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Tillamook Estuary, OR Ocean Acidification Monitoring Dataset: 2017-2020
Citation:
Pacella, S. Tillamook Estuary, OR Ocean Acidification Monitoring Dataset: 2017-2020. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, 2021.
Impact/Purpose:
Since 2017, the US EPA’s Pacific Coastal Ecology Branch (PCEB) has studied the dynamics of coastal acidification in Tillamook Bay. Coastal acidification is broadly defined as the lowering of pH in coastal ocean and estuarine waters as a result of human activities, including fossil fuel combustion, land use change, and eutrophication. Tillamook Bay has been identified as an estuary of national significance as part of the US EPA’s National Estuary Program, and it is home to extensive shellfish aquaculture and agricultural industries. PCEB’s research is therefore focused on quantifying the magnitude, frequency, and location of reductions in water quality due to coastal acidification that may negatively impact shellfish aquaculture and the health of native species in Tillamook Bay. In 2017, EPA installed water quality sensors in Tillamook Bay in order to monitor acidity and oxygen levels in the Bay. This monitoring station autonomously record measurements multiple times every hour and provides high quality data from state-of-the-art sensors to help researchers understand the causes of acidification in Tillamook Bay. This monitoring program is one of the first of its kind in the state of Oregon and contributes to PCEB's research to better understand the impacts of coastal acidification, as well as the effectiveness of potential management strategies for maintaining successful recreational and commercial fisheries in Tillamook Bay. This dataset will be shared with EPA Office of Water for an assessment of coastal acidification monitoring in EPA National Estuary Program sites around the United States, and submitted to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality for their 2022 Integrated Report and relevant water quality assessments.
Description:
This dataset is composed of coastal acidification monitoring observations from the Tillamook Estuary, OR, USA conducted by EPA’s Pacific Coastal Ecology Branch (PCEB). The measurements span from September 2017 to June 2020, and consist of quality-controlled data from YSI sondes, Sea-Bird SeaFET and SeapHOx, and Sunburst SAMI CO2 sensors. Sensor measurements consisted of salinity, temperature, water depth, dissolved oxygen, pH, and partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) in seawater. Coastal acidification monitoring in Tillamook Estuary is planned to continue, and this dataset represents the first batch of quality-controlled data resulting from the monitoring effort. Results from this effort will be used as part of PCEB's research efforts to improve coastal acidification monitoring and attribution of acidification drivers in Pacific Northwest estuaries. This dataset will be shared with EPA Office of Water for an assessment of coastal acidification monitoring in EPA National Estuary Program sites around the United States, and submitted to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality for their 2022 Integrated Report and relevant water quality assessments.