THIRD REPORT ON FEDERALLY FUNDED 

OCEAN ACIDIFICATION RESEARCH AND 

MONITORING ACTIVITIES

PRODUCT OF THE

Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and 

Sustainability of the

National Science and Technology Council

April 2015
iii

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

NATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20502

April 23, 2015

Dear Colleagues:

I am pleased to transmit to you the Third Report on Federally Funded Ocean Acidification 

Research and Monitoring Activities, a biennial report to Congress for Fiscal Years 2012 and 

2013 that responds to the Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring (FOARAM) 

Act. This report was produced by the Interagency Working Group on Ocean Acidification of the 

Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology, under the auspices of the National Science 

and Technology Council’s Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Sustainability. 

This report summarizes federally funded ocean-acidification research and monitoring activities;

provides expenditures for these activities; and describes the recent release of a strategic research 

plan for Federal research and monitoring of ocean acidification. 

Ocean acidification refers to a reduction in the pH of the ocean over an extended period, 

typically decades or longer, which is caused primarily by uptake of carbon dioxide from the 

atmosphere but can also be caused by other chemical additions or subtractions from the ocean. 

The long-term consequences of ocean acidification are still being determined, but likely include 

serious impacts on marine ecosystems and the services those systems provide to society.

The Strategic Plan for Federal Research and Monitoring of Ocean Acidification, another

requirement of the FOARAM Act, was released in March 2014 to help guide Federal agency 

activities on ocean acidification into the future. This strategic plan aims to increase coordination 

among Federal agencies and assist a wide variety of stakeholders seeking to collaborate with and 

build upon Federal activities. 

The Obama administration is deeply concerned about ocean acidification and committed to better 

understanding and addressing its impacts on America’s communities, economy, and 

environment. Many members of Congress share this concern and commitment and have 

supported Federal activities on ocean acidification. I look forward to continued partnership in 

this domain going forward.

Sincerely,

John P. Holdren

Assistant to the President for Science and Technology

Director Office of Science and Technology Policy
iv

About the National Science and Technology Council

The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) is the principal means by which the Executive 

Branch coordinates science and technology policy across the diverse entities that make up the Federal 

research and development (R&D) enterprise. One of the NSTC’s primary objectives is establishing clear 

national goals for Federal science and technology investments. NSTC prepares R&D packages aimed at 

accomplishing multiple national goals. The NSTC’s work is organized under five committees: 

Environment, Natural Resources, and Sustainability; Homeland and National Security; Science, 

Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education; Science; and Technology. Each of these 

committees oversees subcommittees and working groups that are focused on different aspects of 

science and technology. More information is available at www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/nstc.

About the Office of Science and Technology Policy

The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) was established by the National Science and 

Technology Policy, Organization, and Priorities Act of 1976. OSTP’s responsibilities include advising the 

President in policy formulation and budget development on questions in which science and technology are 

important elements; articulating the President’s science and technology policy and programs; and 

fostering strong partnerships among Federal, state, and local governments, and the scientific communities 

in industry and academia. The Director of OSTP also serves as Assistant to the President for Science and 

Technology and manages the NSTC. More information is available at www.whitehouse.gov/ostp.

About the Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology

The purpose of the Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology (SOST) is to advise and assist on 

national issues of ocean science and technology. The SOST contributes to the goals for Federal ocean 

science and technology, including developing coordinated interagency strategies, and fosters national 

ocean science and technology priorities, including implementation of the National Ocean Policy. 

About this Document

This document was developed by the Interagency Working Group on Ocean Acidification, which advises, 

assists, and makes recommendations on matters related to ocean acidification, including coordination of 

Federal activities on ocean acidification and other interagency activities as outlined in the Federal Ocean 

Acidification Research and Monitoring Act of 2009. The document was published by OSTP.

Acknowledgements

We thank Drs. Shallin Busch, Dwight Gledhill, and Erica Ombres from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration’s Ocean Acidification Program for their contributions to the drafting of this document.

Copyright Information

This document is a work of the United States Government and is in the public domain (see 17 U.S.C. §105). 

Subject to the stipulations below, it may be distributed and copied with acknowledgement to OSTP. 

Copyrights to graphics included in this document are reserved by the original copyright holders or their 

assignees, and are used here under the government’s license and by permission. Requests to use any 

images must be made to the provider identified in the image credits or to OSTP if no provider is identified.

Printed in the United States of America, 2015
v

National Science and Technology Council

Chair Staff

John P. Holdren Jayne B. Morrow

Assistant to the President for Science Executive Director

and Technology and Director,

Office of Science and Technology Policy

Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Sustainability

Co-Chairs Staff

Tamara Dickinson Lisa Matthews

Principal Assistant Director for Environment and Executive Secretary

Energy Environmental Protection Agency

Office of Science and Technology Policy

Glenn Paulson 

Science Advisor 

Environmental Protection Agency 

Kathryn Sullivan

Acting Undersecretary for Oceans and Atmosphere;

Administrator of the National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration

Department of Commerce

Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology

Co-Chairs Staff

Debbie Bronk Hilary Goodwin

National Science Foundation National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration

Fabien Laurier 

Office of Science and Technology Policy Roxanne Nikolaus

National Science Foundation

Richard Merrick

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration

Interagency Working Group on Ocean Acidification

Chair

Libby Jewett

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration
vi

Co-Vice Chairs

Dave Garrison Paula Bontempi

National Science Foundation National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration

Members

Krisa Arzayus Jill Brandenberger

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Department of Energy

Administration

Ned Cyr

Jennifer Culbertson National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Administration

Richard Feely Steve Gittings

National Oceanic and Atmospheric National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration Administration

Jason Grear Kenli Kim

Environmental Protection Agency Department of State

Justine Kimball Pete Leary

United States Navy United States Fish and Wildlife Service

Max Mayeaux Chris Moore

United States Department of Agriculture Environmental Protection Agency 

Kenric Osgood David Redford

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Environmental Protection Agency

Administration

Chris Sabine

Lisa Robbins National Oceanic and Atmospheric

United States Geological Survey Administration

Kim Yates

United States Geological Survey
vii

Table of Contents

Executive Summary...............................................................................................................1

Introduction...........................................................................................................................2

Theme 1. Research to Understand Responses to Ocean Acidification.........................2

Species-specific Physiological Responses and Adaptation Potential, 

Food Webs, and Ecosystems..................................................................................3

Environmental and Ecological Responses and Indices........................................5

Understanding Earth History to Inform Ocean Acidification Predictions.........6

Laboratories and Field Sites....................................................................................7

Support for Data Synthesis......................................................................................7

Theme 2. Monitoring of Ocean Chemistry and Biological Impacts..............................7

Marine Ecosystems...................................................................................................7

Changes in Marine Productivity.............................................................................8

Changes in Ocean Chemistry..................................................................................9

Theme 3. Modeling to Predict Changes in the Ocean Carbon Cycle and

Impacts on Marine Ecosystems and Organisms.................................................11

Physico-Chemical Change......................................................................................11

Ecological/Biological Impacts................................................................................12

Theme 4. Technology Development and Standardization of Carbonate Chemistry 

Measurements on Moorings and Autonomous Floats......................................13

Theme 5. Assessment of Socioeconomic Impacts and Development of Strategies 

to Conserve Marine Organisms and Ecosystems..............................................14
viii

Theme 6. Education, Outreach, and Engagement Strategy on 

Ocean Acidification...............................................................................................15

Theme 7. Data Management and Integration...............................................................17

Theme 8. Other Ocean Acidification Activities..............................................................17

Strategic Research Plan for Ocean Acidification Released..........................................19

Appendix: Summary of Federally-funded Ocean Acidification Research and

Monitoring Activities............................................................................................20

Abbreviations......................................................................................................................29
1

Executive Summary

This document is the third biennial summary and progress report submitted under the Federal Ocean 

Acidification Research and Monitoring Act of 2009 (FOARAM Act). The FOARAM Act specifies that the 

Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology (SOST) shall transmit a biennial report to the 

Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science and 

Technology and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives that includes:

1. A summary of federally funded ocean acidification research and monitoring activities, including 

the budget for each of these activities; and

2. An analysis of the progress made toward achieving the goals and priorities for the interagency 

research plan developed by the Subcommittee under section 12405.

Federal agency activities related to ocean acidification are summarized for fiscal years (FY) 2012 and 

2013. Activities are classified as having either a primary focus on ocean acidification or being 

contributing activities in that they were designed for other purposes but clearly provide information 

useful for understanding ocean acidification. In FY2012, federal agencies supported approximately $20 

million of activities with a primary focus on ocean acidification and an additional $6 million for 

contributing studies. 

In FY2013 funding was approximately $22 million for primary and $6 million for contributing studies. 

Activities included monitoring of ocean chemistry and biological impacts, research to understand 

species-specific and ecosystem responses to ocean acidification, biogeochemical and ecosystem 

modeling, technology development for improved measurement, assessment of socioeconomic impacts 

from ocean acidification, education/outreach activities, data management and integration, and other 

activities. A Strategic Plan for Federal Research and Monitoring of Ocean Acidification Act was released 

March 26, 2014. 
2

Introduction

The Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring Act of 2009 (FOARAM Act, Public Law 111-11, 

Subtitle D) directed the Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology (SOST), which is governed by 

the National Ocean Council, to create an Interagency Working Group on Ocean Acidification (IWG-OA). 

Section 12404(c) of the FOARAM Act further specifies that the SOST will transmit a biennial report to the 

Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science and 

Technology and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives that includes:

1. A summary of federally funded ocean acidification research and monitoring activities, 

including the budget for each of these activities; and

2. An analysis of the progress made toward achieving the goals and priorities for the 

interagency research plan developed by the Subcommittee under section 12405.

