Sweetening the waters - the feasibility and efficacy of measures to protect Washington’s marine resources from ocean acidification
Washington State's ocean acidification initiative began with the launch of Governer Christine Gregoire's Blue Ribbon Panel on Ocean Acidification in December 2011. The initiative is the first of its kind in the country, and a report commissioned by the Global Ocean Health Program was released in November 2012. The report is a first step towards assessing and improving the tools at hand.
Sweetening the Waters focuses on three categories of actions to reduce harm caused by ocean acidification. Carbon dioxide emissions are the primary driver of ocean acidification, which threatens marine ecosystems and shellfish hatcheries. Washington State is developing strategies to cope with these changes, but the report identifies needed improvements.
Adaptive strategies address symptoms of acidification, rather than causes. So far, the only successful adaptive approach has been careful monitoring of pH, pCO2, salinity, temperature, and dissolved oxygen by shellfish producers. Attention to the changing chemistry of the water has saved shellfish hatcheries from sustaining significant losses. However, the funding (both federal and other) that supports the monitoring at Lummi hatcheries, Whiskey Creek, Willapa Bay, and Taylor Shellfish Farms is due to run out early in 2013. Another strategy that shows promise is selective breeding, but as of yet it is unclear whether selecting for higher tolerance in shellfish would compromise other favorable traits.
Remediation strategies are targeted at restoring healthy chemistry on a local and regional scale. The report addresses the value of seagrass beds, which take up more carbon than they release and facilitate dissolution of calcium carbonate from sediments into ocean water, providing shell-building material for marine organisms and raising surrounding pH. Seagrass is one of the most threatened ecosystems on the planet, and Washington’s seagrass meadows currently are much smaller than their historic range. Restoring eelgrass, the primary seagrass species on the Washington coast, is a challenging task, but careful site choices may be the key to success. Buffering sediment with ground or broken bivalve shells can also improve habitat quality for shellfish. The report discusses the potential value of growing macroalgae, which consume carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and phosphorus and can be harvested for feedstock, cosmetics, and potentially biofuel. A high production volume would be required to counter carbon upwelling off the coast, but commercial seaweed is an avenue worth exploring.
Mitigation strategies deal with pollution control, aiming to stop acidification at the source. These range from greenhouse-gas credits and incentives to reduce agricultural runoff to more efficient engines and fuel monitoring, particularly in rail yards and on large marine vessels. In 2002, Washington State Ferries monitored fuel flow on a single Seattle to Bainbridge boat, and subsequently discovered they could save a million gallons a year (nearly six percent of their total annual usage) on that ferry alone. Biodigesters, like the Tulalip Tribe’s Qualco Energy project, could also be a promising way of treating waste. Finally, the report addressed the contentious issue of iron fertilization, which may help plankton sequester carbon in the oceans but has a host of other repercussions.
Although some strategies are already proven, many require further research. The report stresses the need for smart planning and a focused effort that will allow the state to cope with the realities of a changing environment.
Washington State Blue Ribbon Panel on Ocean Acidification
Sweetening the Waters was commissioned by the Global Ocean Health Program, a joint initiative of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership and the National Fisheries Conservation Center. The findings presented here helped inform deliberations of Washington’s Blue Ribbon Panel on Ocean Acidification. The panel was appointed by Gov. Christine Gregoire in February 2012 as part of the Washington Shellfish Initiative, becoming the nation’s first state-based effort to confront acidification. This report is now offered to citizens and leaders who need to evaluate the tools they can use to protect shellfish and other marine resources and ecosystems from this emerging threat.
