The evolution of ocean acidification observing efforts in Alaska and the development of an Alaska Ocean acidification network

Data and models show that Alaska waters are highly vulnerable to low saturation states of aragonite, an indicator of increasing ocean acidification conditions for this high-latitude region. With Alaskans heavily reliant on the ocean for their lives and livelihoods, both direct and indirect effects of ocean acidification (OA) could have serious implications on the species being harvested and the food web that sustains these fisheries. Researchers are trying to better understand the chemical and ecological systems at play so that communities can anticipate and respond to future changes due to ocean acidification. To help facilitate this process, the Alaska Ocean Acidification Network was formed with the primary mission of engaging with stakeholders and impacted communities to expand the understanding of OA processes and consequences in Alaska, and identify potential adaptation and mitigation actions. The Alaska OA Network, initiated and coordinated by the Alaska Ocean Observing System (AOOS), provides and receives relevant information from the fishing and aquaculture industries, Tribes, policy makers, coastal communities and the general public, and works closely with both OA experts and Alaska entities interested in participating in OA research and monitoring in their regions. This paper discusses the structure and function of the Alaska OA Network and describes in detail the OA observing activities conducted in the region over the past several years. It also highlights a new project to equip an Alaska Marine Highway System vessel with underway OA and oceanographic sensors. Starting in 2017, the M/V Columbia ferry will serve as a platform for making repeated spatial OA observations across a 1,500km transect between Bellingham, WA and Skagway, AK, creating the longest and most frequent repeat-track OA record in the world