This document constitutes the third biennial summary and progress report of the SOST IWG-OA. The 

IWG-OA was chartered by SOST in October 2009, is chaired by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration (NOAA), and includes additional representatives from National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration (NASA), National Science Foundation (NSF), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Department of 

State (DOS), U.S. Navy, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). In 2013, a representative from the 

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) was included in the working group. The group meets regularly to 

coordinate ocean acidification activities across the federal government and has made significant 

progress toward meeting the goals of the FOARAM Act.

This report is organized into sections corresponding to the thematic areas as outlined within the 

Strategic Plan for Federal Research and Monitoring of Ocean Acidification. An additional category is used 

for those items not adequately captured by those themes. Each section contains an overview of the 

activities advanced within a given thematic area by federal agencies in fiscal years (FY) 2012 and 2013. 

Appendix 1 provides a summary of funding amounts for individual agency ocean acidification research 

and monitoring activities. In Appendix 1, activities are classified as having either a primary focus on 

ocean acidification or being contributing activities, in that they were designed for other purposes but 

clearly provide information useful for understanding ocean acidification.

Theme 1. Research to Understand Responses to Ocean Acidification

Marine biological processes can be affected by ocean acidification due to changes in pH, or in the 

concentrations of dissolved CO2, bicarbonate ion, or carbonate ion. OA research to date has revealed a 

broad range of biological sensitivities to OA across a diverse group of marine taxa. Effects observed 

have included changes in rates of photosynthesis, respiration, growth, calcification, reproduction, and 

recruitment. Agencies invested $11,837 K on research directly related to the effects of ocean 

acidification on marine organisms and ocean chemistry in FY2012, and $13,665 K in FY2013. NSF issued 

solicitations in FY2012 (NSF solicitation 12-500) and FY2013 (NSF solicitation 12-600) with funding levels 

of approximately $10,000 K and $10,000-$11,000 K for research primarily focused on ocean acidification 

in FY2012 and FY2013, respectively. In addition, NSF supported a significant amount of research that 

contributed to understanding ocean acidification but was focused on related topics, such as carbon 

cycling and ocean chemistry. 
3

Across all agencies, roughly $393 K was spent in FY2012 on activities not specifically termed ocean 

acidification studies, but that substantially contributed ocean acidification relevant information (e.g., 

ocean carbon inventory surveys). Expenditures on contributing activities in FY2013 were $409 K.

Species-specific Physiological Responses and Adaptation Potential, Food Webs, and 

Ecosystems

In FY2012 and FY2013, federal agency activities to study species’ response to ocean acidification were 

diverse, spanning molecular and physiological functions including impacts on growth, reproduction, and 

survival. Results from these studies have afforded the science community an opportunity to begin 

addressing the adaptive potential of living marine resources to ocean acidification. They also provided 

foundational information for predicting the response of food webs and ecosystems to future 

acidification.

Predictions of the ecological effects of ocean acidification are essential for the development of effective 

adaptation, mitigation, and prevention strategies. Marine food webs are complex, and changes in one or 

more key species may have serious repercussions for ecosystem structure and function. Because ocean 

acidification has the potential to affect key species at the base of marine food webs, it could alter 

marine food webs up to and including commercial and recreational fishery species. Further, decreases 

in calcium carbonate production may alter the structural fabric of some seafloor ecosystems by reducing 

hard-bottom habitats. Many marine plants and animals depend on the complex habitat provided by 

corals and other associated organisms in both tropical and cold-water systems. Oyster and clam beds, 

which provide critical habitat in temperate waters, may also be affected by decreased carbonate 

production and calcium carbonate dissolution as well as increased occurrence of or susceptibility to 

disease organisms. Because large-scale ocean acidification experiments on intact marine ecosystems 

are generally impractical, ecological prediction commonly relies on extrapolating results from smallscale laboratory studies on individual species to modeled effects on entire populations in the context of 

complex food webs (Theme 3).

NSF supported research focused on organism responses to changing seawater pH at about $6,000 K and 

$9,000 K in FY2012 and FY2013 respectively. Organisms targeted included phytoplankton, benthic

invertebrates (including corals), fishes, and pelagic zooplankton. Research included both calcifying and 

non-calcifying forms. Some projects focused on the combined effect of other stressors, in addition to 

lowered pH and increased CO2. A few studies were focused on the ability of organisms to adapt or 

evolve in response to increasing CO2 and decreasing pH. 

NSF-funded projects focused on how ocean acidification will affect food webs, communities, and 

ecosystems (~ $1,000 K in both FY2012 and FY2013) included studies on how copepods might be 

affected by changing food quality of phytoplankton, understanding the patterns of coral reef systems to 

ocean acidification, and assessing whether biogeochemical cycling in future oceans may result in the 

formation of “refugia” in some coral reef locations. 

NOAA conducted a number of research studies directed towards assessing how ocean acidification may 

affect the life history and physiology of living marine resources, including commercially harvested 

species and their prey. These studies investigated survival, growth, physiology, nutritional quality 

(phytoplankton), genomics, and/or proteomics. The Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) has 

published results on walleye pollock and red king and tanner crabs, and conducted studies on golden 

crab and northern rock sole. In addition, the AFSC has worked to characterize the calcium carbonate 

mineralogy of 44 cold-water corals and a sponge that inhabit Alaskan waters, which may be useful as a 

proxy for their susceptibility to effects of acidification. The Northeast Fisheries Science Center studied 

the response to ocean acidification in two shellfish species (surf clam and scallop), four fish species 
4

(scup, black sea bass, winter flounder, summer flounder), and multiple species of phytoplankton, 

including assemblages of phytoplankton species collected from the wild. The Northwest Fisheries 

Science Center has studied the response to ocean acidification in the china rockfish, two crab species 

(Dungeness and pygmy rock), three zooplankton species (a Pacific krill, a Pacific copepod, and a 

pteropod), and five shellfish species (Pacific oyster, geoduck, bay and Mediterranean mussels, manila 

clam). Pilot experiments on other species have also been conducted to assess the feasibility of future 

work. The Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) has applied the use of an 

advanced micro-CT technology to investigate the effects of high CO2 on the otoliths of pantropical fish 

species. 

Some key findings from NOAA investigations have included:

• The growth potential of early life stages of walleye pollock appears resilient to the direct 

physiological effects of ocean acidification.

• Ocean acidification affects the otoliths of larval cobia, which may alter the perception of

auditory information and could influence the dispersal, survival, and recruitment of this pelagic 

fish species.

• Red king crab may maintain calcification rates under ocean acidification, but at a high energetic

cost. Both red king crab and tanner crab have decreased larval survival and growth under ocean 

acidification conditions, indicating potential declines in abundance over the coming decades, 

barring any evolutionary adaptation or acclimatization.

• High CO2 has negative physiological impacts on bivalve larvae, with the greatest sensitivity to

ocean acidification being the first days of development.

USGS supported studies on the effects of ocean acidification on coral health and coral reef degradation, 

as well as monitoring of coralline algae that form crusts of calcium carbonate and interactions between 

corals and their algal symbionts. Calcification rates measured on field specimens are now focused on 

two species of coral that are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Laboratory 

studies on the effects of lowered pH and higher CO2 values in seawater on photosynthesis and 

respiration of different tropical and subtropical benthic organisms, foraminifera, and aragonitic green 

algae, were continued. Additionally, collaborative research between BOEM, NOAA, and USGS that 

focused on deep-water coral communities, related ecology, and the associated microbial communities 

was conducted.

In FY2012, EPA used seawater pH manipulations (CO2 bubbling) as a generic stressor to develop 

quantitative ecological methods for detecting and modeling demographic responses of marine 

crustaceans to human stressors. In FY2013, EPA began a study of coastal acidification impacts on 

shellfish in Narragansett Bay. To improve ecological interpretation, this was intentionally synchronized 

with the current NOAA-funded study by State University of New York-Stony Brook, with which EPA 

scientists are collaborating. The added EPA component focuses on experiments using field deployments 

of early life stage shellfish that have been pre-conditioned in EPA's CO2 control system. Concurrently, 

EPA is collaborating with the University of Rhode Island on studies of plankton community and 

macroalgal responses to acidification via CO2 bubbling. Since nutrient-stimulated marine production 

can both affect and be affected by acidification, these EPA activities are partly motivated by nutrient 

priorities in EPA's Safe and Sustainable Water Resources research program. Through these 

collaborations, EPA scientists are improving the basic ocean acidification literacy of research planning 

efforts intended to support Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act activities.
5

Environmental and Ecological Responses and Indices

The major nutrient cycles in the ocean, which include geological, chemical, physical, and biological 

processes determine the availability of nutrients that support all ocean life, as well as the ability of the 

oceans to sequester CO2 from the atmosphere. Ocean acidification has the potential to alter both 

chemical and biological processes that will affect both nutrient and carbon cycles. Changes in the 

carbonate ion (CO3

=

) concentration in seawater affect the “saturation state” of the various calcium 

carbonate minerals that are used by marine organisms to produce their shells or skeletons. The 

CO3

= concentration decreases dramatically with ocean acidification and the resulting decrease in 

availability of carbonate ions may impact shell and skeletal formation of many organisms, including 

corals, shellfish, sea urchins, and some algae.

In FY2012 and FY2013, NSF supported approximately $2,500 K and $2,000 K, respectively, of research 

focused on how ocean acidification will influence the chemistry of sea water. The research topics 

include carbon and nutrient cycling processes, experimental work on calcium carbonate dissolution 

rates and CO2 thermodynamics, the role of sea ice in determining ocean chemistry, trace-metal 

availability to phytoplankton, ocean acidification effects on dimethylsulfide production, and processes 

modifying seawater CO2 chemistry in near-shore environments. 

NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation and Ocean Acidification Programs explored the local biogeochemical 

feedbacks to ocean acidification within coral reef environments. NOAA also sponsored studies to 

determine the effects of and controls on seasonal hypoxia and acidification in coastal estuaries on the 

east coast and Gulf of Mexico. Laboratory experiments were conducted to quantify changes in 

calcification and organic and inorganic carbon production in West Coast pteropods; data on these 

processes in pteropods can be used to better parameterize projections in ocean carbon models. NOAA’s 

Coral Reef Conservation Program, in partnership with NOAA’s Ocean Acidification Program, has begun 

the implementation of long-term status and trends monitoring within U.S. coral reef ecosystems, which 

includes chemical and ecological monitoring specific to ocean acidification. The Pacific Marine 

Environmental Laboratory works closely with academic partners to maintain a network of coral reef 

ecosystem monitoring stations within these systems to track ocean acidification and reef responses. 

These studies have found that, while the net calcification of a reef system does show strong correlation 

with changes in carbonate mineral saturation state, ocean acidification will not affect coral reefs 

uniformly, with some being more sensitive to increasing partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) than others.

USGS supported studies that evaluated coastal carbon fluxes and submarine groundwater discharges, 

which act as an additional cause of stress on coral reefs. USGS developed numerical modeling systems 

for the flow patterns and discharge rates to Biscayne Bay in Florida, which may provide insight into 

causes of ecosystem degradation. From 2010-2013, USGS participated in collection of baseline data to 

address ocean acidification in the Canadian Basin of the Arctic Ocean. The goal of this research was to 

document the carbon and isotopic chemistry and biological characteristics of the upper water column to 

determine the role of sea ice in ocean acidification of the different basins. Carbon data from the Gulf of 

Mexico are being analyzed by USGS in collaboration with researchers from NOAA and academia and as 

part of a NASA-lead effort on carbon synthesis in the ocean. USGS measured carbon chemistry of the 

West Florida Shelf as a cooperator in this project and to address ocean acidification in the Gulf of 

Mexico. 

NASA funded the final stages of the Impacts of Climate change on the Eco-Systems and Chemistry of the 

Arctic Pacific Environment (ICESCAPE) field campaign. The goal of ICESCAPE was to determine the impact 

of climate change on the biogeochemistry and ecology of the Chukchi and Beaufort seas. ICESCAPE 

utilized an interdisciplinary, cross cutting approach integrating field expeditions, modeling, and satellite 
6

remote sensing. ICESCAPE analyzed observations and research to specifically address ocean acidification 

and its impacts on the ecology of the Arctic.

In addition, NASA supported projects investigating ocean acidification in the Arctic Ocean. One study 

used biological and bio-optical observations to address the role of calcifiers in the Chukchi and Beaufort 

Seas. This region is expected to undergo fundamental changes as the ice cap melts, affecting both the 

biota, resulting in increased abundance of coccolithophores, and the bio-optical properties of the water 

mass. This is due to increased abundance of highly-scattering calcium carbonate coccoliths. 

A field and modeling project was funded in this region and will comprise high-quality sampling of 

discrete water column dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and surface underway pCO2 and DIC 

observations. The project addresses the impact of natural and anthropogenic factors such as sea-ice 

loss, shelf-basin physical dynamics, net phytoplankton primary production on the marine inorganic 

carbon cycle, and air-sea CO2 fluxes.

NASA continued funding satellite research investigating ocean color. Ocean color can be used to 

measure particulate inorganic carbon, biogenic silica, and pCO2. NASA also funded efforts to reduce 

uncertainty when measuring phytoplankton chlorophyll in the ocean. These efforts provide the 

foundation to observe physiological processes such as photosynthesis, evaluate phytoplankton health, 

and provide global datasets for modeling efforts that include ocean acidification. Much of this work is 

also in support of NASA’s Earth Science carbon cycle science program. 

Research and monitoring efforts funded by USDA targeted the anthropogenic atmospheric deposition of 

nitrogen, sulfur, and other compounds. Although the monitoring stations for this program were 

primarily land-based, these data can be used to extrapolate deposition of nitrogen and sulfur oxides that 

will make it into the oceans. Atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and sulfur oxides has a direct effect on 

pH, but also provides essential nutrients effecting primary productivity in the oceans and Great Lakes 

ecosystems. Additionally, USDA has several programs aimed at the reduction of nutrients going into our 

Nation’s waterways which eventually end up in the oceans causing algal blooms and creating dead 

zones. USDA programs also focused on carbon sequestration, reduced emissions of greenhouse gasses, 

and the production of agriculture-based biofuels. Agriculture-based biofuels, such as woody biomass 

and algae, may reduce reliance upon fossil fuels. USDA has many other programs addressing indirect 

effects on ocean acidification. 

Understanding Earth History to Inform Ocean Acidification Predictions

Studies supported by USGS and NSF in FY2012 and FY2013 compared historic calcification rates with 

current rates, with the goal of modeling future rates. USGS continued supporting work initiated in 2009 

that focuses on the synthesis of historical, physical, and chemical records at shellfish bed sites within

Florida to provide a regional view of ocean acidification. 

NSF sponsored research to examine ocean acidification in the geologic record with studies that focused 

on the ancient, Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, and recent century-scale changes in Aleutian kelp 

beds. NSF also supported studies to develop and test new paleo-proxies and to examine the kinetics of 

calcium carbonate dissolution. Approximately $1,000 K was spent to support work on this theme in 

FY2012 and FY2013.

USGS supported the development of the use of boron isotopes and their ratio to calcium as a proxy for 

determining seawater pH. This technique can be applied to samples from marine sediments, drill 

sections from coral reefs, and preserved exoskeletons of gastropods to ascertain environmental 

conditions in Earth’s history. The method has further potential to reflect glacial/interglacial changes of 

surface seawater pH and atmospheric CO2 levels.
7

NOAA supported an historical analysis of calcification rates within select coral reef environments, 

primarily in the Pacific, through extraction of cores from coral reefs as a part of NOAA’s Coral Reef 

Conservation Program status and trend monitoring program. NOAA engaged in nitrogen-isotope

dynamics studies as recorded in the sedimentary record in order to learn about the dynamics of the 

marine nutrient cycle in the Quaternary period and the present. These studies are useful for building 

ocean nutrient models that feed into projection models for future ocean conditions. 

Laboratories and Field Sites

Modifications at some research facilities have allowed advancement in the study of ocean acidification. 

NOAA invested in facilities for shared-user species response studies at research laboratories in Kodiak, 

Alaska; Seattle, Washington; Newport, Oregon; Highlands, New Jersey; and Milford, Connecticut. NOAA 

funded inter-comparison studies across NOAA and affiliated laboratories to determine uncertainty in the 

measurement of ocean acidification-related parameters and the likely root causes of the uncertainties. 

USGS established a new time-series field site on a reef in the Florida Keys. The USGS St. Petersburg 

Carbon Analytical Laboratory participated in inter-comparison quality control projects with other federal 

laboratories and academia.

Support for Data Synthesis

As information on ocean acidification increases, synthesis activities are needed to capture and 

summarize the current state of knowledge. These summaries are useful for research endeavors in a 

variety of ways, but also for resource management decisions and communication activities.

NOAA scientists engaged in vulnerability analyses of Washington and Alaskan marine resources to ocean 

acidification. Through a competitive grant program, NOAA supported a meta-analysis of the responses 

of temperate species to ocean acidification, which will be completed in 2014. NOAA funds the Ocean 

Acidification Data Stewardship (OADS) project to serve the broader ocean acidification community by 

providing dedicated online data discovery; access to NOAA Ocean Data Center-hosted and distributed 

authoritative data sources; and long-term archival, data-flow, and scientific stewardship for a diverse 

range of ocean acidification and other chemical, physical, and biological oceanographic data. 

Theme 2. Monitoring of Ocean Chemistry and Biological Impacts

To understand the progress of ocean acidification in open-ocean and coastal environments and the 

impacts on marine ecosystems, it is necessary to employ a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach to 

observations and modelling. In FY2012 and FY2013, EPA, BOEM, NOAA, NSF, and USGS supported 

studies that addressed monitoring ocean chemistry or biological impacts associated with ocean 

acidification. $4,418 K was spent on monitoring related to ocean acidification in FY2012, and $3,208 K in 

FY2013. $5,183 K was spent on activities that were not specifically termed ocean acidification studies, 

but contributed to monitoring ocean acidification in FY2012, and $5,199 K in FY2013.

Marine Ecosystems

NOAA supported research and monitoring programs focused primarily on the effects of ocean 

acidification on corals and associated ecosystems. NOAA’s National Coral Reef Conservation Program is 

now monitoring the status and trends of the nation’s coral reef ecosystems including key chemical and 

ecological indicators specific to ocean acidification. There are three main elements to effectively 

monitor ocean acidification in a coral reef environment: monitoring the spatial and temporal trends in 

ocean carbonate chemistry; monitoring the ecosystem response to the changes in carbonate chemistry; 
8

and modelling change in both ocean chemistry and ecosystem response. The coral reef observation 

network has proposed six sentinel sites for ocean acidification, three in the Pacific Ocean basin and 

three in the Atlantic Ocean basin. Currently, two are established in the Atlantic (Puerto Rico and the 

Florida Keys) and one in the Pacific (Oahu). At each, autonomous measurements of air and seawater 

pCO2 and pH are taken every three hours, and discrete samples are collected biweekly for laboratory 

analysis of ocean carbon. To assess ecosystem response to carbon chemistry, the following are 

monitored at each site: community composition; net community productivity; benthic rugosity; 

bioeroder abundance; ecosystem and coral calcification; and coral bioerosion. Specific taxa are also 

targeted for monitoring based upon the current state-of-the-science anticipated effects of ocean 

acidification to coral reef ecosystems. 

