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Ocean & coastal acidification research at EPA's Pacific Coastal Ecology Branch

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  • Overview
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.  This presentation will discuss recent and ongoing research at EPA's Pacific Coastal Ecology Branch to characterize the dynamics and drivers of coastal acidification in US 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. This presentation will cover ongoing coastal acidification research at EPA's Pacific Coastal Ecology Branch, including current acidification monitoring, a national acidification vulnerability assessment, and current support for the State of Oregon to develop ocean acidification assessment methodologies via participation in a technical workgroup.

Impact/Purpose

This is an invited presentation for the Oregon State University Hatfield Marine Science Center's 2022 Research Summit.  The purpose of the meeting is to bring together the scientific community at Hatfield, share ongoing research, and foster new collaborations amongst the community.  This presentation will cover ongoing coastal acidification research at EPA's Pacific Coastal Ecology Branch, including current acidification monitoring, a national acidification vulnerability assessment, and current support for the State of Oregon to develop ocean acidification assessment methodologies via participation in a technical workgroup.

Citation

Pacella, S., Cheryl A. Brown, Jim Kaldy, TChris MochonCollura, E. Rutila, AND W. Fairchild. Ocean & coastal acidification research at EPA's Pacific Coastal Ecology Branch. 2022 Oregon State University Hatfield Marine Science Center Research Summit, Newport, OR, October 17 - 18, 2022.
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Last updated on October 28, 2022
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