Impacts of Ocean Acidification onWest Coast Shellfish Aquaculture

Bill DeweyDirector of Public Affairs

U.S. West Coast Shellfish Farms

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me

West Coast Shellfish Products

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Wolf-Gladrow et al. (1999)

Ocean chemistry changesfrom anthropogenic carbon dioxide

2−[CO3 ][CO2]

100−150% 50%

2100

8.2

8.1

8.0

7.9

7.81800 1900 2000 2100

50

40

30

20

10

0

300

240

180

120

60

0

pHμm

olkg−1

Year

pH

CO2(aq)

CO32−

30% acidity16% [CO3 ]

2000

2−

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Shellfish seed production

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Taylor Shellfish Farms HatcheryDabob Bay, Washington (USA)

Shellfish seed production

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Day old oyster larvae

7SEM photo: OSU Brunner/Waldbusser

Healthy Not healthy

~ 1 week old oyster larvae

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Feeding and swimmingorgan (velum)

Swimming oyster larvae

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Extensive media coverage

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Washington Governor Jay Inslee

Me

Outstanding government response

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Red Box PicturesWashington Governor Christine Gregoire

Panic/Adaptation

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• Ramped up monitoring and research• Treating hatchery rearing water• Breeding OA resistant oysters• Expanded seed production in Hawaii• Experimenting w/ seaweed/seagrass refuges

Red Box Pictures

Seaweed/Seagrass refuge

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OA impact on mussels

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• University of Washington research• Weaker byssal threads• Thinner shells

Outstand monitoring collaborations

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• Industry scientists and facilities• ENGO’s (e.g. Global Ocean Health)• University scientists and technology• National Oceanographic and Atmospheric

Administration (NOAA)• Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS)• Ocean Acidification Program (OAP)

SCCOOSCeNCOOS

NANOOS

AOOS

PacIOOSGCOOS

GLOS

CariCOOS

NERACOOSMARACOOS

SECOORA

U.S. IOOS is an integrative collaboration of11 Regional Associations; 17 Federal Agencies

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“Putting an IOOS buoy in the water is like putting headlights on a car. It lets us see changing water conditions in real time,” says Mark Wiegardt, co-owner of Whiskey Creek Shellfish Hatchery.

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• Announced at State Department’s Our Oceans conference (Sept. 2015)• Being spearheaded by the Pacific Coast Collaborative• Goals: • advance scientific understanding of OA• reduce the causes of OA• protect the environment and coastal communities from impacts of a changing ocean• expand public awareness and understanding of OA• build sustained support for tackling OA problem• actively seek inclusion of ocean acidification mitigation and adaptation commitments in the COP 23

international climate agreement

• http://oaalliance.org/

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In summary

• Ocean Acidification is a critical international issue that is altering the oceans chemistry at a startling rate

• These changes are impacting west coast shellfish now• It requires coordinated local and oceanic monitoring to

understand its impacts and to facilitate adaptation• There is a global need to share information on ocean

acidification research and adaptation strategies

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Contact information

Bill DeweyEmail: billd@taylorshellfish.comCell: (360) 790-2330