidification conditions. The results suggest that shell/skeletal mineralogy within some—but not all—marine calcifiers will change as carbon dioxide levels continue rising as a result of fossil fuel combustion and deforestation. (Laboratory study)

Adult green sea urchins exposed to ocean acidification conditons for 56 days ate less food and had 67 percent less growth of their sex glands (gonads). (Laboratory study)

Krill from the northern Atlantic Ocean exposed to ocean acidification conditions for 5 weeks had lower survival rates. (Laboratory study)

Blue mussels grew and calcified 7 times faster in the Kiel Fjord (Baltic Sea), where low pH (ocean acidification) conditions prevailed, than at an outer fjord site where pH levels were higher In addition, the mussels were able to outcompete barnacles at the inner fjord, low pH site. Thus, blue mussels can dominate over a seemingly more […]

Blue mussels from the Kiel Fjord (Baltic Sea), where seawater pH tends to be low, were able to maintain growth rates when exposed to ocean acidification conditions (pH 7.7). in addition, juvenile mussels in the fjord settle mostly in summer when pH is lowest. The findings suggest that mussels may be able to cope with ocean acidification levels projected […]

Exposure of early life stages of a common estuarine fish (inland silverside) to ocean acidification conditions expected in the world’s oceans later this century reduced survival by 74 percent and growth by 18 percent. The egg stage was significantly more vulnerable than the post-hatch larval stage. These findings challenge the belief that ocean acidification will not affect […]

The entire Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf was warm in 2012 compared to the period of 1977-1987. Warm conditions penetrating to the ocean bottom over much of the region. Warming was greatest during the late winter in the southern Middle Atlantic Bight, peaking during summer elsewhere. Bottom waters in the Middle Atlantic Bight Cold Pool were […]

Spider crab larvae developed more slowly, grew less, and lower physiological fitness under increasing levels of ocean acidification conditions. (Laboratory study)

Thermal sensitivity of spider crabs, as indicated by heart rate, rose under increasing levels of ocean acidification conditions. The results suggest a narrowing of the spider crab’s thermal window under moderate increases in ocean acidification. (Laboratory study)

The shells of eastern oysters from the Chesapeake Bay dissolved at faster rates when exposed to increasingly severe ocean acidification conditions. Oysters with fresh shells dissolved at the fastest rate, followed by oysters with weathered shells and those with dredged shells. (Laboratory study)

The shell calcification rates of small hard clams in five size classes (0.39, 0.56, 0.78, 0.98, and 2.90 mm shell height) decreased with increasingly severe ocean acidification conditions (pH 8.02, 7.64, and 7.41). Clams in the larger sizes were able to deposit new shell material even under corrosive conditions. However, the smaller clams were unable to overcome the tendency of calcium […]

Estuarine waters are more susceptible to acidification because they are subject to multiple acid sources and are less buffered than marine waters. Consequently, estuarine shell-forming species may experience acidification sooner than marine species although, the tolerance of estuarine calcifiers to pH changes is poorly understood. This study analyzed 23 years of Chesapeake Bay water quality monitoring data and found […]

Copepods produced more eggs in warmer temperatures, but the increase was smaller when copepods were simultaneously exposed to warmer temperature and ocean acidification conditions (lower pH). When pH changed between egg production and hatching, fewer eggs hatched. Warmer egg production temperature induced a positive maternal effect and increased the egg hatching rate. Warmer hatching temperature resulted in earlier […]

The world’s oceans contain an enormous reservoir of carbon, greater than either the terrestrial or atmospheric systems. The fluxes between these reservoirs are relatively rapid such that the oceans have taken up around 50% of the total carbon dioxide (CO2) released to the atmosphere via fossil fuel emissions and other human activities in the last […]

Appendicularians are free-swimming tunicates that are common in most oceans, coastal waters, and estuaries. They build delicate, gelatinous houses that they use to filter food from the water. This study found that appendicularian abundance increased with ocean acidification, warmer temperatures, and higher nutrient levels. This suggests that appendicularians will play more important roles in the marine […]

From 1974 to 1985, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii increased an average of 1.42 parts per million annually.

Three direct effects of increasing ocean acidification on marine plankton have been recognized: enhanced phytoplankton growth rate, changing elemental composition of primary produced organic matter, and reduced biogenic calcification.

The immune responses of grazing isopods (Idotea balthica) in the Baltic Sea dropped by 60 to 80 percent after the isopods were placed in ocean acidification conditions for 20 days. In addition, isopods from a low salinity site, where their health was already compromised, suffered 100 percent mortality when placed in ocean acidification conditions. (Laboratory study)

Brittlestar arms regenerated 30 percent more slowly under ocean acidification conditions. (Laboratory study)

Spider crabs were not able to fully buffer their internal pH when exposed to ocean acidification conditions for 12 days. Behavior of the crabs was not impaired by ocean acidification conditions or acute heat stress when they happened separately, but it was when both occurred at the same time. (Laboratory study)

Eelgrass was able to photosynthesize better under ocean acidification conditions because of increased availability of carbon dioxide. The results suggest that ocean acidification may enhance seagrass survival.

