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EmailFor Release May 26, 2011 11:30 Pacific Time
Contact: Karen Marvin (650) 492-1763
kmarvin@stanford.edu
Center for Ocean Solutions/Stanford University
STANFORD, Calif. – Coastal communities hard hit by ocean acidification hotspots
have more options than they may realize, says an interdisciplinary team of
science and legal experts. In a paper published today in Science, experts from Stanford University’s Center for Ocean
Solutions and colleagues make the case that communities don’t need to wait for
a global solution to ocean acidification to fix a local problem that is
compromising their marine environment. Many localized acidification hotspots
can be traced to local contributors of acidity that can be addressed using
existing laws
In addition to Stanford University, the team of experts drew
from NOAA, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Center for
Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, and Oregon State University.
“Since an acidification hotspot can negatively impact a
community, its causes need to be tackled quickly,” commented Melissa Foley, a
lead author of the paper. “We
identified practical steps communities can take today to counter local sources
of acidity.” The paper, entitled
“Mitigating Local Causes of Ocean Acidification with Existing Laws,” is the
first to lay out how acidification hotspots can be reduced by applying federal
and state laws and policies at a local level.
Coastal waters have a pH “budget” that can be pushed beyond
its spending limits when local and atmospheric sources of acidity are
combined. Many hotspots are driven
by local sources of ocean acidification such as agricultural and residential runoff
and soil erosion, not just by atmospheric CO2 being absorbed into
the ocean. “The alignment of a localized ecological harm with a local policy
solution is rare,” observed Ryan Kelly, one of the paper’s lead authors.
Ocean acidification reduces the ability of marine creatures
to create shells and skeletons, harming everything from commercial oyster beds
to coral reefs. Puget Sound, Wash., the Chesapeake Bay and other communities
hit by ocean acidification hotspots have seen their livelihoods and lifestyles
damaged.
A recent lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) showed how existing laws could be applied to the problem of ocean acidification. In a memorandum required by the settlement, the EPA emphasized that states should identify waters that are impaired due to declining pH levels and track them over the long term. “Using pH levels as a type of ‘master variable’ helps judge the cumulative impact of a variety of pollutants that are flushed into the ocean by coastal communities,” said Melissa Foley. “This is important to understanding the magnitude of a water quality problem.”
Authors of the paper include Ryan P. Kelly, Center for Ocean
Solutions, Melissa M. Foley, Center for Ocean Solutions, William S. Fisher,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Richard A. Feeley, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, Benjamin S. Halpern, National Center for Ecological
Analysis and Synthesis, George G. Waldbusser, Oregon State University, Margaret
R. Caldwell, Center for Ocean Solutions.
The Center for Ocean Solutions, based at Stanford University, crafts interdisciplinary solutions to major challenges facing the oceans. It is a collaboration between the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) and Stanford University, including Hopkins Marine Station and the Woods Institute for the Environment.
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