Program on the Environment

The state of the climate is deteriorating at an exponential rate. One of the many consequences is change in ocean characteristics due to the absorption of carbon dioxide. In order to gain visibility into the future of the climate crisis and its consequences, indicator species can be examined for early notice of ecosystem health changes. Data about the baseline of indicator species is critical to providing a framework for further research. Shelled organisms are among the first to show signs of stress due to the carbonate composition of their shells, and therefore make strong indicator species. This project focuses on the data and implications from a Pacific oyster pilot study conducted at NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center as a significant example of baseline data playing a crucial role in research. It is crucial to understand size-specific physiology traits of juvenile oysters before predicting what may happen as a consequence of global climate change. This baseline body of information can be used for a wide variety of studies regarding ecosystem health. Future research can explore how these traits are expected to change under conditions like drops in pH, amelioration, or general ecosystem resilience. Filling these knowledge gaps in research highlights the importance of assessing factors that influence the climate in advance, and provides an important framework for research in climate science and climate mitigation in marine ecosystems.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDSfexSRAtM