A remote Indonesian village highlights the threats facing millions who depend on marine life for food.
A new study claims that mollusk farming and fishing, a $1 billion industry, is increasingly vulnerable to ocean acidification.
Carbon pollution isn't just warming the climate—it's also making our oceans more acidic.
In this activity, students observe how chicken eggs can be used to simulate the potential effects of increasing ocean acidity on marine animals with calcium carbonate shells or skeletons, for example, bryozoans and cockles.
They threaten the region's fishing industry.
A remote Indonesian village highlights the threats facing millions who depend on marine life for food.
There is a growing body of evidence about the dangers ocean acidification poses to marine life
They threaten the region's fishing industry.
Sustainable Fisheries and Climate: Discover the impact of climate change on sustainable fisheries. From definitions to mitigation strategies
There is one main U.S. law that governs the management of marine fisheries in federal waters: The Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA). Originally intended to address the concern over foreign fisheries operating near U.S. waters, the MSA, which was passed in 1976...
TRVST works to inspire positive change for people and planet, championing changemakers, their projects and inspiring actions for impact
More than 100 fishing boats, sail boats, skiffs and kayaks took to the waters Sunday to draw attention the threat of ocean acidification.
Ocean acidification (OA) describes a change in the ocean's carbonate chemistry. Whereas its chemical processes are largely understood, the biological and socioeconomic consequences particularly in relation to fisheries are less known. Norway is a major fishing nation worldwide and is potentially affected by OA. To improve the understanding of the socioeconomic consequences of OA, we conducted a risk assessment among the Norwegian counties using a modified version of a risk assessment framework introduced in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's “Special Report: Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation,” which considers risk to be the sum of hazard, exposure, and vulnerability. Our results show that about 13 of 19 counties are likely to experience moderate to high risk from OA. We highlight that the success of integrated risk assessments highly depends on the availability of detailed environmental, economic, and societal data. In the case of Norway, modeling data regarding the progress of OA, improved information on potential biological impacts on a larger number of species, and statistical data on social variables are required. We conclude that although still in its infancy, integrated risk assessments are important prerequisites for any form of interdisciplinary research on OA and the development of successful response strategies. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2016;00:000–000.
A Goose Point Oyster Co. employee harvests fresh oysters at dawn on the Nisbet family's tidelands in Willapa Bay. The Nisbets struggled to make ends meet in recent years as ocean acidification wiped out oyster reproduction in the bay and along the coast.
With gorgeous luster and deeply saturated burnt orange hues, responsibly sourced Precious Sardinian Coral is a guaranteed conversation-starter. "Precious Coral from deep within the Mediterranean Sea is not the same as the endangered, reef-building coral species which grow in shallow waters nearer to the surface. The reef-building corals that are currently suffering the effects of climate change and ocean acidification are in fact not used at all in fine jewelry. Although they share the same collective name “coral,” reef corals are very different from Precious Coral." "Today, fishing for these corals follows very strict regulations from the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean of FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), with restrictions for species protection. The harvesting of this coral below 50 meters is limited to minimum trunk sizes and only to very experienced divers. There is also regular delimitation of protected areas for species protection and longevity." * Details: 18k Yellow Gold contoured hooks (2) Sardinian Coral beads, 11.41 x 11.36mm *Excerpt from Assael.com Assael's Biography & Collection can be found here. Please contact us for resizing options, special order inquiries, or any other questions.
The Great Barrier Reef is under attack from a range of enemies including climate change effects (coral bleaching, increased severe storms, and ocean acidification), pollutant discharge from the land, coastal…
Global fisheries have been improving for several decades. Where do they go from here? In this post we address the climate change and ocean acidification threat and its effects on fish and the people who rely on them, then end on a more positive note by looking at the remaining fishery potential.
