Evidence for upwelling of corrosive "acidified" water onto the Continental Shelf

Richard A. Feely^1*, Christopher L. Sabine¹, J. Martin Hernandez-Ayon², Debby Ianson³, Burke Hales⁴

¹Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA 98115–6349, USA
²Instituto de Investigaciones Oceanologicas, Universidad Autonoma de Baja California, Km. 103 Carr. Tijuana-Ensenada, Ensenada, Baja Calivornia, MEXICO
³Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Institute of Ocean Science, Post Office Box 6000, Sidney, BC V8L 4B2, CANADA
⁴College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, 104 Ocean Administration Building, Corvallis, OR 97331-5503, USA

Science, 320(5882), 10.1126/science.1155676, 1490–1492 (2008)
Copyright ©2008 by The American Association for the Advancement of Science. Further electronic distribution is not allowed.

The absorption of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) into the ocean lowers the pH of the waters. This so-called ocean acidification could have important consequences for marine ecosystems. To better understand the extent of this ocean acidification in coastal waters, we conducted hydrographic surveys along the continental shelf of western North America from central Canada to northern Mexico. We observed seawater that is undersaturated with respect to aragonite upwelling onto large portions of the continental shelf, reaching depths of ~40 to 120 meters along most transect lines and all the way to the surface on one transect off northern California. Although seasonal upwelling of the undersaturated waters onto the shelf is a natural phenomenon in this region, the ocean uptake of anthropogenic CO₂ has increased the areal extent of the affected area.

• Entire Text
  
• Gallery of Figures
• Request a reprint through e-mail
  
  to request a reprint.

PMEL Outstanding Papers

PMEL Publications Search

PMEL Homepage