NOAA is also supporting work related to ocean acidification in temperate ecosystems. NOAA’s 

Northwest Fisheries Science Center continued to support a zooplankton time-series off of Newport, 

Oregon, and, with the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, has done initial work to relate species 

abundance with carbon chemistry. NOAA has also supported work at the Northwest Fisheries Science 

Center to correlate species abundance with carbon chemistry in Puget Sound, Washington. NOAA’s 

Northeast Fisheries Science Center conducts several different surveys off the northeast continental shelf 

each year, which provide complete coverage of the shelf (Cape Hatteras to the Gulf of Maine) during the 

spring and fall. The primary objectives of these surveys include assessing change in biological and 

physical properties which influence production of living marine resources in the Georges Bank and Gulf 

of Maine portions of the northeast continental shelf ecosystem. Key parameters measured during these 

surveys include ichthyoplankton and zooplankton composition, abundance, and distribution. Water 

column temperature, salinity, chlorophyll-a fluorescence, and carbonate chemistry are also measured.

BOEM contributed to knowledge about ocean acidification through research taking place in the Pacific 

Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico under its Environmental Studies Program. This program conducts ocean 

research to provide science in support of decisions regarding oil and gas, marine-mineral, and 

renewable-energy leasing of the outer continental shelf. The Pacific Regional Intertidal Sampling and 

Monitoring team (a group of biologists within the BOEM Pacific Region) partnered with the Channel 

Islands National Park to maintain an ocean monitoring station within the Park’s boundaries. Monitoring 

of ocean pH, temperature, and salinity at this site is a partnership with a broader network of agencies 

and university groups aiming to track ocean acidification on the Pacific coast. Furthermore, BOEM 

partnered with NOAA and the USGS in the Gulf of Mexico to examine ocean acidification impacts on 

coral metabolism, calcification rates, and interactions between corals and their algal symbionts.

Changes in Marine Productivity

USGS programs were aimed at determining the baselines and thresholds of various coral reef 

communities to changes in pCO2, calcium carbonate saturation state, and ocean acidification by 

measuring coral metabolic and calcification rates. Furthermore, studies on endangered species 

prompted the establishment of five monitoring sites within Biscayne and Tortugas National Parks and 

the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. These studies aim to provide information on calcification 

rates of corals and the potential relationship with climate change and ocean acidification. 

EPA’s nutrient research includes work in the coastal zone, where acidification is strongly influenced by 

production and organic loading. Collaborative research in FY2013 led to an increased interest in 

integrating carbonate chemistry into coastal ecosystem and water quality models that are also used to 

support nitrogen management decisions.

NSF supported observations at the Hawaii Ocean Time-Series and Bermuda Atlantic Time-Series that 

included measurements of ocean primary productivity, changes in the ocean biota, and changes in 
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nutrients, pH, and carbonate chemistry. These time series now provide a more than 25 year record of 

changing productivity, biology, and chemistry at these mid-ocean sites in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. 

NSF also supported CO2 balance measurements as part of the US Climate Variability and Predictability 

program (US CLIVAR) repeat hydrography survey program. Measurements of primary productivity and 

ocean chemistry in coastal waters are routine at the NSF coastal Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) 

sites (Plum Island Ecosystems LTER, Virginia Coast Reserve LTER, Georgia Coastal Ecosystems LTER, Santa 

Barbara Coastal LTER, California Current Ecosystem LTER, Moorea Coral Reef Long-Term Ecological 

Research site, and Palmer Antarctica LTER). These ongoing projects are “contributing” research to 

understand ocean acidification and were supported at about $2,000 K per year. Significant ship support 

provided for ocean-acidification-related oceanographic sampling, primarily at the Ocean Time Series 

stations mentioned above, with University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System vessels was not 

included in the NSF contributing research totals for FY2012 and FY2013. NSF also supported the Ocean 

Margin Ecosystems Group for Acidification Studies in FY2012 that provided coastal and intertidal records 

of pH along the Oregon and California coastal region.

Changes in Ocean Chemistry

Monitoring efforts related to ocean acidification were advanced through many NOAA programs 

including the Ocean Acidification Program, Climate Program Office, National Marine Fisheries Service, 

Coral Reef Conservation Program and Coastal Hypoxia Research Program. Collectively, these efforts 

constitute the establishment of the long-term ocean acidification monitoring program called for under 

the FOARAM Act. The existing global and national ocean observing assets have been augmented as 

necessary to meet the biogeochemical requirements for ocean acidification monitoring. 

NOAA’s ocean acidification monitoring portfolio comprises a suite of observations ranging from 

repeated large-scale synoptic surveys of the major ocean basins to sustained fixed time-series stations. 

A variety of assets are used for monitoring, including fixed-site observing platforms (e.g., moorings and 

piers), ships of opportunity, dedicated geochemical cruises, remote sensing, wave gliders, and profiling 

floats. The large-scale oceanic observations are primarily led through the NOAA Climate Program Office 

while NOAA’s Ocean Acidification Program has placed a larger emphasis on tracking ocean acidification 

dynamics within waters along the U.S. coastal shelf, continental slope, and rise. These efforts work to 

characterize the rate and magnitude of acidification and discern the primary biogeochemical controls of 

variability. Observations include pCO2, pH, oxygen, temperature, and salinity, and permit the 

determination of carbonate mineral saturation state (a key indicator of ocean acidification). The data 

and information obtained from the observing network is increasingly applied in devising and 

interpreting experimental studies and process investigations to improve our understanding of 

ecosystem responses to ocean acidification and to validate regional and global models of ocean 

acidification. FY2012 and FY2013 efforts focused on monitoring of ocean acidification included: 

• Ocean Moorings: Throughout FY2012 and FY2013, the ocean acidification mooring programs 

advanced by NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory continued to collect data, build 

capacity, and collaborate with academic and agency partners to bolster the capabilities of the 

network. The first high-latitude, Pacific and Atlantic, ocean-acidification moorings were 

established. Existing carbon observing systems were augmented in the outer reef of Kaneohe 

Bay, Hawaii, to achieve ocean acidification monitoring capabilities. This augmentation provided 

a critical capability necessary for establishing this location as a long-term, coral reef-monitoring 

site where ecological measures of change are tracked in coordination with NOAA Coral Reef 

Conservation Program’s status and trends monitoring efforts.
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• Volunteer Observing Ships: During FY2012, the CO2 group at the Pacific Marine Environmental 

Laboratory collected measurements of pH, O2, and pCO2 on 11 cruises along the North 

American West coast, 5 cruises in coastal Alaskan waters and the Bering Sea, and 9 open-ocean 

cruises. These measurements contribute to the NOAA objective to provide accurate and reliable 

data from sustained observing systems and long-term data sets. The Pacific Marine 

Environmental Laboratory installed an underway pCO2 system, Durafet pH probes, and 

Aanderaa oxygen optodes on the container ship Cap Vilano and the RV Ka’imikai-O-Kanoloa. 

These new measurements will add to the long time series of pCO2 measurements in this

dynamic equatorial region. The Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory 

sustained surface measurements using autonomous systems aboard seven ships of opportunity.

• Hydrographic/Geochemical Surveys: During the summer of FY2012, the Pacific Marine 

Environmental Laboratory led a dedicated geochemical survey along the Washington-OregonCalifornia continental shelf region to investigate the extent of acidification conditions. The 

dedicated survey employed the use of shipboard cruises and profiling gliders. In addition, the 

Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory led a dedicated research cruise aboard 

the NOAA ship Ronald H. Brown along the Gulf of Mexico and East Coast margins (GOMECC-2, 

the second Gulf of Mexico and East Coast Carbon cruise) with surface and subsurface ocean 

acidification measurements. These surveys sought to better understand the relationships among 

natural and human-induced processes that lead to acidification of the water column and their 

effects on marine resources. 

• Advanced Technology Development: A series of testing and validation studies were carried out 

by the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory to evaluate the use of autonomous Wave 

Gliders for ocean acidification monitoring.

Key Findings: 

• Open-ocean cruises consistently find strong upwelling along the equator, biological uptake in 

the subtropics, and seasonal warming in some portions of both hemispheres.

• Members of the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory CO2 group were involved in the most 

recent release of the Surface Ocean Carbon Atlas, adding data to the atlas.

• Survey results along the U.S. west coast showed that in upwelled waters, 14-28 percent of the 

overall acidification experienced over the continental shelf during the summer upwelling season 

is derived from anthropogenic CO2. Corrosive, undersaturated waters were observed at depths 

ranging from 20 to 200 m over most of the continental shelf region during the late summer 

months. These corrosive waters can have significant negative implications for local hatchery 

facilities and adaptive strategies are being developed to better prepare impacted industries to 

these episodic events.

• Data collected in Alaskan waters indicated a similar pattern of upwelling around the Aleutian 

Islands.

• The GOMECC-2 cruise revealed that waters of the Gulf of Maine may be more susceptible to 

ocean acidification as a consequence of significant freshwater input and cold water 

temperatures. Given the importance of the Gulf of Maine to East coast fisheries, this is a region 

of increased focus.

The NOAA Ocean Acidification Program was actively involved in the development and adoption of 

standardized monitoring methods that are accurate and precise. Internal activities include an inter-
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comparison project to evaluate consistency of laboratory carbon chemistry measurements and 

development of the Coral Reef Ocean Acidification Monitoring Program. International activities included 

leadership of the Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network. 

USGS ocean acidification projects focused on regional studies of carbon chemistry off the west coast of 

Florida and in the Arctic Ocean. Both provided baseline data in areas that have little or no prior 

information. These projects have resulted from collaboration with other non-related projects on ships of 

opportunity. 