This week – and the next week – I am in Pyeong Chang – a mountain town in the Republic of Korea, covering the 12th Conference of Parties on Biological Diversity (CBD COP). Posting here my views on what’s happening at the venue. You can also read my news articles from the COP here. Two years ago, one morning I stood on the beach of Calangute – a coastal town in western India’s Goa and watched rows of fishing boats returning to the shore. Each of these boats had, wrapped in a large net, the night’s harvest from the ocean. As the fishermen emptied their nets, the sand was instantly covered with a silver carpet of thousands of fish. ‘Blessed wealth of a benevolent sea god’– I remembered whispering to myself. Today, I am reading a UN scientific report that shows that the blessing and wealth of the ocean is under severe threats, thanks to a rapidly rising level of acidification of the ocean water. The report, titled “An Updated Synthesis of the Impacts of Ocean Acidification on Marine Biodiversity” says that the level of carbon dioxide in the water – which is what “acidification” actually means - of our oceans is increasing at a high speed. The growing carbon dioxide is already destroying corals, mollusks and other elements in the sea bed and is a big threat to all other marine lives, including fish. You can download a copy of the report here. So, what causes the acidification? A paper by the Duke university has a very simple and easy way to put it: the ocean and atmosphere contact each other and the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere gets dissolved in the water of the ocean. This means, if the carbon dioxide grows in the atmosphere (which is happening), then it also grows into the ocean. And it turns normal water into fizzy soda water - just the way your cold drinks manufacturers do it. I spoke with two scientists who were instrumental behind this report and tried to understand what this acidification meant and how could it affect us. One of the scientists is Sebastian Hennige of the Center for Marine Biodiversity and Biotechnology in the UK. Sebastian - the lead editor of this report – told me that by the end of this century, the economic loss caused by this acidification would be “A trillion US dollar”. (1 trillion dollar! This means, 1 followed by 12 zeroes. What is that in Indian rupee? Counting numbers was never my strength, but I guess that it will be hundreds of thousands of crores. In short, a huge, huge amount of money.. Now, there are many coastal countries and provinces whose economy heavily depend on ocean based earnings – like catching and selling of fish. So, what about them? What kind of loss do they face? Here, Sebastian said that the acidification was not same everywhere. In the areas where there is a coral reef, the impact is greater. In the pacific regions – like those island countries of Fiji, Samoa, Vanahatu etc, the risk is very big. In some other areas it’s relatively less. So, the level of loss depends on the level of risks. But he also said that in the coral reef areas alone 400 million risk losing their livelihood because of this acidification. So, what can these people do about it? Sebastian had no ready answers, but the other scientist, Carol Turley of UK's Plymouth Marine Laboratory, said that, the first thing for the countries to do is to conduct more studies and monitor the level of acidification and its impacts in their own regions. For that, she had a suggestion: let us build a global network of ocean acidification monitors. The other action would be to tackle pollution at local level. Don’t overfish and don’t pollute the ocean. But the best action to take has to be a collective one: decrease the emission level of carbon dioxide! Let’s take action on carbon mitigation. That’s the real action! bigpicture.ru Now, in December, the UN is organizing its Climate Change COP – the event where world leaders would meet in Lima, Peru to negotiate who should do how much of what to stop the rapid growth of world’s greenhouse gas emissions which is causing climate change. Your country is going there. My country is going there. Ours, theirs, everyone’s governments are going there to take part in this exercise. Would in any of their talks, this acidification of the oceans and the rising threats to the marine life and lives of humans who depend on them figure? Scientists have done their jobs. Will the politicians do theirs? Do they give a fish? I hope you do, and, you can make them do it too.
Research has highlighted the negative effect acidification of oceans can have on marine life, but now fishing communities are waking up to the big threat it poses to their livelihoods.
Carbon pollution isn't just warming the climate—it's also making our oceans more acidic.
There are approximately 2,270 sea animals covered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Get to know 20 of the most fascinating ones—plus how you can help them.
Shellfish will have more brittle shells as oceans get more acidic – making them more vulnerable to predators. New research gives a fascinating glimpse into how they will adapt.
Ocean acidification is bad for crab larvae, and the fishermen who rely on them.
Island Scallops, a shellfish producer on Vancouver Island, is laying off staff after it lost a majority of its scallop harvest due to ocean acidification.
"The potential is certainly there for it to be a rapid event, literally overnight."
Ensia is a solutions-focused nonprofit media outlet reporting on our changing planet. Published by the Institute on the Environment.
Underwater Robots To Help Coral Reefs Recover - Industry Tap
Traditionally, the ocean economy is viewed solely as a mechanism for economic growth. In this business-as-usual approach, large-scale industrial economies have developed the ocean economy through the exploitation of maritime and marine resources, often without consideration of how those activities impact the future health or productivity of those same resources. This has led to aquatic ecosystems being viewed and treated as limitless resources, the marine environment becoming a dumping ground for waste, overfishing diminishing fishing stocks, ocean habitats being degraded from coastal developments, sea-level rise impacting coastal communities and infrastructure, increasing ocean acidification, and the marginalisation of poor coastal communities. Recognising the failings of the traditional ocean economy, there is a transition underway around the world towards the Blue Economy. This concept moves beyond the business-as-usual approach with economic development and ocean health complementary to one another. In the Blue Economy, the environmental risks of and ecological degradation from economic activity are mitigated or significantly reduced. Therefore, economic activity is in balance with the long-term capacity of the ocean ecosystems to support this activity and remain healthy and resilient. , This book will provide an overview of the various technologies used to promote cross-sectoral and multi-scalar collaboration, facilitate the integrated management of sectors and resources, foster partnerships between governments and industry, encourage R&,D in new technologies in resource use and management, and scale-up innovative financing mechanisms in the development of a Blue Economy. Also, the book will contain in-depth case studies that illustrate how locations, of differing climates, lifestyles and income levels, have implemented technologies to facilitate the development of the Blue Economy. Developing the Blue Economy will provide an accessible resource for practitioners and researchers working in the field on the various innovative technologies being implemented around the world to create a Blue Economy.
