Climate Change
Scientists have exhaustively documented how increased rates of carbon emissions by humans result in ocean warming and ocean acidification.
More recently, marine biologists are encountering new evidence revealing the far-reaching ecological effects of climate change on marine life.
Notably, evidence is pouring in from the marine ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest – where marine life is especially sensitive to cold-water temperature thresholds, and other sensitive bio-chemical processes like the calcification rates in developing shellfish larvae.
Learn More...
Explore these links to learn more about the effects of climate change on ocean ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest:
Center for Climate and Energy Solutions’ page on the effects to coastal and marine ecosystems
KQED award winning video story on sea otters and climate change
Northwest Nature Matters podcast episode on the ecological effects of climate change and ocean acidification in the PNW
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: Climate Change in the Pacific Region
NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center page on ocean acidification
NOAA report on the effects of climate change on salmon in the PNW
NOAA video on Sea-level rise in California, Oregon and Washington
NPR news story on the recent sea star collapse and links to climate change
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Fact Sheet on Climate Change and Oregon’s Nearshore and Open Water Habitat
Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems (NANOOS) page on the effects of climate change on oceans in the PNW
NANOOS page on ocean acidification in the PNW
University of Washington, College of the Environment page on Ocean Acidification in the PNW
OPB news story on the effects of ocean acidification on shellfish in the PNW
Northwest Pubic Broadcasting’s story on research into the ability of kelp and seagrass to buffer ocean acidification
