# TH IRD REPORT ON FEDERA LLY FUNDED

OCEAN ACIDIFICATION RESEARCH AND

MONITORING ACTIVITIE S

PRODUCT OF THE


# Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Sustainability of the

National Science and Technology Council



# April 2015iii 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 Monitori ng (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 Res ources, 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 car bon 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 , a nother 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 O bama administration is deeply concerned about ocean acidification and committed to better understanding and addressing its impacts on America’s communi ties, economy, and

environment

. Many members of Congress sh are this concern and commitment and have

suppo rted 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 Policyiv 

### 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 NST C’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 asp ects 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 i ndustry 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 **Subc ommittee 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 s cience and technology. The SOST contribute s to the goals for Federal ocean

science and tech nology, including developing coor dinated interagency strategies, and foster s national
ocean science and technology priorities, including implementation of the National Ocean Policy.



### About this Document

This document was developed by the Interagency Worki ng Group on Ocean Acidification, which advise s
, assist s , and make s recommendations on matters related to ocean acidification, including coordination of
Federal activities on ocean acidification and other interagency activities as outlined in the Federal Oc ean Acidification Research and Monitoring Act of 2009. The document was published by OSTP.



### Acknowledgements

We thank Drs. Shallin Busch, Dw ight 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 govern ment’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 A merica, 2015v 

### 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

D ebbie 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 Oceani c and Atmospheric

Administrationvi Co

- Vice Chairs

Dave Ga rrison Paula Bontempi

National Science Foundation National Aeronautics and Space

Administration

Members

Krisa Arzayus Jill Brandenberger

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Department of Energy

Adm inistration

Ned Cyr

Jennifer Culbertson National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Administration

Richard Feely Steve Gi ttings

National Oceanic and Atmospheric National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration Administration

Jason Gre a r 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 Surveyvii 

## Table of Contents

Executive Su mmary............................................................................................................

... 1

Introduction....................................................................................

.................................... ... 2

Theme 1. Research to U nderstand Responses to O cean A cidification

......... ... . ............ 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 Site s

.... ..................................................................... . ..........7

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

. ....7

Theme 2. Monitoring of Ocean Chemistry and Biological Impacts.

.................. . ... ... .. .. 7

Marine Ecosystems..........................................................................................

... ......7

Changes in Marine Produc tivity........................................................................ .....8

Changes in Ocean Che mistry.........................................................................

... . .....9

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

Impacts on Marine Ecosyst ems and Organisms....................................

... .... ......11

Physico

- Chemical Change............................................

........................... . .... ....... ... 11

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

. .............12

Theme 4. Technology Development and Standardization of Carbona te Chemistry

Measurements on Moorings and Autonomous Floats

........................... . .. .. .. .. .. 13

Theme 5. Assessment of Socioeconomic Impacts and Development of Strategies

to Conserve Marine Organisms and Ecosystems

........................... . . .. .. ............ . 14viii 

### Theme 6. Education, Outreach, and Engagement S trategy on

Ocean A cidification..................................................................

......... . . .... .......... .... 15

Theme 7. Data Management and Integration...

..................... . ............... .. ... ............ . ..... 17

Theme 8. Other Ocean Acidification A ctivities

............................................. ............. .... 17

Strat egic Research Plan for Ocean Acidification Released

..................... .. ....... ... . .... .. . . 19

Appendix : Summary of Federally

- funded Ocean Acidification Research and

Monitoring Activities.........................

................................................ ...... . ......... ... 20

Abbreviations

.................................................................................... ........................... . ......291 

## 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 Resourc es 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 p riorities 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 primar y 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 stu dies.
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 integ ration, and other

activities. A Strategic Plan for Federal Research and Monitoring of Ocean Acidifica tion 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 Sci ence 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 analys is 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. Geol ogical 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 (US DA) 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 overvie w 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. **Resea rch to**  **U nderstand**  **R esponses to**  **O cean**  **A cidification** 

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 r esearch 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. Agen cies 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 underst anding 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 con tributed ocean acidification relevant information (e.g., ocean carbon inventory surveys). Expenditures on contributing activities in FY2013 were $409 K.



