CA Marine Species at Risk

In the nearshore waters off the west coast of California by 2050, large portions of the water column will be particularly susceptible to ocean acidification and in turn could cause great harm to the region’s shellfish industries. The authors of the new study, published in Science, used model simulations through 2050 to determine the potential development of ocean acidification in the California Current System due to increasing carbon dioxide concentrations. They find that by 2050, surface waters will be vulnerable to acidification for half of the year, which could be detrimental to marine species that are sensitive to changes in ocean acidity, such as Pacific oysters and tiny sea snails—a vital food source for young salmon.