As Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Reaches Milestone, Continued Inaction Could Spell Disaster for Our Oceans

Earlier this week, we reached a troubling milestone as carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels in the Arctic atmosphere exceeded 400 parts per million (ppm). 

Increased atmospheric CO₂ has a devastating effect on our ocean ecosystems. As the chief regulator of climate, the ocean acts as a “carbon sink,” absorbing more than a quarter of the CO₂ humans pump into the air. Increased CO₂ absorption results in a lower oceanic pH level, a phenomenon called “ocean acidification.” With a global average of 395 ppm, CO₂ levels have increased more than 140% since the Industrial Revolution. The ocean simply cannot keep up.

To learn more about the chemical process of ocean acidification, please click here.

Already, ocean acidification has had serious effects on organisms with calcified shells. As ocean acidity increases, the chemical building blocks for the shells of mollusks and skeletons of corals become less and less available. Consequently, reef structure becomes weaker, coral growth slows, and it becomes easier for disease and encrusting algae to gain a foothold, leading to mass bleachings and die-offs. Reefs are notoriously slow-growing and serve as vital nurseries to commercially and ecologically important fisheries, providing a haven for life in otherwise nutrient-poor water. Therefore, when combined with other stressors such as pollution, increased sedimentation, overfishing, bottom trawling, and a warming ocean, it becomes obvious that our oceans are in a very precarious position. 

Vibrant and healthy coral reef in the Virgin Islands. Photo courtesy of NOAA CCMA Biogeography Team.

 

Acropora corals in the Tumon Bay Marine Preserve in Guam after bleaching event in 2007. Photo credit: Dave Burdick, courtesy of NOAA.

What can be done to help alleviate the threats to our reefs posed by increased atmospheric CO₂? The response must be two-fold. We must create and maintain no-take marine reserves across the globe. Ecosystems that are healthy and not facing multiple assaults have a greater chance of adapting to the changing climate. Additionally, we must continue to monitor and research the effects of ocean acidification, which will help scientists and conservationists focus on the most vulnerable species and ecosystems.

To learn more about Marine Conservation Institute’s efforts to address this emerging threat, please look at our Ocean Acidification page

In 2009, Congress passed the Federal Ocean AcidificationResearch and Monitoring Act (FOARAM) which directed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to work in conjunction with the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study and monitor the effects and potential outcomes of ocean acidification as a direct result of rising atmospheric CO₂ levels. This was an encouraging first step to understanding and mitigating the effects of climate change on our ocean ecosystems. However, the continued increase in CO₂ emissions indicates that our leaders, albeit with a few exceptions, are failing to adequately address climate change. It is real and it is happening, with disastrous implications for the health of our oceans and, by extension, our planet. In this vitally important election year, continue to hold your elected officials accountable.

Marine Conservation in the Pacific

Bill Chandler, VP for Government Affairs, focuses on conservation during a recent trip to Hawaii

This March, VP for Government Affairs Bill Chandler made a trip through the Hawaiian Islands to advance our marine conservation goals in the Pacific, from species-focused efforts on the critically endangered Hawaiian monk seal to the vast Pacific marine national monuments, including Papahānaumokuākea and the Pacific Remote Islands. We are pleased to update our friends on the progress of our Pacific Islands work, and deeply appreciate your continued interest and support.

Hawaiian Monk seals:

The Hawaiian monk seal is America’s only endemic marine mammal. With fewer than 1,100 monk seals remaining, this critically endangered species teeters on the brink of an irreversible decline. Marine Conservation Institute has advocated on behalf of the Hawaiian monk seal for years. Unfortunately, frustration on the part of native fishing communities and a misinformation campaign about the seal recovery program of NOAA have led to resentment against the monk seal, and even a few killings in recent months. Fortunately, there is also great love for the monk seal among most Hawaiians. During his visit, Bill met with the Hawaiian nonprofit community, both local and national groups, to discuss the seal’s plight. We and other nonprofits are gearing up for media outreach and public awareness campaigns to emphasize the seal’s history in Hawaii and its deep roots in Hawaiian culture.

Image courtesy of NOAA.

