We developed a multiple linear regression model to
robustly determine aragonite saturation state (Ωarag) from
observations of temperature and oxygen (R² = 0.987, RMS
error 0.053), using data collected in the Pacific Northwest
region in late May 2007. The seasonal evolution of Ωarag near
central Oregon was evaluated by applying...
Ocean acidification (OA) is altering the chemistry of the world’s oceans at rates unparalleled in the past roughly 1 million years. Understanding the impacts of this rapid change in baseline carbonate chemistry on marine organisms needs a precise, mechanistic understanding of physiological responses to carbonate chemistry. Recent experimental work has...
During the Southern Ocean Iron Experiment (SOFeX), January-February 2002, two iron fertilization experiments were conducted at the south (66.45°S, 171.8°W) and north (56.23°S, 172°W) patches. The south patch was replete with all macronutrients, whereas the north patch was nearly depleted of silicate. Using a towed water sampling/measurement system, high resolution...
Abstract: Coastal upwelling zones may be at enhanced risk from ocean acidification as upwelling brings low aragonite saturation state (Ω[subscript Ar]) waters to the surface that are further suppressed by anthropogenic CO₂. Ω[subscript Ar] was calculated with pH, pCO₂, and salinity-derived alkalinity time series data from autonomous pH and pCO₂...
The subarctic-subtropical transition zone in the North Pacific represents the second largest sink of
atmospheric carbon dioxide in the world ocean, yet the relative importance of physical and biological processes in
this uptake is debated. In a step toward understanding the spatiotemporal variability of environmental,
physiological, and ecological factors that...
We report results from an oyster hatchery on the Oregon coast, where intake waters experienced variable carbonate chemistry (aragonite saturation state < 0.8 to > 3.2; pH < 7.6 to > 8.2) in the early summer of 2009. Both larval production and midstage growth (∼ 120 to ∼ 150 µm)...
Space-based observations offer unique capabilities for studying spatial and temporal dynamics of the upper ocean inorganic carbon cycle and, in turn, supporting research tied to ocean acidification (OA). Satellite sensors measuring sea surface temperature, color, salinity, wind, waves, currents, and sea level enable a fuller understanding of a range of...
In 2007, the US west coast shellfish industry began to feel the effects of unprecedented levels of larval mortality in commercial hatcheries producing the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas. Subsequently, researchers at Whiskey Creek Shellfish Hatchery, working with academic and government scientists, showed a high correlation between aragonite saturation state (Ω[subscript]arag)...
Continental margin carbon cycling is complex, highly variable over a range of space and time scales, and forced by multiple physical and biogeochemical drivers. Predictions of globally significant air–sea CO₂ fluxes in these regions have been extrapolated based on very sparse data sets. We present here a method for predicting...