Four species of copepods differed in their survival, egg production, and egg hatching success when exposed to ocean acidification conditions for 8 days. (Laboratory study)

The egg production rate, hatching success, and respiration of a Mediterranean copepod were not affected by ocean acidification conditions. Warming and food availability did have some effects. (Laboratory study)

More than 98% of the carbon of the atmosphere-ocean system is stored in the oceans as dissolved inorganic carbon. This textbook describes equilibrium and nonequilibrium properties and stable isotope fractionation among the elements of the carbonate system.

Brittlestar arms regenerated faster in warmer water. However, they did not do so when the temperature increase was accompanied by ocean acidification conditions. This may have occurred because the brittlestars had to devote more of their energy to maintaining calcium carbonate body parts, as calcium carbonate became undersaturated when the seawater pH dropped. (Laboratory study)

The combined effect of ocean acidification and rising temperature enhanced the sensitivity of a red alga to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. This was reflected in an increased damage rate, decreased repair rate, and decreased ratio of repair to damage in thalli. The findings suggest that ocean acidification and warming will reduce photosynthesis by this red alga and could potentially decrease […]

Author(s): Yamada, Y. Date: 1999 Link: https://www.plankton.jp/PBE/issue/vol46_1/vol46_1_062.pdf Ten species of zooplankton displayed a range of mortality rates when exposed to ocean acidification conditions. Differences in in swimming behavior, food habits, size, and presence of gills were not significantly related to sensitivity to lowered pH. The results suggest that marine zooplankton are more sensitive than freshwater zooplankton to acidic pH. (Laboratory […]

The amount of available phosphorus appeared to regulate how much inorganic carbon was used by a red alga grown at different levels of ocean acidification conditions. Growth reflected a balance between carbon and nutrient metabolism. (Laboratory study)

At an oyster hatchery on the Oregon coast, researchers found that production of oyster larvae and growth of young oysters dropped when the aragonite saturation state decreased in seawater. (Laboratory study)

This study determined the pH tolerance of the embryonic and larval stages of hard clams and oysters. (Laboratory study)

The latest carbon dioxide emissions continue to track the high end of emission scenarios, making it even less likely global warming will stay below 2°C. A shift to a 2°C pathway would require immediate significant and sustained global mitigation, with a probable reliance on net negative emissions in the longer term.

Educational website about ocean acidification created by the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary Education Team.

News and educational website on ocean acidification

Educational introduction to the chemistry and biological impacts of ocean acidification

Reader-friendly article provides introduction to ocean and coastal acidification in the Northeast

The NOAA Ocean Acidification Program (OAP) was established in May 2011, by the Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring (FOARAM) Act. This program aims to coordinate research, monitoring, and other activities to improve our understanding of how (and how fast) the chemistry of the ocean is changing, how variable that change is by region, and what impacts these […]

Few studies have evaluated the joint effects of elevated temperature and pCO2 on marine organisms. In this study we investigated the interactive effects of Intergovernmental Panel on Clinate Change predicted temperature and pCO2 for the end of the 21st century on key aspects of larval developm,ent of the American lobster, Homarus americanus, an otherwise well-studied, iconic, and commercially prominent species […]

Impurities in indicator salts can significantly bias spectrophotometric pH determinations. In this work, two purified sulfonephthalein indicators, meta-cresol purple (mCP) and phenol red (PR), were tested for analysis of freshwater pH on the free hydrogen ion concentration scale. The work presented here is the first parallel comparison with two purified indicators used to determine pH of the same freshwater samples.

This four-page brochure provides an introduction to ocean and coastal acidification, its effects on marine life, why the Northeast is especially vulnerable, research priorities for the region, and what people can do to fight coastal acidification. The information in the brochure is adapted from NECAN’s 2015 Oceanography article.

Exponentially rising CO2 (currently ~400 µatm) is driving climate change and causing acidification of both marine and freshwater environments. CO2 directly affects acid–base and ion regulation, respiratory function and aerobic performance in aquatic animals. Elevated CO2 projected for end of this century (e.g. 800–1000 µatm) can also impact physiology, and have substantial effects on behaviours linked to sensory […]

Acidification has sparked discussion about whether regulatory agencies should place coastal waters on the Clean Water Act 303(d) impaired water bodies list. Here we describe scientific challenges in assessing impairment with existing data, exploring use of both pH and biological criteria. Application of pH criteria is challenging because present coastal pH levels fall within the allowable criteria […]

The continental shelf region off the west coast of North America is seasonally exposed to water with a low aragonite saturation state by coastal upwelling of CO2-rich waters. To date, the spatial and temporal distribution of anthropogenic CO2 (Canth) within the CO2-rich waters is largely unknown. Here we adapt the multiple linear regression approach to utilize the GO-SHIP Repeat Hydrography […]

The effects of ocean acidification on living marine resources present serious challenges for managers of these resources. An understanding of the ecosystem consequences of ocean acidification is required to assess tradeoffs among ecosystem components (e.g. fishery yield, protected species conservation, sensitive habitat) and adaptations to this perturbation. We used a marine ecosystem model for the Northeast US […]

