Ocean Acidification is Happening! CERF2013 OA Plenary Review

Before we begin I should make some points clear. Firstly, I am not a climate change denier; I am a scientist who thinks critically and demands evidence. Secondly, any mechanism which facilitates changes in policy leading to reduction in carbon emissions gets my vote. With that I will begin my review of the Coastal & Estuarine Research Federation 2013 ocean acidification -“the other CO₂ problem”- plenary session.

The session entitled “Acidification Impacts on Estuaries” had a plenary of four speakers – each with a different perspective on ocean acidification. Richard Feely, the godfather of ocean acidification, got the ball rolling by introducing the carbonate cycle; explaining how upwelling in coastal systems increases acidification and addressing the global and local extent of ocean acidification. Sam Dupont provided a provocative insight to the biological implications to ocean acidification: there are winners and losers, stress is simply deviation from normal variability and effects are ultimately driven by energy budget.  The take home message being “we need to stop stamp collecting and start understanding the mechanisms” in other words, stop measuring what is happening and start understanding why it is happening. A highlight mainly because he was relatable and emotive, Alan Barton represented the shellfish industry.  A wake-up call for many, Alan explained how upwelling acidified water nearly put him out of business, describing his industry as a “canary in the mine” for other ecosystems. To wrap up the session Jay Manning focussed our attention towards policy. Documented cause and economic effect of ocean acidification, as described in the shellfish industry, could be the mechanism to facilitate real changes in carbon emission policy. Undoubtedly, the session provided a diverse overview on the emerging environmental issue of acidification: chemistry, biology, industry and policy all wrapped into a single ninety minute session.

Like most ocean acidification synopses, the session represented a gross over simplification of the current status of research. It is impossible to capture such a multifaceted issue in a short session- of course that is no reason to abstain. For me, the session was subjective; we’re scientists, not journalists, right? Yes the ocean is becoming more acidic, yes oyster hatcheries on west coast USA are negatively affected by upwelling, but what about all the evidence to suggest organisms are likely to be more resilient then we give them credit for? Take the Southern Ocean, already undersaturated in aragonite and yet still the benthic ecosystem is dominated by calcifiers. Or the Baltic Sea (with the world’s largest dead zone which heard about on Monday); seasonal changes in hydrology and fluctuations in carbon chemistry mean the ecosystem is commonly undersaturated, as well as hypoxic, and yet still the dominant ecotype is the blue mussel. The oyster hatchery certainly isn’t a canary in the mine for these ecosystems.  I am not suggesting we should abandon concerns about acidification. I think we should assess all the facts. Thinking back to Monday’s talk by Ephraim King, "rule one of getting science into policy is quality of knowledge". Currently, our knowledge on the effects of ocean acidification is based almost solely on short term experiments. The measured response can only represent acclimation, not potential for adaption. Is this enough for policy makers? Sam Dupont hit the nail right on the head, we need to stop stamp collecting and start understanding the mechanisms! For example, how can we predict how molluscs will respond to acidification when we lack the basic understanding on how they build their shells?

Whilst our current ability to predict the effects of ocean acidification is inaccurate “scientific uncertainty is no excuse for inaction”. Ocean acidification is happening. The challenge is now for scientists to step up to the mark, conduct meaningful experimental work to characterise the mechanisms affected by ocean acidification - on each level of biological organisation, from genes to ecosystems.

Conference website: https://www.sgmeet.com/cerf2013/default.asp