Research Technical Report

National Marine Sanctuaries of the West Coast: Ocean Acidification Action Plan

Lott, D., E. Bowlby, D. Howard, K. Higgason, K. Grimmer, L. Francis, L. Krop, R. Feely, and L. Jewett (August 2011)

Technical Report, 17pp.

EXCERPT

Recognizing that ocean acidification could have significant ramifications for local ecosystems, the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, Sanctuary Advisory Council Conservation Working Group developed a report entitled Ocean Acidification and the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary: Cause, effect, and response in the fall of 2008. The report gives an overview of ocean acidification, describes the potential impacts, and recommends action by staff and stakeholders. After the report was adopted by the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council, the other four sanctuary advisory councils on the west coast adopted resolutions recommending that the west coast sanctuaries recognize the importance of ocean acidification at each site, and, with the help of the West Coast Regional Office, take a coordinated approach to addressing ocean acidification issues. By January 2010, all 13 sanctuaries within the system had adopted resolutions concerning ocean acidification.

As a result of the recommendations from the sanctuary advisory council resolutions, The West Coast Regional Office of NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries created a West Coast Ocean Acidification Task Force to take action on the resolutions. The task force includes one staff member from each of the five west coast national marine sanctuaries across all of the major program areas, an advisory council representative, and staff from NOAA's Oceanic and Atmospheric Research's (OAR) Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) and National Ocean Service's (NOS) National Center for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS). The task force met in April 2010, and agreed to develop a regional action plan on ocean acidification.

The Task Force plan was completed in April 2011, and reviewed by the five west coast national marine sanctuary advisory councils. Input from the councils was incorporated into the final plan, which includes seven strategies: (1) Monitoring for Ocean Acidification; (2) Research on Ocean Acidification; (3) Education and Outreach; (4) Mitigating Damages to Sanctuary Resources; (5) Influencing Regional and National Policy; (6) Demonstrate Leadership by Reducing Carbon Emissions; and (7) Internal Coordination on Ocean Acidification Issues. Each strategy is implemented through recommended activities. For each strategy, the plan also includes a recommended five-year timeline and estimated cost. Within these timelines, priorities will be established based on available funding, resources, and importance or urgency of the strategy or activity.