Ocean acidification could soon be a problem for commercial fisheries in Alaska.
Many of the state's fisheries are already located in waters experiencing ocean acidification; this problem is expected to escalate. NOAA Headquarters reported. Communities in southeast and southwest Alaska are the most vulnerable to these environmental changes due to lower incomes and less job opportunities.
As ocean water becomes more acidic from absorbing environmental carbon, marine wildlife begin to suffer. The phenomenon can interfere with the ability of shellfish and corals to build skeletons or shells. A research team found the red king crab and tanner crab (both important Alaskan fisheries) grow more slowly and have lower survival rates in water that is more acidic.
"We went beyond the traditional approach of looking at dollars lost or species impacted; we know these fisheries are lifelines for native communities and what we've learned will help them adapt to a changing ocean environment," said Jeremy Mathis, Ph.D., co-lead author of the study, an oceanographer at NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Seattle, and the director of the University of Alaska Fairbanks School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences Ocean Acidification Research Center.
The Alaskan fishing industry supports over 100,000 jobs and generates about $5 billion in annual revenue; about 17 percent of Alaskans rely on fisheries for most of their dietary protein. Fishery-related tourism in the state brings in about $300 million every year.
"Ocean acidification is not just an ecological problem-it's an economic problem," said Steve Colt, Ph.D., co-author of the study and an economist at the University of Alaska Anchorage. "The people of coastal Alaska, who have always looked to the sea for sustenance and prosperity, will be most affected. But all Alaskans need to understand how and where ocean acidification threatens our marine resources so that we can work together to address the challenges and maintain healthy and productive coastal communities."
The most important way to address ocean acidification is to reduce global carbon dioxide emissions, but the study suggests community planners should think about how to best prepare their communities for environmental change.
The findings were published in Progress in Oceanography.