EPA’s sampling efforts focused on long-term observations in coastal waters. EPA collaborated with SUNY 

Stony Brook on a project that includes NOAA funding for laboratory studies of ocean acidification effects 

on resource shellfish species. Within the NOAA-funded project, EPA is providing in-kind ecological 

modeling and vessel support through joint sampling in Narragansett Bay. To leverage and capitalize on 

the timing of this project, EPA is also funding a separate but coordinated field experiment to examine in 

situ shellfish responses to ocean acidification based on results from the laboratory studies. In a separate 

collaboration, EPA obtained carbonate chemistry samples from the mid-Atlantic bight using contracted 

time aboard NOAA ship Nancy Foster.

Theme 3. Modeling to Predict Changes in the Ocean Carbon Cycle and 

Impacts on Marine Ecosystems and Organisms

A wide variety of activities in FY2012 and FY2013 were associated with modelling ocean acidification and 

its impacts on marine ecosystems and organisms. $994 K was spent on activities directly related to 

modelling in FY2012, and $1,695 K in FY2013. $399 K in FY2012 and $310 K in FY2013 was spent on 

activities that were not specifically termed ocean acidification studies but contributed to ocean 

acidification modelling. These contributing efforts increase our understanding of ocean acidification 

through improved: 1) depiction of land-air-sea carbon coupling; 2) understanding of carbon fluxes in 

hydrologic and geologic processes; and 3) definition of spatial distributions and fluxes of carbon (i.e., 

sources and sinks of carbon). Further, modelling linkages between nutrients and carbon sources and 

sinks will assist in improving future modelling efforts of ocean acidification. 

Physico-Chemical Change

In FY2013, NSF and NOAA (Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory) supported a modeling study focused 

on using coupled climate-carbon models to predict the large-scale pattern of future ocean calcite and 

aragonite saturation states. USGS supported modeling of historical and future changes in the ocean 

carbon cycle through the use of boron as a proxy from coral cores. These data are being used to model 

ecosystem change over historic and geologic time scales. 

NOAA supported a number of regional modeling exercises on ocean carbon chemistry. NOAA developed 

the Ocean Acidification Product Suite model for the Greater Caribbean Region which maps out the 

distribution and dynamics of ocean acidification using synoptic environmental datasets (e.g., satellite, 

Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model) applied to regionally specific algorithms developed from in situ data. It 

has also supported models investigating effects of hypoxia and associated day-night swings in pH in 

shallow waters. These accompanying swings in pH may exacerbate the effects of hypoxia on marine 

organisms. In the California Current region, NOAA funded the development of algorithms based upon 

temperature and oxygen measurements to derive estimates of seasonal dynamics in ocean acidification. 

These algorithms are intended for application to legacy data sets, such as those collected by the 

National Marine Fisheries Service in their annual transects, and could expand historical knowledge of 

ocean acidification in certain regions. NOAA also funded development of projections of ocean 
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acidification using a California Current Regional Ocean Model. NOAA-collected observations of ocean 

carbon chemistry are contributing to this effort and development of a Pacific Northwest Regional Ocean 

Model. NOAA initiated development of a climatology of ocean acidification in the Northeast U.S. shelf 

region using data from the 1980s to the present. The climatology characterizes seasonal and regional 

variability, which can then be used to track whether current changes in ocean carbon chemistry are 

within the normal range of variability for the region or if they are outliers. 

Ecological/Biological Impacts 

In FY2013, NSF funded a collaborative project on the biogeochemical effects of plankton evolution to 

ocean acidification. For this project, experimental work on the ability of key planktonic organisms to 

adapt and evolve to increasing CO2 levels was paired with a biogeochemical model to predict how some 

species might respond to future oceans if beneficial mutations occur over time. Other NSF-supported 

research included a component of modeling as part of the research; the investment in the modeling 

efforts could not easily be separated from the overall research investment. 

NOAA supported and completed a number of modeling exercises on the ecological implications of ocean 

acidification. Many of these projects merged regional biogeochemical models with ecological models. In 

the Pacific Northwest, NOAA scientists imposed various scenarios of ocean acidification on a food web 

model of the Puget Sound to understand how acidification impacts may ripple through the food web 

and how they may compare to impacts of climate change and other human uses of the marine 

environment. NOAA funded a similar effort to project impacts of ocean acidification on the California 

Current food web using a sophisticated model that incorporates geophysical data and is linked to a 

fisheries economics model. NOAA scientists started a project to investigate how the diel movements of 

zooplankton in the Puget Sound influence their CO2 exposure under current and projected future 

conditions, information that is important for properly parameterizing laboratory experiments. NOAA 

developed a model to forecast abundance of Alaskan crab that incorporates the impacts of ocean 

acidification, and began building a species life-cycle model to investigate Dungeness crab population 

dynamics under various ocean acidification scenarios. NOAA continued funding two projects that assess 

and predict the impacts of ocean acidification on hard clams and scallops in the U.S. Northeast. NOAAfunded modeling work used global and regional models to search for potential refugia for coral reef 

ecosystems to acidification and climate change, and explored the impacts of short-term, event-based 

impacts, like cyclones, on coral reef biogeochemistry. NOAA also investigated which treatment levels 

should be employed in experiments on biological impacts of ocean acidification by conducting an 

ecoregion-scale analysis of global carbon chemistry datasets and identifying the range of pCO2 levels of 

contemporary marine habitats.

NASA supported research to better constrain the magnitude of ocean acidification and climate change 

impacts on marine inorganic carbon dynamics, ocean carbon storage, and atmospheric CO2 levels over 

the next several decades to centuries using the new Community Earth System Model, which includes 

fully interactive marine ecosystem and global carbon modules. Satellite observations will be integral to 

the project in terms of both model parameterization development and model-data evaluation. The 

results will provide quantification of projected changes over the 21st century in the patterns and 

strength of marine biological calcification in a warmer, higher CO2 world and the resulting feedbacks on 

ocean carbon storage.
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Theme 4. Technology Development and Standardization of Carbonate 

Chemistry Measurements on Moorings and Autonomous Floats

Improved instrumentation, sensors, and methods to support long-term observations, systematic ocean 

surveys, and laboratory systems are highlighted in the FOARAM Act, the IWG-OA’s Strategic Plan for 

Federal Research and Monitoring of Ocean Acidification, agency plans for ocean acidification research, 

and the 2010 National Research Council report Ocean Acidification: A National Strategy to Meet the 

Challenges of a Changing Ocean. Approximately $1,075 K was spent on activities directly related to 

technology development for ocean acidification in FY2012, and $1,367 K in FY2013. 

USGS, cooperating with NOAA and universities, supported the refinement and standardization of 

methods for measuring carbon parameters and calcification in coral reef systems. These methods will 

help build understanding of the metabolic function of reef systems. USGS also supported the 

development, testing, and improvement of flow-through systems for the rapid measurement of 

carbonate parameters in water. These systems can operate in both marine and freshwater conditions.

NOAA’s technology activities in FY2012-13 focused on development of observing gliders, development 

of a dissolved inorganic carbon sensor, and methods for determining variation in ocean acidification and 

ecosystem response in coral reefs. NOAA expanded its efforts into alternative measurements for pH 

and laboratory systems to study species’ response to ocean acidification. Wave gliders combine wavepowered, autonomous surface vehicles with instruments to take pCO2 (air and water), pH, temperature, 

and salinity measurements. The technology used in wave gliders was refined, and wave gliders were 

deployed to assess the temporal variability of upwelling and hypoxia between research cruises on the 

west coast. Glider data has been applied with algorithms to predict pH and aragonite saturation, and 

has assisted in identifying sites for future mooring deployments. Given the limitations inherent in using 

pH and pCO2 to constrain the carbonate system and limitations on using current technology at depth, it 

is critically important to develop additional, robust sensors for measuring dissolved inorganic carbon, 

pH, and pCO2 in surface and sub-surface waters. NOAA invested in development of next-generation 

technology for measuring pH and dissolved inorganic carbon using spectrophotometry and infrared 

sensors, and supported work inside and outside of NOAA. 

NOAA supported the development of advanced technologies to quantify net community rates 

(calcification, productivity) within coral reef environments at the Atlantic Ocean Acidification Test-beds 

(Puerto Rico and Florida). The test-bed project investigates the physical and biogeochemical processes 

controlling temporal variability in ocean acidification. This technology work advanced the development 

of an integrated set of high-precision, in situ measurements using state-of-the-art cabled 

instrumentation that can examine, in real time, the influence of benthic processes on local carbonate 

chemistry. 

NOAA activities have advanced the state-of-the-art for laboratory systems to study species response to 

ocean acidification. NOAA laboratories have built a number of experimental systems capable of 

manipulating and controlling pH and pCO2 with the accuracy and precision needed to conduct 

experiments relevant to addressing the impacts of ocean acidification on living marine resources. 

Building these laboratories required properly addressing demands related to engineering, chemistry, 

and biology, which can be highly challenging. NOAA staff acts as a resource in laboratory design for 

much of the ocean acidification community.

NOAA’s Ocean Acidification Program supported an internal QA/QC project, led by Scripps Institution of 

Oceanography, to evaluate carbon chemistry analyses across NOAA and affiliated labs that conduct 

ocean acidification research and monitoring. In doing so, NOAA helped refine best practices for 
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conducting carbon chemistry analyses and evaluated the performance of the equipment used to do so. 

While NOAA itself does not explicitly fund the certification of reference materials, it does purchase a 

considerable amount thereby providing supporting resources for the on-going production of standard 

reference materials. 

NSF continued to support the production of CO2 reference standards to support the national research 

effort. Funding allocated in FY2013 will continue the production and distribution of reference standards 

for an additional three years. In FY2013, NSF also funded a study that would use a novel, isotopelabeling, experimental approach to measure the kinetics of calcium carbonate dissolution in sea water. 

