Coastal ocean regions and the Great Lakes are especially impacted by local pollution sources and processes, which can exacerbate acidification. It has caused global-scale changes in ocean and freshwater chemistry that are driving ecological impacts and resulting in social and economic effects.
The three national research objectives are:ġ) Expand and advance observing systems and technologies to improve the understanding of and ability to predict acidification trends and processes Ģ) Understand the ways acidification is impacting ecologically and economically important species and the ecosystems they live in, and improve our ability to predict how these ecosystems and species may respond to acidification and other stressors andģ) Identify and engage stakeholders and partners, assess needs, and generate products and tools that support management decisions, adaptation, and resilience to acidification.Īcidification is driven by atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2) being absorbed by the ocean and Great Lakes. The research plan sets out three major objectives for ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes acidification research, and includes regional chapters for coastal zones around the U.S., Great Lakes, territories - including Puerto Rico and American Samoa - and deep ocean regions. A researcher on a Hawaii Ocean Time-Series buoy calibrates instrumentation with the Research Vessel Kilo Moana in the background.