Washington state, the leading US producer of farmed shellfish, this week launched a 42-step plan to reduce ocean acidification. The initiative \u2014 detailed in a report by a governor-appointed panel of scientists, policy-makers and shellfish industry representatives \u2014 marks the first US state-funded effort to tackle ocean acidification, a growing problem for both the region and the globe.<\/p>\n
The state governor Christine Gregoire,\u00a0 says she will allocate $3.3 million to back the panel’s priority recommendations.<\/p>\n
\u201cWashington is clearly in the lead with respect to ocean acidification,\u201d says Jane Lubchenco, administrator of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).<\/p>\n
As growing carbon dioxide gas emissions have dissolved into the world\u2019s oceans, the average acidity of the waters has increased by 30% since 1750. Washington, which produces farmed oysters, clams and mussels, is particularly vulnerable to acidification, for two reasons: seasonal, wind-driven upwelling events bring low-pH waters from the deep ocean towards the shore, and land-based nutrient runoff from farming fuels algal growth, which also lowers pH.<\/p>\n
Read the full story in Nature<\/a><\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\n Washington state, the leading US producer of farmed shellfish, this week launched a 42-step plan to reduce ocean acidification. The initiative \u2014 detailed in a report by a governor-appointed panel of scientists, policy-makers and shellfish industry representatives \u2014 marks the … Continue reading Learn more:<\/h3>\n
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