The standard method for measuring coral reef calcification requires knowledge of the alkalinity 

differences between reef and the offshore source water and the residence time of the water over the 

reef. Gathering this information is expensive and time-consuming, but boron isotope research has 

helped to develop a useful and inexpensive method. The use of boron isotopes as a proxy for seawater 

pH was supported by USGS and NSF. 

Because many of the Clean Water Act implications of ocean acidification are within state waters where 

high frequency/high resolution measurements of carbon chemistry are needed, EPA scientists stay 

engaged with sensing technology developments. Where possible, EPA has integrated low-cost sensor 

technologies into existing observation programs in order to identify potential limitations for state-level 

and consumer-level applications.

Theme 5. Assessment of Socioeconomic Impacts and Development of 

Strategies to Conserve Marine Organisms and Ecosystems

Coastal and marine ecosystems provide a variety of ecosystem services that may be altered by ocean 

acidification. For example, coastal and marine ecosystems provide provisioning resources of fish, 

shellfish, and seaweeds that are harvested for food and other consumer products. These ecosystems 

influence carbon cycling and sequestration, maintain biodiversity, and provide means for commercial 

and recreational activities. The human activities that rely on these goods and services are often 

intertwined with the social fabric of coastal communities and tribal groups. Understanding the 

interactions between the oceans and human systems is critical to protection of environmental public 

health. In FY2012 and FY2013, NOAA and EPA allocated funding toward socioeconomic studies related 

to ocean acidification; all funding was for primary research programs. Approximately $245 K was spent 

on activities directly related to the development of integrated assessment models in FY2012, and $158 K 

in FY2013. 

NOAA made a large advance in addressing the socioeconomic impacts of ocean acidification in FY2012 

and FY2013, mostly focusing on assessment of the impacts of ocean acidification on fisheries and 

fishery-based economies. NOAA’s investments in this avenue of research were made primarily through 

competitive grants awarded in FY2012. Two projects use food web models, and three use population 

models. NOAA funded two projects that use results from laboratory studies on species sensitivity to 

ocean acidification and an understanding of local carbon chemistry conditions to project future 

population dynamics of species that are the target of wild fisheries (hard clams and bay scallops in the 

U.S. Northeast and red king and tanner crab in Alaska). Both efforts address potential future changes in 

fisheries, the latter using a bioeconomic model for the Bristol Bay red king crab fishery. An Integrated 

Assessment Model was developed to project landings by the U.S. sea scallop fishery under different 

carbon emissions scenarios. The model includes submodels on the basic biology of the sea scallop, 

regional biogeochemisty, and socioeconomics. Researchers are now developing a web-based decisionsupport dashboard that allows interactive exploration of model output under various scenarios. A 
15

similar effort is assessing the vulnerability of the California Current food web, fisheries, and regional 

economies to ocean acidification. This project links a regional ocean model forced by scenarios for 

carbon dioxide emission, a highly explicit food web model that includes scenarios of species response to 

ocean acidification, and a spatially explicit economic model that translates seafood landings into 

economic impacts on the broader West Coast economy. Researchers will use various outputs from this 

project to explore the implications of ocean acidification on fisheries management reference points and 

the consequences of harvest policies, and will inform managers about the results of this study via 

engagement with the Pacific Fishery Management Council. NOAA researchers also explored the 

potential impacts of ocean acidification on Puget Sound fisheries using scenarios of ocean acidification 

with a relatively simple food web model. 

EPA supported the development of biophysical models and new methodologies to determine the 

economic and intrinsic value of coral reefs and shellfish. The Coral Mortality and Bleaching Output 

model is used by managers, conservationists, and biologists to predict the effects of climate change and 

ocean acidification on coral reefs at local-to-regional scales, and new economic valuation approaches 

have been applied to estimate damages. The EPA’s National Center for Environmental Economics 

conducted research to assess the economic impacts of ocean acidification on U.S. mollusk fisheries for 

the purpose of inclusion in monetary estimates of damages from greenhouse gas emissions.

Theme 6. Education, Outreach, and Engagement Strategy on Ocean 

Acidification

Engaging stakeholders and the public is an important component of addressing the implications of 

ocean acidification. Information exchange, education, and outreach can occur through several different 

types of media, including websites, workshops, and publications. Workshops and special sessions at 

professional meetings engage the scientific community and have provided content for planning 

strategies. $633 K was spent on activities directly related to ocean acidification outreach in FY2012, and 

$269 K was spent in FY2013. Roughly $50 K in FY2012 and $50 K in FY2013 was spent by NSF on activities 

that were not specifically termed ocean acidification outreach, but contributed to ocean acidification 

outreach. 

In June 2012 at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), the U.S. 

announced its contribution of $320,000 to the Ocean Acidification International Coordination Center 

(OA-ICC) at the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Environment Laboratories in Monaco. The 

announcement took place at a U.S.-hosted side event on ocean acidification during the Rio+20 meeting. 

Funding for the OA-ICC was made available through U.S. support for the IAEA Peaceful Uses Initiative. 

The U.S. viewed this commitment to the establishment of the OA-ICC at the IAEA Laboratory as an 

important step towards enhanced global cooperation on ocean acidification research, including towards 

implementation of a global ocean acidification observing network. The U.S. made an additional 

contribution of $70,000 to the OA-ICC later in FY2012. In FY2013, the U.S., led by the Department of 

State, participated in the United Nations Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the 

Sea, the topic of which was ocean acidification. This meeting provided a useful opportunity for 

information exchange and raising awareness on ocean acidification. 

NOAA engaged in a variety of education, outreach, and engagement activities in FY2012 and FY2013. 

The strategy behind NOAA’s education and outreach work was formalized in a NOAA Education 

Implementation Plan, which will likely be released in 2014. NOAA worked with non-governmental 

experiential learning facilities, such as the Seattle Aquarium and the Exploratorium, to educate the 

public about ocean acidification and its impacts. NOAA staff also participated in efforts of local, state, 
16

and regional policy makers, managers, and stakeholders to educate and inform decision makers about 

ocean acidification science (e.g., Washington Blue Ribbon Panel on Ocean Acidification). The West Coast 

National Marine Sanctuaries hosted the workshop entitled “Effective Practices for Communicating 

Ocean Acidification” in FY2012, which was attended by 90 participants from aquariums, universities, 

state and federal agencies, teachers, and non-governmental organizations. 

NOAA developed a variety of educational and outreach resources. For example, the west coast National 

Marine Sanctuaries developed outreach kits on ocean acidification that include lesson plans and other 

materials. A number of NOAA websites include educational information about ocean acidification and 

links to resources, including presentations, scientific data, and links to other resources. These include 

websites developed by the Ocean Acidification Program, Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Coral 

Reef Conservation Program, and the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. A variety of NOAA 

offices developed summaries and explanations of ocean acidification and the science conducted to 

understand its progression and potential impacts on living marine resources internationally, nationally, 

and regionally. Additionally, NOAA created an online forum with the purpose of refining messages and 

case studies about ocean acidification. This forum allows the communication and education community 

to stay abreast of the ocean acidification research, which is rapidly expanding, and helps educators 

share educational activities and projects as they are being created, including information about their 

success and implementation. Finally, NOAA trained many undergraduate students in ocean acidification 

research methodologies through internship programs, as well as the NOAA Hollings Scholar Program. 

In FY2013, NOAA helped initiate the Northeast Coastal Acidification Network (NECAN), which will serve 

as the leading organization for the synthesis and dissemination of regional ocean acidification data and 

information products. NECAN works to provide rigorous and balanced scientific information to regional 

decision makers and user groups regarding the current state of knowledge of ocean acidification and its 

potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts to the northeast region. NECAN is a joint federal 

agency, academic, and industry partnership established under the Northeast Regional Association of 

Coastal and Ocean Observing Systems. NECAN also works to coordinate and set regional priorities for 

science observing and research investments designed to further our understanding of ocean 

acidification in a way most responsive to user requirements. 

USGS presented research activities and findings through: 1) websites; 2) a monthly newsletter titled 

Sound Waves that is distributed to the public, stakeholders, and State cooperators; 3) presentations; 

and 4) social media, such as Twitter and Facebook. The USGS also supported the Ocean Acidification 

International Coordination Centre’s efforts in capacity building by taking the lead in coordination and 

facilitation of ocean acidification workshops. 

NSF supported a wide range of education, training, and outreach efforts as part of broader impacts in 

regular research awards. Some of the outreach efforts included providing the fundamental science 

needed for formulating management and policy. NSF and NASA provided support for the Ocean Carbon 

and Biogeochemistry Project Office and its Ocean Acidification Subcommittee. The Ocean Carbon and 

Biogeochemistry Project supports community-planning activities for ocean acidification and carbon 

cycling and engages in public outreach activities. The Ocean Carbon and Biogeochemistry Project 

provided support for the 2nd U.S. Ocean Acidification Principal Investigator Meeting in September 

FY2013. NSF continued to support international ocean acidification and carbon cycling planning and 

coordinating activities through the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research.

NASA continued to support scientific research awards for projects that sought to enhance the public and 

educational outreach on subjects related to carbon cycle science, interdisciplinary science, and ocean 

acidification.
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USDA-funded Cooperative Extension natural resource and aquaculture field agents work closely with 

their Sea Grant Marine Advisory Service partners in providing science-based information on climate 

change and other factors that affect ocean acidification to their joint clientele in the aquaculture 

industry. Workshops such as those conducted in Maine, Delaware, Louisiana, and other marine coastal 

and Great Lakes states educate U.S. citizens about sea level rise, ocean acidification, and other effects of 

climate change on the oceans.

USDA also informs the U.S. public on the results of research on new technologies geared toward 

reducing greenhouse gas emissions, nutrient runoff, and other programs aimed at reducing atmospheric 

CO2 through carbon sequestration by agricultural soil conservation practices and best management 

practices via workshops, on-farm extension programs, and the extension initiative via the Internet.

