Learn more about research in ocean acidification (Theme III)

Data Synthesis and Reporting: Improving the Understanding of Ocean Acidification in a Multi-stressor Environment, PI Saba, Rutgers

The interaction of ocean acidification (OA) and warming seawater temperature may act to exacerbate organism stress responses. This highlights the need to synthesize available multi-stressor data to better understand their interactive dynamics in the NES, particularly in habitat ranges of recreationally and commercially important species. Using the available sources of OA and ocean temperature data in the NES, this project is developing data synthesis products to be included in the NEFSC State of the Ecosystem (SOE) reports to the Mid-Atlantic and New England Fisheries Management Councils (2025-2027) to provide managers with information on single (OA, ocean temperature) and multi-stressor trends and risks. These synthesis efforts, combining historical and ongoing datasets, will develop regional, seasonally-resolved maps of surface and bottom aragonite saturation state (Ω_Arag) and ocean temperature to identify single and multi-stressor hotspots. To provide additional insight into potential tolerance to stressors, we will incorporate seasonal chlorophyll climatology as a proxy for food availability into the spatial synthesis. These identified hotspots will be related to sensitivity levels pre-determined in laboratory-based studies for calcifying organisms (molluscan shellfish and pteropods; finfish and other non-calcifying organisms).