Persistent Spatial Structuring of Coastal Ocean Acidification in the California Current System

Authors

F. Chan, Oregon State University
J. A. Barth, Oregon State University
C. A. Blanchette, Marine Science Institute
R. H. Byrne, University of South FloridaFollow
F. Chavez, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research InstituteFollow
O. Cheriton, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, United States Geological Survey, Santa Cruz, USA
R. A. Feely, Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, USA
G. Friederich, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
B. Gaylord, University of California Davis
T. Gouhier, Northeastern University
S. Hacker, Oregon State University
T. Hill, University of California Davis
G. Hofmann, University of California Santa Barbara
M. A. McManus, University of Hawaii at Manoa
B. A. Menge, Oregon State University
K. J. Nielsen, San Francisco State University
A. Russell, University of California Davis
E. Sanford, University of California Davis
J. Sevadjian, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
L. Washburn, Marine Science Institute and Department of Geography

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2017

Keywords

Carbon cycle, Marine chemistry

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-02777-y

Abstract

The near-term progression of ocean acidification (OA) is projected to bring about sharp changes in the chemistry of coastal upwelling ecosystems. The distribution of OA exposure across these early-impact systems, however, is highly uncertain and limits our understanding of whether and how spatial management actions can be deployed to ameliorate future impacts. Through a novel coastal OA observing network, we have uncovered a remarkably persistent spatial mosaic in the penetration of acidified waters into ecologically-important nearshore habitats across 1,000 km of the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem. In the most severe exposure hotspots, suboptimal conditions for calcifying organisms encompassed up to 56% of the summer season, and were accompanied by some of the lowest and most variable pH environments known for the surface ocean. Persistent refuge areas were also found, highlighting new opportunities for local adaptation to address the global challenge of OA in productive coastal systems.

Rights Information

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Was this content written or created while at USF?

Yes

Citation / Publisher Attribution

Scientific Reports, v. 7, art. 2526

Scholar Commons Citation

Chan, F.; Barth, J. A.; Blanchette, C. A.; Byrne, R. H.; Chavez, F.; Cheriton, O.; Feely, R. A.; Friederich, G.; Gaylord, B.; Gouhier, T.; Hacker, S.; Hill, T.; Hofmann, G.; McManus, M. A.; Menge, B. A.; Nielsen, K. J.; Russell, A.; Sanford, E.; Sevadjian, J.; and Washburn, L., "Persistent Spatial Structuring of Coastal Ocean Acidification in the California Current System" (2017). Marine Science Faculty Publications. 1799.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/msc_facpub/1799