Theme 7. Data Management and Integration

Data management and integration is critical to the success and impact of any research program. Data 

must be shared and integrated across disciplinary boundaries to provide intelligible information to 

managers, planners, educators, other scientists, and the general public. 

Data must also be shared and integrated across organizational boundaries, blending data from diverse 

systems that were created to address distinct mission goals. For example, integrating data collected by 

regional and sub-regional observing associations into the national U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing 

System provides easier and better access to this information by end users. Data sharing for 

oceanographic studies is especially important in that global models and many research investigations 

and analyses require data from the world’s oceans. NOAA and USGS allocated $529 K in FY2012 and 

approximately $545 K in FY2013 for activities directly related to the development of ocean acidification 

data management systems and data integration processes. Roughly $100 K in FY2012 and $100 K in 

FY2013 was spent by NSF on activities that were not specifically termed development of ocean 

acidification data management systems and data integration processes but contributed to development 

of ocean acidification data management systems and data integration processes. 

NOAA developed metadata content standards in the format of ISO 19115-2 for observing system and 

biological response studies by working with the ocean acidification scientific community. The ocean 

acidification data management system currently accommodates ocean acidification data from moorings, 

research cruises, and laboratory or mesocosm studies on species’ response to ocean acidification. This 

system leverages current data systems that support the World Ocean Database, which brings together, 

in a common format, all publicly available vertical profile data from the global oceans. It also shares data 

with many ocean centers including the Department of Energy’s Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis 

Center and NSF’s Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO), and 

coordinates with other groups nationally and internationally. 

NSF supported BCO-DMO at approximately $100 K per year in FY2012 and FY2013 to provide data 

management services for NSF-funded research projects. 

Theme 8. Other Ocean Acidification Activities

In addition to the specific activities discussed above, funding has been allocated to develop and support 

programs, processes, and infrastructure to enable these core activities. $713 K in FY2012 and $1,022 K in

FY2013 was spent to support the NOAA Ocean Acidification Program Office (OAP), which was 

established in 2011 as directed by the FOARAM Act of 2009, and to cover administrative costs for NOAA 

ocean acidification research and outreach efforts within NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric 
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Research and the various laboratories and science centers to which the OAP allocates funding. The OAP, 

together with the agency and interagency research efforts mentioned above, works to foster, 

coordinate, and direct: 1) interdisciplinary research among the ocean and atmospheric sciences, and 

coordinates research and activities to improve understanding of ocean acidification; 2) establishment of 

a long-term monitoring program of ocean acidification utilizing existing global and national ocean 

observing assets, and adding instrumentation and sampling stations as appropriate to the aims of the 

research program; 3) research to identify and develop adaptation strategies and techniques for 

effectively conserving marine ecosystems as they cope with increased ocean acidification; 4) educational 

opportunities that encourage an interdisciplinary and international approach to exploring the impacts of 

ocean acidification; 5) national public outreach activities to improve the understanding of current 

scientific knowledge of ocean acidification and its impacts on marine resources; and 6) coordination of 

ocean acidification monitoring and impacts research with other appropriate international ocean science 

bodies such as the International Oceanographic Commission, the International Council for the 

Exploration of the Sea, the North Pacific Marine Science Organization, and others. A key part of the 

OAP’s responsibility is to provide grants for research projects that explore the effects of ocean 

acidification on ecosystems and the socioeconomic impacts of increased ocean acidification. The OAP 

incorporates a competitive, merit-based process for awarding grants that has been conducted jointly 

with other participating agencies or under the National Oceanographic Partnership Program. Scientists 

funded by the OAP through base and competitive funds have published many peer-reviewed articles in 

FY2012 and FY2013, and participated in a large number of education, outreach, and policy efforts (e.g., 

the Washington Blue Ribbon Panel on Ocean Acidification).

Under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, USGS has significant responsibilities to 

develop scientifically-based methods for assessment of biologic and geologic carbon-sequestration 

capacities, and to perform a comprehensive, nationwide resource assessment examining the full range 

of geothermal resources. As part of efforts to fulfill this responsibility, USGS chairs an interdisciplinary 

carbon committee of scientists and managers. The committee is developing a long-term strategy for 

comprehensive assessment of carbon-sequestration resources, including the potential for new carbon 

sequestration and for conservation and enhancement of existing carbon-storage systems. 

USDA was not included in the initial list of federal entities involved with the IWG-OA as listed in the 

FOARAM Act. Although USDA has no programs specific to ocean acidification and the department does 

not have a primary role in the research and monitoring of ocean acidification as outlined in the Strategic 

Plan for Federal Research and Monitoring of Ocean Acidification, USDA-funded programs do address 

ocean acidification indirectly through programs addressing climate change and run-off of excess 

nutrients into the Nation’s waterways. USDA provides for a few research, education, and extension 

activities and projects that are directly related to ocean acidification such as effects of pH on the larvae 

of commercially produced shellfish and the production of new genetic lines of commercial shellfish that 

are resistant to pH changes.

USDA programs that indirectly affect ocean acidification include programs directed at improving air 

quality such as reducing atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and sulfur oxide compounds as the result of 

burning fossil fuels and industrial processes, climate variability and climate change, reduction of nutrient 

runoff and emissions from concentrated animal feeding operations, watershed management, reduction 

in fuel use in agriculture via improved agricultural practices, carbon sequestration, and many other 

program aimed at maintaining and improving natural resources.

The USDA is implementing on-farm energy efficiency outreach and technology transfer programs which 

help farmers and ranch owners reduce input costs and their dependence on fossil fuels by using newly 

developed conservation and agricultural practices such as no-till and GPS-guided precision agriculture 
19

systems, drip irrigation systems, and nutrient management plans for livestock producers that reduce 

water loss and nutrient runoff. USDA also released a Carbon Management Evaluation Tool to help 

producers calculate how much carbon their land's soil and vegetation can remove and sequester from 

the atmosphere.

USDA does not have explicit programs or a funding authority for ocean acidification. Funding of directly 

or indirectly related projects depends on proposals submitted to core competitive programs, which 

provide an umbrella for this topical area. Other funding comes from core mission mandates but is 

subject to the budgets of the agencies implementing those programs.

Strategic Research Plan for Ocean Acidification Released

The IWG-OA developed a Strategic Plan for Federal Research and Monitoring of Ocean Acidification as 

required by the FOARAM Act. Released in March 2014, this Plan completed the review process 

indicated in the FOARAM Act. Federal agencies, along with academic and international partners, have 

increased the scope of work being conducted on ocean acidification since the last report and are doing 

work in almost every topical area identified in Section 12405 of the FOARAM Act and Strategic Research 

Plan. The IWG-OA is working with agency scientists and managers to coordinate current and future 

federal work and with domestic and international scientific advisory groups to ensure coordination with 

non-government scientists. 
20

Corrected Appendix: Summary of Federally-funded Ocean Acidification 

Research and Monitoring Activities

The original Appendix table 1 transposed “Primary” and “Contributing” activities. Other tables had 

other errors. This version corrects the Appendix Tables. We regret the errors. 

All IWG-OA Member Agencies

Table 1. Summary of all IWG-OA member agency-funded ocean acidification research and monitoring activities

FY 2012 

Budget 

($K)

FY 2013 

Budget 

($K)

Activity 

Classification 

1. Research to understand responses to ocean acidification 323 309 Contributing

11838 13,727 Primary

12,161 14,036 Total 

2. Monitoring of ocean chemistry and biological impacts 5,183 5,199 Contributing

4,418 3,208 Primary

9,601 8,407 Total 

3. Modeling to predict changes in the ocean carbon cycle and 

impacts on marine ecosystems and organisms

399 310 Contributing

994 1,695 Primary

1,393 2,005 Total 

4. Technology development and standardization of measurements 0 0 Contributing

1,075 1,971 Primary

1,075 1,971 Total 

5. Assessment of socioeconomic impacts and development of 

strategies to conserve marine organisms and ecosystems

0 0 Contributing

245 158 Primary

245 158 Total 

6. Education, outreach, and engagement on ocean acidification 50 50 Contributing

333 269 Primary

383 319 Total 

7. Data management and integration 100 100 Contributing

529 545 Primary

629 645 Total 

8. Other ocean acidification research and monitoring activities 0 0 Contributing

738 1,047 Primary

738 1,047 Total 

6,055 5,968

Total 

Contributing

20,169 22,620 Total Primary

26,224 28,588 Grand Total 
21

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

Table 2. Summary of BOEM-funded ocean acidification research and monitoring activities

FY 2012 

Budget 

($K)

FY 2013 

Budget 

($K)

Activity 

Classification 

1. Research to understand responses to ocean acidification 0 0 Contributing

0 0 Primary

0 0 Total 

2. Monitoring of ocean chemistry and biological impacts 0 0 Contributing

162 10 Primary

162 10 Total 

3. Modeling to predict changes in the ocean carbon cycle and 

impacts on marine ecosystems and organisms

0 0 Contributing

0 0 Primary

0 0 Total 

4. Technology development and standardization of measurements 0 0 Contributing

2 0 Primary

2 0 Total 

5. Assessment of socioeconomic impacts and development of 

strategies to conserve marine organisms and ecosystems

0 0 Contributing

0 0 Primary

0 0 Total 

6. Education, outreach, and engagement on ocean acidification 0 0 Contributing

0 0 Primary

0 0 Total 

7. Data management and integration 0 0 Contributing

0 0 Primary

0 0 Total 

8. Other ocean acidification research and monitoring activities 0 0 Contributing

0 0 Primary

0 0 Total 

0 0 Total 

Contributing

164 10 Total Primary

164 10 Grand Total 
22

Environmental Protection Agency

Table 3. Summary of EPA-funded ocean acidification research and monitoring activities