The European Commission released a Science for Environment Policy brief about the prospective decline of the European shellfish industry due to ocean acidification. An excerpt: “Ocean acidification threatens marine ecosystems worldwide, but economic assessments of its impact are lacking. A recent study has predicted the future cost of ocean acidification on mollusc production in Europe and […]

Mussels are an ecologically and economically important taxon that attach to solid surfaces via the byssus. To date, little is known about the effects of ocean acidification (OA) on mussel byssal attachment and the underlying molecular byssal responses. This study demonstrated that after 1 week of exposure to acidified seawater, both mechanical properties and the number of byssal threads […]

Ocean acidification (OA) is increasingly recognized as a major global problem. Despite the scientific evidence, economic assessments of its effects are few. This analysis is an attempt to perform a national and sub-national assessment of the economic impact of OA on mollusc production in Europe. We focus on mollusc production because the scientific evidence on the […]

The U.S. Northeast Continental Shelf marine ecosystem has warmed much faster than the global ocean and it is expected that this enhanced warming will continue through this century. Here, we used a high-resolution global climate model and historical observations of species distributions from a trawl survey to examine changes in the future distribution of suitable […]

One page document summarizing the impact of ocean and coastal acidification on the Massachusetts Shellfish Industry. 

Terms of Reference for the NECAN Steering Committee.

Accelerated oxygen loss in both coastal and open oceans is generating complex biological responses; future understanding and management will require holistic integration of currently fragmented oxygen observation and research programmes.

Public support for carbon emissions mitigation is crucial to motivate action to address global issues like climate change and ocean acidification (OA). Yet in the public sphere, carbon emissions mitigation policies are typically discussed in the context of climate change and rarely in the context of OA or other global change outcomes. In this paper, we advance […]

Except for the Providence River and side embayments like Greenwich Bay, Narragansett Bay can no longer be considered eutrophic. In summer 2012 managed nitrogen treatment in Narragansett Bay achieved a goal of reducing effluent dissolved inorganic nitrogen inputs by over 50%. Narragansett Bay represents a small northeast US estuary that had been heavily loaded with […]

Inorganic carbon chemistry data from the surface and subsurface waters of the West Coast of North America have been compared with similar data from the northern Gulf of Mexico to demonstrate how future changes in CO2 emissions will affect chemical changes in coastal waters affected by respiration-induced hypoxia ([O2] ≤ ~ 60 µmol kg−1). In surface waters, the percentage change […]

BACKGROUND Oxygen concentrations in both the open ocean and coastal waters have been declining since at least the middle of the 20th century. This oxygen loss, or deoxygenation, is one of the most important changes occurring in an ocean increasingly modified by human activities that have raised temperatures, CO2 levels, and nutrient inputs and have altered […]

Ocean acidification, a product of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide, may already have affected calcified organisms in the coastal zone, such as bivalves and other shellfish. Understanding species’ responses to climate change requires the context of long-term dynamics. This can be particularly difficult given the longevity of many important species in contrast with the relatively rapid […]

The Northeast Regional Ocean Council (NROC) is a state and federal partnership that facilitates the New England states, federal agencies, regional organizations, and other interested regional groups in addressing ocean and coastal issues that benefit from a regional response. It is NROC’s mission to provide a voluntary forum for New England states and federal partners […]

It has been speculated that the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) in shelf waters may lag the rise in atmospheric CO2. Here, we show that this is the case across many shelf regions, implying a tendency for enhanced shelf uptake of atmospheric CO2. This result is based on analysis of long-term trends in the […]

Ocean acidification refers to the lowering of the ocean’s pH due to the uptake of anthropogenic CO2 from the atmosphere. Coral reef calcification is expected to decrease as the oceans become more acidic. Dissolving calcium carbonate (CaCO3) sands could greatly exacerbate reef loss associated with reduced calcification but is presently poorly constrained. Here we show that CaCO3 dissolution in reef sediments across […]

These guidelines are written for a variety of audiences ranging from shellfish growers interested in monitoring pH with inexpensive equipment to citizen monitoring groups to advanced chemistry laboratories interested in expanding existing capabilities. The purpose is to give an overview of available sampling, analytical and data reporting approaches that will contribute to the usefulness of coastal acidification measurements for […]

Estuaries may be uniquely susceptible to the combined acidification pressures of atmospherically driven ocean acidification (OA), biologically driven CO2 inputs from the estuary itself, and terrestrially derived freshwater inputs. This study utilized continuous measurements of total alkalinity (TA) and the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) from the mouth of Great Bay, a temperate northeastern U.S. estuary, […]

Many studies have examined the vulnerability of calcifying organisms, such as the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica), to externally forced ocean acidification, but the opposite interaction whereby oysters alter their local carbonate conditions has received far less attention. We present an exploratory model for isolating the impact that net calcification and respiration of aquacultured eastern oysters can have on calcite and aragonite saturation […]