Ocean acidification

1. Ocean acidification • is occurring • negative impacts climate • negative impacts fisheries

2. Sybil Seitzinger Executive Director, IGBP www.IGBP.net

3. Ocean acidification Atmos CO2 seawater CO2 pH • (Feely et al., 2008) • *

4. Ocean acidification • is occurring • negative impacts climate • negative impacts fisheries

5. Fate of anthropogenic CO2 emissions (2000-2008) 45% 29% 26% + Le Quéré et al. 2009, Nature geoscience; Canadell et al. 2007, PNAS, updated

6. Climate & ocean acidification • CO2 dissolves sw • decreases with pH

7. Climate & ocean acidification • CO2 dissolves sw • decreases with pH • Organisms remove CO2 • make biomass • calcium carbonate shells

8. G. oceanica E. huxleyi C. quadriperforatus C. braarudii Coccolithophores Ambient pH Coccolithophores largest producer of calcite on Earth NASA image Riebesell et al. 2000 Langer et al. 2006

9. G. oceanica E. huxleyi C. quadriperforatus C. braarudii pH disrupts shell formation Ambient pH pH Coccolithophores largest producer of calcite on Earth NASA image Riebesell et al. 2000 Langer et al. 2006

10. Ocean acidification • is occurring • negative impact climate • negative impacts fisheries

11. Ocean acidification slows shell calcification • economic losses • global shellfish prod. 10.5 billion US$ • disruption livelihoods Net calcification rate (wt% per 60 d) Ries et al. 2009 Cooley and Doney 2009 Decreasing pH

12. International coordination • standardize methods • coordinate field campaigns • synthesis www.imber.info

13. Summary for Policymakers

14. Ocean acidification is occurring negative impacts climate negative impacts fisheries Still much to be learned!

15. Sybil Seitzinger Executive Director, IGBP