Ocean Acidification in the Salish Sea and Beyond

Archived video of this presentation.

Ocean acidification is sometimes called the evil twin of climate change. It’s driven by the carbon dioxide being added to the atmosphere, which is changing the chemistry of the oceans. These changes can influence how hard it is to make a shell, or how easy it is for plants and algae to grow. Ocean acidification can affect anything from the survival of tiny oysters to the sense of smell in fish. We will start with some basics about how the ocean waters are changing. Then we will look at some of the more common responses among different kinds of organisms, including some that are common in the Salish Sea. We will explore what we do and don’t know about what happens when things get complicated, like when temperature and carbon dioxide are changing at the same time, or in coastal waters that have many other influences. Finally we will take a look as what we know about what the future holds and how people and policy makers are addressing the coming changes.