Abstract
Ocean acidification has led to detectable changes in seawater chemistry around the world, which are associated with reduced growth and survival of many species. Acute ocean acidification “events” in the Pacific Northwest United States have jeopardized the $270 million, 3,200 jobs/year shellfish aquaculture industry in Washington State, and this has contributed to the state’s broad-based, legislatively driven response to ocean acidification. Even though impacts from ocean acidification have yet to be felt in many locations, states and regions are beginning to take action on the issue. In this paper, we present an array of actions that can be undertaken by communities or regions to address ocean acidification. The actions can be coupled, completed one at a time, or aligned with other environmental initiatives, and they can be tailored to the prevailing political or economic environment. We review which have been used by different U.S. states and identify common themes and popular choices. We close by suggesting combinations of conditions and clusters of activities that seem to promote rapid and sustained action. Cutting atmospheric carbon dioxide levels internationally is still the most comprehensive way to address ocean acidification, but this analysis shows that productive actions can still be taken at smaller scales to help marine resource-dependent communities adapt to existing ocean acidification and prepare for possible future impacts.
Highlights
Often called a global problem with local impacts, ocean acidification refers to the progressive increase in seawater acidity and the decrease in carbonate ion levels that occur when seawater takes up atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2)
Far from being powerless against global change, this review shows that communities have a diverse array of actions available to begin addressing ocean acidification
As may be true for other issues, we see that for ocean acidification, early actions focusing on education, outreach, and assessment build coalitions of citizens that can advocate for more difficult or expensive actions that address other aspects of ocean acidification
Summary
Often called a global problem with local impacts, ocean acidification refers to the progressive increase in seawater acidity (measured by a decrease in pH) and the decrease in carbonate ion levels that occur when seawater takes up atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). The suite of options, assessing and addressing knowledge gaps (Table 1, second group), include actions that contribute to a more localized and specific understanding of ocean acidification and its impacts These activities generally require more time, energy, and experts to produce useful results than the outreach and education category. Examples of scientific assessments that have been completed by state groups include the Washington State Blue Ribbon Panel on Ocean Acidification Report (2012), Maryland Ocean Acidification Task Force Report (Maryland Department of Natural Resources, 2015), and the Maine Ocean Acidification Commission report (State of Maine 126th Legislature Sec, 2015) Another category of actions that can be taken to address ocean acidification include supporting marine industries and jobs that could be affected (Table 1, third group). Adding to West Coast momentum, Alaska Sea Grant helped convene a stakeholder workshop in December 2014 to educate citizens about this issue
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