Both NOAA and the State of Hawaii are cooperating to bring the seal killers to justice. Marine Conservation Institute and a number of other nonprofits have pledged up to $30,000 as a reward fund for information leading the arrest and conviction of the killers. During his visit Bill spoke with the head of the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources to better understand the agency’s concerns and priorities on the monk seals, and also met with staff in the office of Senator Daniel Inouye. Senator Inouye has long been one the monk seal’s greatest advocates in the US Senate. We are working with his staff and the rest of the Hawaii delegation to secure funds for monk seal rescues, management, and the implementation of the recovery plan.

Pacific Monuments:

Our four Pacific monuments cover large areas of the Pacific Ocean, but the agencies tasked with their management have staffing and resources that are insignificant for the task. We are working to support the dedicated law enforcement officers in the NOAA Pacific Island Regional Office by strengthening the agency’s long-range surveillance and enforcement capacity to detect illegal fishing and other threats. During his visit, Bill met with US Coast Guard and NOAA staff tasked with protecting the marine national monuments and America’s other marine resources. Marine Conservation Institute is working to push for increased funding and capacity for these agencies, and also strengthening international support for the monuments through the International Maritime Organization. Later this spring, we will host a workshop for Law Enforcement agencies in Honolulu, to hear their concerns and offer ideas on surveillance, enforcement, and compliance with the law protecting our vital fisheries, corals, and remote islands.

Image courtesy of NOAA.

In March, we also filed a legal motion to the Secretaries of the Interior and Commerce urging them to adopt emergency regulations banning commercial fishing in the Pacific Remote Islands, Rose Atoll, and the Northern Marianas marine national monuments. In 2009, President Bush proclaimed these three Pacific marine national monuments. As part of the proclamations, the Department of Interior and the Department of Commerce were tasked with developing a management plan, to include comprehensive fisheries regulations. The Proclamations unambiguously require the Secretaries to prohibit commercial fishing within the Pacific Monuments. Unfortunately, FWS and NOAA have failed to meet this obligation, and are now more than three years behind schedule. Without formal regulations, the marine ecosystem with its populations of corals, rare reef fish, whales, and seabirds are threatened. We hope that the Interior and Commerce departments will work with us to implement the Proclamations as they were written in 2009 and bar commercial fishing from the monuments before 2012 ends.

Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument:

Bill also had very productive meetings with the superintendent of the Papahānaumokuākea  Marine National Monument, covering both the Hawaiian monk seal and other management issues. Marine Conservation Institute has had a long history working in these islands, including the establishment of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument (renamed Papahānaumokuākea) in 2006, the development of the management plan in 2008, and recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010. In 2012 we are continuing to advocate for sound, scientifically-based management and sufficient funding and staffing to preserve this marine treasure.

Image courtesy of NOAA.

Shipwrecks:
In productive visits with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, which manages the National Wildlife Refuges on many of the Pacific Islands, Bill was able to make great progress advancing Marine Conservation Institute’s goal of removing two shipwrecks in Palmyra Atoll and Kingman Reef. These two fishing vessels wrecked in 1991 and 2007, respectively, and ran aground on the reefs. Since then, the boats have leached metals and other contaminants onto the corals, causing the growth of algae that is killing the coral and threatening the fish species. We are delighted that Fish and Wildlife Service is now committed to action on the shipwrecks, and we hope someday to announce their removal.

Image courtesy of Thierry Work, US Geological Survey.

Defending Federal Marine Conservation Programs

Marine Conservation Institute's Vice President, Bill Chandler, testified before the US House of Representatives advocating for protection of vital federal marine conservation programs in fiscal year 2013. Bill testified on behalf of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). Read his testimony here.

While there are many vital federal conservation programs, Marine Conservation Institute is particularly interested in protecting funding for the National Marine Sanctuaries Program, Marine Protected Areas Program, Coral Reef Conservation Program, Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program, the Ocean Acidification Program, and Marine Debris Program, as well as efforts to develop a coastal and marine spatial planning framework, and support recovery efforts for the Hawaiian monk seal.

Marine Conservation Institute can't do it alone and depends on other conservation-minded people to step up and help protect our oceans. How can you get involved? Contact your Representatives and Senators today and ask them to protect the funding levels for the US Fish and Wildlife Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration today in 2013 and beyond.

Need some talking points, use some from Bill's recent testimony.

Who is your Representative and Senator? Click here to find out.