### Species

**- specific**  **P hysiological**  **R esponses and**  **A daptation**  **P otential,**  **F ood**  **W ebs, and** 

**E cosystems** 

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 scien ce 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.

Predictio ns 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 ec osystem 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 ca lcium 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 co ld

- 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 small

scale laboratory studies on individual species to modeled effects on enti re 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 w ere 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) in cluded 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 o f “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 surviv al, 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 Northea st Fisheries Science Center studied the response to ocean acidification in two shellfish species (surf clam and scallop), four fish species4 (scup, black sea bass, winter flounder, summer flounder), and multiple species of phytoplankton,
including assemblag es 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 Pa cific 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 Oceanogra phic 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 pote ntial 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 und er 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

o cean 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 C O2 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 de ep

- 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 de mographic 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 ac idification, 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 pla nning efforts intended to support Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act activities.5 

### Environmental and Ecological Responses and I **ndices**

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 carb on cycles. Changes in the
carbonate ion (CO 3 = ) 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

CO 3 = concentration decreases drama tically 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 approxima tely $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. NO AA 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 W est C oast pteropods; data on these
processes in pteropods ca n 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 re ef 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 thes e 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 cora l 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 cora l 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

add ress 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 acidificatio n 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

Wes t 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 sa tellite6 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 st udy
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

dis crete 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 product ion 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 r educe
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 in clude 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 dire ct 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 e nd 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 biomas s 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 P **redictions**

Studies supported by USGS and NSF in FY2012 and FY20 13 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 Aleut ian 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 developme nt 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 enviro nmental 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 environ ments, 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 i n 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 S **it es** 

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, Orego n; 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 uncert ainties.

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 S ynthesis** 

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 O cean 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. **Monitori ng of Ocean Chemistry and Biological I**  **mpacts**

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 E **cosystems**

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 t he 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 discr ete 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 relat ed 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 speci es 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
physica l 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 Gul f 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 I ntertidal 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 sa linity 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 P **roductivity**

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 Pa rks 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

sup port 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 in9 nutrients, pH, and carbonat e 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 Varia bility 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 LT ER, 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” re search 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 O **cean C**  **hemistry**

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

repeat ed 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 geochemica l 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 acidifica tion 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, p H, 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
interpre ting 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 acid ification 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 partner s 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 acidific ation 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

Conser vation Program’s status and trends monitoring efforts.10 • Volunteer Observing Ships: During FY2012, the CO2 group at t he Pacific Marine Environmental
Laboratory collected measurements of pH, O2, and pCO2 on 11 cruises along the North

American W est 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 aboa rd seven ships of opportunity.

• Hydrographic/Geochemical Surveys: During the summe r of FY2012, the Pacific Marin e Environmental Laboratory led a dedicated geochemical survey along the Washington

- Oregon

California continental shelf region to investigate the extent of acidification conditions. The
dedicated survey employed the use of shipboard cruises and profiling g liders. 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 cr uise) 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 car ried out
by the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory to evaluate the use of autonomous Wave
Gliders for ocean acidification monitoring.

Key Findings:

• O pen

- ocean cruise s consistently find strong upwellin g along the equator, biological uptake in
the subtropics, and seasonal warming in some portions of both hemisphere s

.

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

recent releas e 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 fo r 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 crui se 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

o f 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

-11 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 collab oration 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 aci dification 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

- Atlanti c bight using contracted
time aboard NOAA ship Nancy Foster.



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

**I mpacts on**  **Marine Ecosystems and O rganisms** 

A wide variety of activities in FY2012 and FY2013 were associated with modelling ocea n 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 te rmed 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 fluxe s 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 modelli ng efforts of ocean acidification.



### Physico

**- Chemical C**  **hange**

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 usi ng 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 o f 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 acidi fication in certain regions. NOAA also funded development of projections of ocean12 acidification using a California Current Regional Ocean Model. NOAA

- collected observations of ocean
carbon chemistry are contributing to this effort and development of a Pac ific 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 ca n then be used to track whether current changes in ocean carbon chemistry are
within the normal range of variability for the region o r if they are outliers.



### Ecological/Biological I **mpacts**

In FY2013, NSF funded a collaborative project on the biogeoc hemical 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 mig ht 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 inve stment.

