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On the Frontline: Tracking Ocean Acidification in an Alaskan Shellfish Hatchery.
Wiley Evans1, Jeremy T Mathis1, Jacqueline Ramsay2
1National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Seattle, Washington, United States of America; Ocean Acidification Research Center, School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, United States of America.
Plos One
|July 2, 2015
Summary
Ocean acidification threatens Alaska
Area of Science:
- Marine chemistry
- Oceanography
- Shellfish aquaculture
Background:
- Ocean acidification, driven by anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2), reduces calcium carbonate (CaCO3) saturation states.
- Coastal areas experience natural variability, exacerbating the impacts of declining CaCO3 saturation states on marine life.
- Alaska's high-latitude environment and growing shellfish industry are particularly vulnerable to these changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct the first land-based ocean acidification (OA) measurements within an Alaskan shellfish hatchery.
- To analyze trends in aragonite saturation state (Ωarag) in the hatchery's seawater supply over a 10-month period.
- To establish baseline conditions and a framework for future OA monitoring in Alaskan hatcheries.
Main Methods:
- Continuous, land-based monitoring of seawater chemistry at the Alutiiq Pride Shellfish Hatchery (APSH).
- Measurement of aragonite saturation state (Ωarag) over a 10-month duration.
- Analysis of seasonal trends and correlation with environmental factors like respiration and runoff.
Main Results:
- Significant seasonal variability in Ωarag was observed, with extended periods below the optimal threshold (Ωarag < 1.5) during winter and autumn.
- Elevated water column respiration and short-lived runoff events were linked to decreased Ωarag.
- A favorable 5-month window for Ωarag is projected to close by 2040 under high CO2 emission scenarios.
Conclusions:
- The study quantifies current OA conditions at APSH, revealing critical seasonal challenges for shellfish early life stages.
- Projected future conditions indicate a narrowing window of suitable Ωarag, posing a significant risk to Alaska's developing shellfish industry.
- The findings underscore the need for proactive adaptation and monitoring strategies in shellfish hatcheries facing OA.
