Increases in atmospheric CO2 concentrations are fundamentally changing the chemistry of the ocean. The pH of the world’s surface ocean has already decreased by 0.1 pH units (indicative of a 30% increase in acidity) and is predicted to decline by as much as 0.3–0.4 pH units over the next century.
This project sharpened the understanding of ecosystem and social vulnerability associated with ocean acidification on the California coast through an integrated study of human communities, oceanographic variability and thresholds for key species. The study synthesized several oceanographic datasets, creating for the first time a comprehensive map of stressors within five kilometers of the California coastline.
The project team also assembled (and added to) ecological datasets on the effects of ocean acidification and other stressors for harvested shellfish and key ecological species within California to create a map of vulnerabilities. The project team merged these syntheses with new social science data collected to understand factors that influence adaptive capacity in at-risk communities.
This work was a collaborative effort by scientists from several disciplines and has been informed by guidance from stakeholders and managers. Although California is at the forefront of science-based policy solutions, long-term planning will be required to prepare for the impacts of these perturbations to ocean chemistry. This integrated, transdisciplinary analysis of vulnerability to ocean acidification can help inform ecosystem restoration, conservation and human adaptation in the face of climate change.
Brian Gaylord