A Central Coast scientist has found that large sea snails known as abalone are resilient despite the effect of climate change on the ocean. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo biologist Dr. Jennifer O’Leary took a closer look at ocean acidification, which is caused by climate change. This happens when carbon dioxide is absorbed by seawater […]
During summertime, dissolved oxygen (DO) and pH/pCO2 cycle daily in shallow estuarine waters used by young fishes as nursery habitat. Laboratory experiments on juvenile weakfish Cynoscion regalis examined individual and interactive impacts of present-day levels of diel-cycling hypoxia and acidification on growth and activity. Fish were exposed to 3 DO treatments (extreme cycling DO, 1-11 mg O2 l-1; moderate […]
The ongoing rise in atmospheric CO2 concentration is causing rapid increases in seawater pCO2levels. However, little is known about the potential impacts of elevated CO2 availability on the phytoplankton assemblages in the Southern Ocean’s oceanic regions. Therefore, we conducted four incubation experiments using surface seawater collected from the subantarctic zone (SAZ) and the subpolar zone (SPZ) in the […]
Scientists peer into oyster and clam genomes to help the shellfish industry prepare for a change in ocean chemistry. In the Pacific Northwest, oyster aficionados have likely tasted Chris Langdon’s scientific handiwork. Since 1996, his Molluscan Broodstock Program at Oregon State University has been breeding plump, fast-growing, and hardy oysters as stock for the $250 million West Coast oyster industry. But in the […]
Marine calcifying organisms, such as stony corals, are under threat by rapid ocean acidification (OA) arising from the oceanic uptake of anthropogenic CO2. To better understand how organisms and ecosystems will adapt to or be damaged by the resulting environmental changes, field observations are crucial. Here, we show clear evidence, based on boron isotopic ratio […]
40%: The increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels since the start of the industrial revolution.