FY 2012 

Budget 

($K)

FY 2013 

Budget 

($K)

Activity 

Classification 

1. Research to understand responses to ocean acidification 0 0 Contributing

0 62 Primary

0 62 Total 

2. Monitoring of ocean chemistry and biological impacts 70 100 Contributing

0 0 Primary

70 100 Total 

3. Modeling to predict changes in the ocean carbon cycle and 

impacts on marine ecosystems and organisms

0 0 Contributing

0 0 Primary

0 0 Total 

4. Technology development and standardization of measurements 0 0 Contributing

0 0 Primary

0 0 Total 

5. Assessment of socioeconomic impacts and development of 

strategies to conserve marine organisms and ecosystems

0 0 Contributing

111 13 Primary

111 13 Total 

6. Education, outreach, and engagement on ocean acidification 0 0 Contributing

0 0 Primary

0 0 Total 

7. Data management and integration 0 0 Contributing

0 0 Primary

0 0 Total 

8. Other ocean acidification research and monitoring activities 0 0 Contributing

0 0 Primary

0 0 Total 

70 100 Total 

Contributing

111 75 Total Primary

181 175 Grand Total 
23

Department of State

Table 4. Summary of Department of State-funded ocean acidification research and monitoring activities

FY 2012 

Budget 

($K)

FY 2013 

Budget 

($K)

Activity 

Classification 

1. Research to understand responses to ocean acidification 0 0 Contributing

0 0 Primary

0 0 Total 

2. Monitoring of ocean chemistry and biological impacts 0 0 Contributing

0 0 Primary

0 0 Total 

3. Modeling to predict changes in the ocean carbon cycle and 

impacts on marine ecosystems and organisms

0 0 Contributing

0 0 Primary

0 0 Total 

4. Technology development and standardization of measurements 0 0 Contributing

0 0 Primary

0 0 Total 

5. Assessment of socioeconomic impacts and development of 

strategies to conserve marine organisms and ecosystems

0 0 Contributing

0 0 Primary

0 0 Total 

6. Education, outreach, and engagement on ocean acidification 0 0 Contributing

70 0 Primary

70 0 Total 

7. Data management and integration 0 0 Contributing

0 0 Primary

0 0 Total 

8. Other ocean acidification research and monitoring activities 0 0 Contributing

0 0 Primary

0 0 Total 

0 0 Total 

Contributing

70 0 Total Primary

70 0 Grand Total 
24

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Table 5. Summary of NASA-funded ocean acidification research and monitoring activities

FY 2012 

Budget 

($K)

FY 2013 

Budget 

($K)

Activity 

Classification 

1. Research to understand responses to ocean acidification 323 309 Contributing

0 0 Primary

323 309 Total 

2. Monitoring of ocean chemistry and biological impacts 0 0 Contributing

0 0 Primary

0 0 Total 

3. Modeling to predict changes in the ocean carbon cycle and 

impacts on marine ecosystems and organisms

324 235 Contributing

0 0 Primary

324 235 Total 

4. Technology development and standardization of measurements 0 0 Contributing

0 0 Primary

0 0 Total 

5. Assessment of socioeconomic impacts and development of 

strategies to conserve marine organisms and ecosystems

0 0 Contributing

0 0 Primary

0 0 Total 

6. Education, outreach, and engagement on ocean acidification 0 0 Contributing

0 0 Primary

0 0 Total 

7. Data management and integration 0 0 Contributing

0 0 Primary

0 0 Total 

8. Other ocean acidification research and monitoring activities 0 0 Contributing

0 0 Primary

0 0 Total 

647 544 Total 

Contributing

0 0 Total Primary

647 544 Grand Total 
25

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Table 6. Summary of NOAA-funded ocean acidification research and monitoring activities

FY 2012 

Budget 

($K)

FY 2013 

Budget 

($K)

Activity 

Classification 

1. Research to understand responses to ocean acidification 0 0 Contributing

601 615 Primary

601 615 Total 

2. Monitoring of ocean chemistry and biological impacts 3,260 3,171 Contributing

2,493 2,117 Primary

5,753 5,288 Total 

3. Modeling to predict changes in the ocean carbon cycle and 

impacts on marine ecosystems and organisms

0 0 Contributing

994 801 Primary

994 801 Total 

4. Technology development and standardization of measurements 0 0 Contributing

877 1,419 Primary

877 1,419 Total 

5. Assessment of socioeconomic impacts and development of 

strategies to conserve marine organisms and ecosystems

0 0 Contributing

134 145 Primary

134 145 Total 

6. Education, outreach, and engagement on ocean acidification 0 0 Contributing

148 154 Primary

148 154 Total 

7. Data management and integration 0 0 Contributing

504 520 Primary

504 520 Total 

8. Other ocean acidification research and monitoring activities 0 0 Contributing

713 1,022 Primary

713 1,022 Total 

3,260 3,171 Total 

Contributing

6,464 6,793 Total Primary

9,724 9,964 Grand Total 
26

National Science Foundation

Table 7. Summary of NSF-funded ocean acidification research and monitoring activities

FY 2012 

Budget 

($K)

FY 2013 

Budget 

($K)

Activity 

Classification 

Research to understand responses to ocean acidification

• Species-specific Physiological Responses and Adaptation 

Potential

• Food Webs and Ecosystems 

• Environmental and Ecological Responses and Indices

• Understanding Earth History to Inform Ocean Acidification

Predictions

0 0 Contributing

6,111 9,040 Primary

1,403 956 Primary

2,505 1,956 Primary

1,144 1,098 Primary

0 0 Total 

Contributing

11,163 13,050 Total Primary 

11,163 13,050 Total 

2. Monitoring of ocean chemistry and biological impacts 1,853 1,928 Contributing

487 0 Primary

1,853 1,928 Total 

Contributing

487 0 Total Primary 

2,340 1,928 Total 

3. Modeling to predict changes in the ocean carbon cycle and 

impacts on marine ecosystems and organisms

• Physicochemical change

• Ecological/Biological Impacts 

0 0 Contributing

0 427 Primary

0 467 Primary

0 0 Total 

Contributing

0 894 Total Primary 

0 894 Total 

4. Technology development and standardization of measurements 0 412 Primary

0 0 Total 

Contributing

0 412 Total Primary 

0 412 Total 

5. Assessment of socioeconomic impacts and development of 

strategies to conserve marine organisms and ecosystems

0 0 Contributing

0 0 Primary

0 0 Total 

Contributing

0 0 Total Primary 

0 0 Total 
27

6. Education, outreach, and engagement on ocean acidification 50 50 Contributing

100 100 Primary

50 50 Total

Contributing

100 100 Total Primary 

150 150 Total 

7. Data management and integration 100 100 Contributing

0 0 Primary

100 100 Total 

Contributing

0 0 Total Primary 

100 100 Total 

8. Other ocean acidification research and monitoring activities 0 0 Contributing

0 0 Primary

0 0 Total 

Contributing

0 0 Total Primary 

0 0 Total 

2,003 2,078 Total 

Contributing

11,750 14,456 Total Primary

13,753 16,534 Grand Total 
28

United States Geological Service

Table 8. Summary of USGS-funded ocean acidification research and monitoring activities

FY 2012 

Budget 

($K)

FY 2013 

Budget 

($K)

Activity 

Classification 

1. Research to understand responses to ocean acidification 0 0 Contributing

74 0 Primary

74 0 Total 

2. Monitoring of ocean chemistry and biological impacts 0 0 Contributing

1,276 1,081 Primary

1,276 1,081 Total 

3. Modeling to predict changes in the ocean carbon cycle and 

impacts on marine ecosystems and organisms

75 75 Contributing

0 0 Primary

75 75 Total 

4. Technology development and standardization of measurements 0 0 Contributing

196 140 Primary

196 140 Total 

5. Assessment of socioeconomic impacts and development of 

strategies to conserve marine organisms and ecosystems

0 0 Contributing

0 0 Primary

0 0 Total 

6. Education, outreach, and engagement on ocean acidification 0 0 Contributing

15 15 Primary

15 15 Total 

7. Data management and integration 0 0 Contributing

25 25 Primary

25 25 Total 

8. Other ocean acidification research and monitoring activities 0 0 Contributing

25 25 Primary

25 25 Total 

75 75 Total 

Contributing

1,611 1,286 Total Primary

1,686 1,361 Grand Total 

Note: USDA funds many programs and projects not directly related to ocean acidification but have the 

effect of assisting in the reduction of the causes of the ocean acidification issue: climate change. Federal 

funding cannot easily be accounted for as directed at ocean acidification since USDA has no direct 

budget lines to address this important issue. 
29

Abbreviations

AFSC Alaska Fisheries Science Center

AOML Atlantic Oceanographic Meteorological Laboratory

BCO-DMO Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office

BOEM Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

DIC Dissolved Inorganic Carbon

DOS Department of State

EPA Environmental Protection Agency

FOARAM Act Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring Act

FWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

FY Fiscal Year

IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency

ICESCAPE Impacts of Climate on the Eco-Systems and Chemistry of the Arctic 

Pacific Environment

IWG-OA Interagency Working Group-Ocean Acidification

LTER Long Term Ecological Research

NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NECAN Northeast Coastal Acidification Network

NOAA National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration

NSF National Science Foundation

NSTC National Science and Technology Council

OA Ocean Acidification

OADS Ocean Acidification Scientific Data Stewardship

OA-ICC Ocean Acidification International Coordination Center

OAP Ocean Acidification Program

OSTP Office of Science and Technology Policy

R&D Research and Development

SOST Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology

STEM Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

US CLIVAR United States Climate Variability and Predictability Program

USDA United States Department of Agriculture

USGS United States Geological Survey