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 imp osed 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

environmen t. 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 for ecast 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 pr ojects that assess
and predict the impacts of ocean acidification on hard clams and scallops in the U.S. Northeast. NOAA

funded modeling work used global and regional models to search for potential refugia for coral reef
ecosystems to acidification and cl imate 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 conduct ing 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 mar ine 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 ob servations 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 c alcification in a warmer, higher CO2 world and the resulting feedbacks on
ocean carbon storage.13 

## Theme **4. Technology Development and Standardization of Carbonate**  **Chemistry M easurements on**  **Moorings and Autonomous F loats** 

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 res earch,
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 fo r the rapid measurement of

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

N OAA’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 wave

powered, autonomous surface vehicles with instruments to take pCO2 (air and water), pH, temperature,

and salin ity 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 predi ct 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 critica lly 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 s pectrophotometry 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 Oce an 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 imp acts 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 f or 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 acidi fication research and monitoring. In doing so, NOAA helped refine best practices for14 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 refere nce 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, isotope

labeling, experimental approach to measure the kinet ics 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. G athering 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 Wate r 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

- co st 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 C onserve**  **Marine Organisms and E**  **cosystems**

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

int ertwined 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 tow ard 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 re search 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 scenari os. The model includes submodels on the basic biology of the sea scallop,
regional biogeochemisty, and socioeconomics. Researchers are now developing a web

- based decision

support dashboard that allows interactive exploration of model output under various scenarios. A15 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 e xplicit 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 output s 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 Manag ement 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 acidificatio n 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, O**  **ut reach, and Engagement Strategy on Ocean** 

**A cidification** 

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 publ ications. 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

- IC C 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 th e 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 opp ortunity 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 NO AA 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 impact s. 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

- governm ental 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 Environm ental 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 potenti al 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 educat ion 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, N OAA 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 wi ll 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 regardin g 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 Associat ion 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 Biogeoche mistry 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 B iogeochemistry 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

acidifi cation.17 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 acidific ation 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 sequestr ation 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 I**  **ntegration**

Data management and integration is critical t o 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 an d 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. Integr ated 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

FY 2013 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 integrati on 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 current ly 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 togethe r, 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 Oceano graphy 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.



## T **heme 8.**  **Other Ocean A**  **cidificat ion A**  **ctivities**

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 Atmospheric18 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 globa l 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 ecosystem s 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 understand ing 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 O ceanographic 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 oce an 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 Nation al 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
capacit ies, 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 comm ittee 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 indirectl y 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
quali ty 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 fe eding 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 eff iciency 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 agricult ure19 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 acidifica tion. 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 agenc ies implementing those programs.



## Strategic Research Plan for Ocean A **cidification R**  **eleased**

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 acid ification since the last report and are doing
work in almost every top ical 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 **A ppendix**  **:** Summary of Federally

- f un ded Ocean Acidification

R esearch and Monitoring A ctivities

**T he**  **original Appendix table 1 transposed “Primary” and “Contributing” activities**  **. Other tables had** 

**other errors . This version corrects the Appendix Tables. We regret the error**  **s**

**.**



### All IWG

- OA Member A gencies

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 Total21 

### Bu reau 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 1 0 Total Primary

164 10 Grand Total22 

### Environmental Protection Agency

Table 3

. Summary of EPA

- f

unded ocean acidification re search 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 Total23 

### Department of State

Table 4

. Summary of Department of Stat e

- funded ocean acidification re search 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 Total24 

### 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 Total25 

### 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 Total26 

### Nat ional 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
11,16 3 13,050 Total Primary

11,16 3 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 Total27 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

11,7 50 14,4 56 Total Primary
13,753 16,534 Grand Total28 

### 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 dire cted 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 o f Climate on the Eco

- Systems and Chemistry of the Arctic

Pacific Environment

IWG

- OA Interagency Working Group

- Ocean Acidification

LTER L ong 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 Technol ogy 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 Rese arch and Development

SOST Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology

STEM Science

, Technology

, Engineering

, and Mathematics

US CLIVAR United States Climate Variability and Predictability P rogram

USDA United States Department of Agriculture

USGS United States Geological Survey