West Coast Scientists Urge Rapid Action Against Ocean Acidification

[HuckleB]

Source: KUOW

A panel of ocean scientists from Washington, Oregon and California said Monday that local action on the West Coast — one of the regions of the world hardest hit by ocean acidification — could soften the blow of this rapidly worsening global problem.

While acidification's main cause is carbon dioxide emitted globally, the West Coast Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia Science Panel said it's urgent to fight the phenomenon close to home as well as globally.

Changing ocean chemistry has already taken a toll on the Northwest shellfish industry. As oceans absorb more of the carbon dioxide that humans keep adding to the atmosphere, it will only get harder for shellfish and plankton to grow shells as seawater turns more acidic.

Ocean acidification and the related problem of hypoxia, or low oxygen levels under water, "will have severe environmental, ecological and economic consequences for the West Coast," the panel's report states.

Read more: http://kuow.org/post/west-coast-scientists-urge-rapid-action-against-ocean-acidification

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It's way past time.

[tk2kewl]

1. k&r

[HuckleB]

11. Thanks!

[silvershadow]

2. 1. It is too late. Way too late. 2. Haven't we been advocating this for 30 years? nt

[Chakab]

3. We're fucked. Enjoy society and your comfortable lifestyle while it lasts.

[HuckleB]

4. We certainly could be.

[yuiyoshida]

13. Its always amazing to me that

Local Restaurants will not serve dungeness crab to the locals at different times of the year but you can always find it at Fisherman's wharf, fed to tourists for that almighty dollar. If they can't get it locally, they will purchase it from Alaska or Vancouver and charge an arm and a leg for it,while others of us, who really like it, have to go without, and allow the local crabs to grow up.

Tourists are what feeds the bay area, even if bay area, has to eat crap. You want to eat great seafood, there is only one place to eat it, and you will pay for it. I am surprised they are not checking ID's yet, and not allowing Californians to eat at Fisherman's warf. You from Ohio? Enjoy, but from Fresno? There's a macDonald's up the street!

[tclambert]

5. I can't see that Senator from Oklahoma, the one with the snowball, worrying about the ocean.

After all, it's God's ocean.

[HuckleB]

7. That guy just hated the lack of snowballs in his youth.

Poor guy.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

6. Sorry people, it's to late.

[Javaman]

8. personally, if you live along the coasts...

I would invest in acid resistant boots.

between this and the ocean rise, the future of our planet is pretty much a forgone conclusion.

we fiddled...

[Fast Walker 52]

9. oh, I know, let's just dump a bunch of high pH chemicals in the ocean to counter-attack the acidity

what could go wrong?

[Uncle Joe]

10. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, HuckleB.

[KT2000]

12. the only thing driving

salt water cleanup in Washington is the shellfish industry. China and other Asian countries are primary consumers of geoduck grown here. Washington's economy is now focused on trade with China so cleanups were started years ago. Unfortunately they did not focus on acidification so the damage is still occuring even though the poo has been handled.

[passiveporcupine]

14. I'm also very concerned with all the coral bleaching going on

That's not on the West Coast, but it's important, and it is caused by warmer temps in the ocean.

We have to take action globally, not just locally. We have to take this seriously.