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Observations and drivers of coastal acidification in Pacific Northwest estuaries.
Citation:
Pacella, S., R. Peterson, Cheryl A. Brown, R. Labiosa, Jim Kaldy, TChris MochonCollura, E. Rutila, B. Hales, G. Waldbusser, AND M. Barker. Observations and drivers of coastal acidification in Pacific Northwest estuaries. Oregon State University Ocean Ecology & Biogeochemistry Distinguished Alumni Seminar Series, Corvallis, Oregon, June 04, 2021.
Impact/Purpose:
This presentation will discuss recent and ongoing research at the Pacific Coastal Ecology Branch to investigate the signals, drivers, and effects of coastal acidification in estuarine systems. Development of field- and laboratory-based methods for studying the role of eutrophication and atmospheric CO2 in acidification and hypoxia dynamics will be presented using case studies from the Tillamook Estuary, OR and Puget Sound, WA. Results of these studies illustrate how the global atmospheric CO2 increase, when combined with local eutrophication, can enhance acidification in estuarine environments. This research has helped to develop methods for identifying times and places with enhanced degradation of water quality due to anthropogenic acidification.
Description:
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. A growing literature shows water quality impacts from these drivers of coastal acidification can impair the fitness of coastal organisms and has negatively impacted commercial fisheries in the United States. Creating effective management strategies and understanding decision tradeoffs for addressing coastal acidification impacts will likely require an improved understanding of the role of local versus global acidification drivers. This presentation will discuss recent and ongoing research to characterize the dynamics and drivers of coastal acidification in Pacific Northwest estuaries. Results of these studies reveal how both global and local human activities can enhance coastal acidification in estuarine environments via multiple pathways, creating “hotspots” of water quality degredation and exceedances of physiological thresholds for endemic organisms. We highlight how potential management for water quality impacts in estuaries can be informed by accounting for the spatial and temporal interactions between local and global drivers of acidification.