Patrick Corcoran, Oregon Sea Grant’s coastal hazards specialist and an expert on coastal earthquake and tsunami preparedness in the Pacific Northwest, appears on tonight’s edition of the PBS Newshour as part of a piece titled “Risky Business in the Pacific Northwest.”

The report, by Newshour’s Tom Bearden reports on efforts to better understand liquefaction, a phenomenon that causes sandy soils to turn to liquid when a powerful earthquake strikes.  Liquefaction can cause untold damage and devastation, and Bearden talks about how Oregon scientists are trying to learn more about what causes it, and what happens:

Miss it on TV? Here’s the video:

Watch Risky Business in the Northwest on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.

Researchers at Oregon State University have definitively linked an increase in ocean acidification to the collapse of oyster seed production at a commercial oyster hatchery in Oregon, where larval growth had declined to a level considered by the owners to be “non-economically viable.”

A study published in the journal Limnology and Oceanography found that elevated seawater carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, resulting in more corrosive ocean water, inhibited the larval oysters from developing shells and growing at a pace that would make commercial production cost-effective.

As atmospheric CO2 levels continue to rise, the scientists say, this may serve as the proverbial canary in the coal mine for other ocean acidification impacts on shellfish.

“This is one of the first times that we have been able to show how ocean acidification affects oyster larval development at a critical life stage,” said Burke Hales, an OSU chemical oceanographer and co-author on the study. “The predicted rise of atmospheric CO2 in the next two to three decades may push oyster larval growth past the break-even point in terms of production.”

The owners of Whiskey Creek Shellfish Hatchery at Oregon’s Netarts Bay began experiencing a decline in oyster seed production several years ago, and looked at potential causes including low oxygen and pathogenic bacteria. Alan Barton, who works at the hatchery and is an author on the journal article, was able to eliminate those potential causes and shifted his focus to acidification.

Barton sent samples to OSU and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory for analysis. Their ensuing study clearly linked the production failures to the CO2 levels in the water in which the larval oysters are spawned and spend the first 24 hours of their lives, the critical time when they develop from fertilized eggs to swimming larvae, and build their initial shells.

“The early growth stage for oysters is particularly sensitive to the carbonate chemistry of the water,” said George Waldbusser, a benthic ecologist in OSU’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences. “As the water becomes more acidified, it affects the formation of calcium carbonate, the mineral of which the shell material consists. As the CO2 goes up, the mineral stability goes down, ultimately leading to reduced growth or mortality.”

Oregon Sea Grant, which has long supported research into shellfish propagation and health,  is currently  investing $175,000 in further research by Waldbrusser, Hales and OSU shellfish scientist Chris Langdon to develop Web-based tools shellfish growers, resource managers and others can use to better understand whether acidification is threatening specific shellfish stocks.

• Read the full OSU news release on the new research findings
• News coverage: New York Times Green blog;    Seattle Times; Oregon Public Broadcasting/NPR
• Read more about Waldbusser’s current Sea Grant-funded project.

Oregon Sea Grant video – NOAA’s Richard Feely explains the basics of ocean acidification:

(Part 1 of 3; view  part 2 and part 3 on our Website.)

Local organizations on the Oregon coast are partnering with NOAA, Oregon Sea Grant Extension, state and local agencies and conservation groups on a series of community meetings to share current information and science about the marine debris left by the 2011 Japanese tsunami.

The meetings will take place between April 11 and 20 in coastal communities from Port Orford to Seaside, and inland in Portland and Eugene.

Debris pulled out to sea by the Japanese tsunami last March is gradually riding the Pacific currents toward the US west coast, raising public questions about everything from derelict “ghost” ships to what to expect while beachcombing. Oceanographers predict that the bulk of the debris could arrive on U.S. shores next year, but no one can yet predict when – or how much.

“Right now, as a result of the tragic tsunami disaster, Brookings, Oregon, is rebuilding, Japan is reeling and the West Coast states are preparing to clean up an unprecedented amount of debris being carried to our coast on the ocean currents. Our oceans connect us and are essential to a healthy environment and economy,” said Cylvia Hayes, First Lady of Oregon. “These workshops are important to helping us effectively deal with the tsunami debris and better protect the health of oceans and coastal communities.”

Non-profit organizations that specialize in caring for Oregon’s shoreline and coping with litter report an overwhelming volume of requests and questions from their volunteers and the public about the possible arrival of tsunami-related debris. These organizations (SOLV, Surfrider Foundation, the CoastWatch program of the Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition, the Washed Ashore Project) are partnering with Oregon Sea Grant Extension to sponsor information sessions featuring staff from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Debris Program.

Key speaker will be Nir Barnea, the NOAA program’s West Coast regional coordinator, who will describe what is known about the contents and trajectory of the debris, and what is being done across the Pacific to prepare to deal with it.

The NOAA speaker will be joined by speakers from the U.S. Coast Guard, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, Oregon Health Authority Public Health Division, County Emergency Managers, and Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. Local waste managers and coastal haulers have also been invited for their experience in handling marine debris.

All events are free and open to the public. Audience members will have a chance to ask questions about everything from public health to returning any personal valuables that may be found amid the debris.

Tentative list of times and locations:

• April 11th, Seaside 2-3:30 pm, Seaside Community Center
• April 11, Bay City 6-7:30 pm, Bay City Arts Center
• April 12, Pacific City 10-11:30 am, Kiwanda Community Center
• April 12, Newport 6-7:30 pm, Newport City Hall
• April 13, Florence 10-11:30 am, Florence Fire Station
• April 13, North Bend 2-3:30 pm, North Bend Public Library
• April 13, Bandon 6-7:30 pm, City Council Chamber/City Hall
• April 14, Port Orford 10-11:00 am, American Legion Hall
• April 14, Eugene 3:00-4:30 pm, EWEB Training Center, 500 East 4th Ave N Bldg
• April 15, Portland 3:30-5:00 pm, Ecotrust Natural Capital Center, 721 NW 9th Ave
• April 20, Cannon Beach, time and location TBD

Updated information about meeting dates and locations will be available from www.solv.org

Participating groups expect to conduct organizing and education efforts later this year to strengthen their citizen response networks before the expected arrival of the bulk of the debris.

For more information about the meetings, contact Jamie Doyle, Oregon Sea Grant Extension, agent for the south coast

For more information about the Japanese tsunami debris, see NOAA’s Japan Tsunami Debris FAQ