Salem Sound Coastwatch

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Since 1990

Salem Sound Coastwatch
is a regional coordinator of the Massachusetts Bays Program.

!OCEAN ACIDIFICATION!

As a direct result of human emissions of CO2, the ocean is becoming more acidic. It has absorbed about half of the anthropogenic CO2 emitted over the last 200 years. Currently, the ocean is absorbing 22-25 million tons of CO2 a day, which has already caused a decrease in the ocean's pH! The average ocean waters pH has been 8.2. It is now at 8.1 and scientists are predicting a drop of 0.4 pH if CO2 emissions are not cut dramatically. While this may not sound like a big drop, it is. It is already having a serious impact on species at the lowest level of the ocean food chain.

CO2 emissions must be reduced to prevent the catastrophic destruction of the world's ocean.

"Today, the habitat at risk is the ocean itself."

"Is it better to eat the last fish or let it die "naturally" from effects of CO2?"
Brad Warren, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership

Thank you, CinemaSalem! www.cinemasalem.com. On June 7, Salem Sound Coastwatch presented to a standing room only crowd the Massachusetts Premiere of

This film brings attention to the crucial but little-known issue of ocean acidification and its connection to climate change. With breathtaking photography of wilderness on land and stunning underwater footage, the film follows Sven Huseby, an engaging grandfather and educator, as he journeys from Alaskan fishing villages to Norwegian glacial beaches to better understand the problem of ocean acidification and to find a cure.

To see the trailer for A Sea Change.
Read Larry Claflin's review in the Salem News.
To request a showing of A Sea Change, contact info@salemsound.org

!What can you do! !Think Globally. Act Locally!

Reduce your carbon footprint. carbonrally.com and carbonfootprint.com
Reduce, reuse, recycle.
Contact your government representatives. Let them know that the government must take a lead in reducing CO2 immediately.
Purchase sustainable seafood and locally grown food.
Do not use plastics, and if you do, always recycle.
Reduce your driving and purchase a higher mileage car if possible.
Demand alternative energies. Sign up for New England Green Start to support alternatives for energy generation, like wind and solar.
Support Salem Sound Coastwatch and other environmental groups.

To Learn More:

Acid Test: Can we save our oceans from CO2. A 32 page report on the problem, findings, solutions, recommendations compiled by scientists for Oceana, funded by the Scheman Foundation.

Ocean Acidification - the other half of the CO2 problem: This Fact Sheet was composed by scientists from the Plymouth Marine Laboratory in the UK as well as colleagues from Marine Environment Laboratories (IAEA) and Observatoire Océanologique, (CNRS).

The Ocean Acidification Network an informational network for the international scientific community

The Journal of Marine Education Special Issue on Ocean Acidification: The Journal of Marine Education has just published a special issue entitled "Ocean Acidification - from Ecological Impacts to Policy Opportunities (Volume 25, No. 1, 2009). The National Marine Educators Association has given permission to the U.S. Ocean Carbon and Biogeochemistry program to post the special issue at:http://www.us-ocb.org/CurrentFINAL.pdf

Pteropods: NOAA / NSF CRUISE REVEALS IMPACTS OF OCEAN ACIDIFICATION ON CHEMISTRY, BIOLOGY OF NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN April 5, 2006 ? Data collected from ocean sampling in the Pacific Ocean from the southern to northern hemispheres confirms that the oceans are becoming more acidic.

EPOCA: the European Project on Ocean Acidification a blog at wordpress.com with media coverage of ocean acidification.

Ocean Acidification and Marine pH Water Quality Criteria AGENCY: Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of data availability (NODA).requesting comments by June 15, 2009.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA–HQ–OW–2009–0224; FRL–8892–5]
SUMMARY: This NODA provides interested parties with information submitted to EPA on ocean acidification and solicits additional pertinent data or information that may be useful in addressing this issue.

The Darkening Sea Author: Kolbert, Elizabeth Publication: The New Yorker 20-NOV-06 from AccessMyLibrary. " “To alter the chemistry of the seas is to take a very large risk..."

Salem Sound Coastwatch
201 Washington Street, Suite 9 Salem, Massachusetts 01970 | 978-741-7900