SPEAKER: Stephen Pacella, Pacific Coastal Ecology Branch, US EPA Office of Research and Development
TOPIC: Observations and drivers of coastal acidification in Pacific Northwest estuaries
ABSTRACT: Coastal acidification is broadly defined as the lowering of pH in coastal ocean and estuarine waters as a result of human activities, including fossil fuel combustion, land use change, and eutrophication. A growing literature shows water quality impacts from these drivers of coastal acidification can impair the fitness of coastal organisms and has negatively impacted commercial fisheries in the United States. Creating effective management strategies and understanding decision tradeoffs for addressing coastal acidification impacts will likely require an improved understanding of the role of local versus global acidification drivers. This presentation will discuss recent and ongoing research to characterize the dynamics and drivers of coastal acidification in Pacific Northwest estuaries. Results of these studies reveal how both global and local human activities can enhance coastal acidification in estuarine environments via multiple pathways, creating “hotspots” of water quality degradation and exceedances of physiological thresholds for endemic organisms. We highlight how potential management for water quality impacts in estuaries can be informed by accounting for the spatial and temporal interactions between local and global drivers of acidification.
DATE: Thursday, March 4, 2021
TIME: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
For the live broadcast of the VIRTUAL Thursday Seminar, visit:
https://oregonstate.zoom.us/j/94555731151?pwd=RnJ6eVg0ODdzRUpVc0pQbUlIdUV3dz09
Password: 972587 or call +1-971-247-1195 US Meeting ID: 945 5573 1151
For recordings of past Thursday Seminars, visit: http://hmsc.oregonstate.edu/pastseminars
Event Duration: 1 - 3 hours
Date: March 4, 2021
Time: 3:30 pm
End Time: 4:30 pm
Time Zone: PST