Congressional Briefing on Ocean Acidification: Focus on estuaries and nearshore waters

On June 13, 2011 COMPASS and the National Research Council Ocean Studies Board hosted Congressional briefings on ocean acidification in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Caused by increasing levels of CO2 in the ocean, acidification threatens a range of marine organisms and their ecosystems, including commercially valuable species such as shellfish and corals. Originally considered more of an “open ocean” problem, scientists now find that acidification could have especially severe impacts on nearshore environments, risking billions of dollars in lost product and income. In coastal areas, unlike in the open ocean, CO2 can come from both land and air, amplifying acidification in focal hotspots where land and water meet. But by understanding the multiple drivers of acidification in the coastal zone, states can position themselves to combat the deleterious effects of ocean acidification -- at least for the short term.

This briefing explored the sources and implications of decreasing pH in the coastal zone. Leading scientists presented findings on how stressors like acidification pose a growing threat to valuable resources and explore the options for communities to address acidification’s local sources and impacts. Scientists will introduce the concept of a “pH budget” to help clarify existing policy options.

Speakers included:

• Dr. Joan Kleypas, from the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, CO, set the stage on the emerging science of ocean acidification and presented an overview of how Congress has helped to shape the trajectory for scientific research.

• Dr. Denise Breitburg, from the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, discussed the significance of stressors such as low oxygen and low pH for marine food webs, including a case study from the Chesapeake Bay.

• Dr. Sarah Cooley, from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, presented economic implications, adaptation strategies that may exist from the policy perspective, as well as an approach for predicting the vulnerability of coastal economies to impending increases in the pH stress originating from atmospheric sources.

Please find speaker presentations, bios and contact information, and briefing documents attached below.