Alaska Ocean Acidification Network

  • 2 Saildrones are on their way to the Bering Strait

    In mid July, NOAA launched two Saildrones from Dutch Harbor in an effort to help scientists better understand ocean acidification in the Arctic.

    New poster shows OA impacts to Alaska species

    Check out a succinct chart of how OA impacts calcification, growth, reproduction, and survival of the Alaska species that have been studied so far.

    Kachemak Bay Ramps Up OA Monitoring Efforts

    This summer five new OA sensors are being installed in Kachemak Bay to better understand OA processes in a dynamic nearshore environment.

    Compilation of research on OA impacts to Alaska species now available

    Relatively few of Alaska's marine species have been studied for their response to OA, however the body of research is growing each year. OARC has put together an annotated list of studies and results to provide an overview of what we know.

    New Report Available on Approach and Priorities for Ocean Acidification Monitoring in Alaska

    The report was produced from a technical meeting of 28 ocean acidification researchers in Alaska in 2016.

    Alaska Ocean Acidification ‘State of the Science’ workshop presentations now available

    The Alaska Ocean Acidification Network hosted a workshop in Anchorage on Nov 30-Dec 1, inviting a broad audience to discuss the latest monitoring, research, impacts to species, and ideas for community engagement.

    Registration open for OA "State of the Science" Workshop

    The Alaska OA Network invites you to a 2-day workshop Nov 30-Dec 1. Presentations will include an OA primer, current monitoring efforts, impacts to species, future forecasts, and more. This free event is open to the public.

    New "Burke-O-Lator" system installed at Ketchikan shellfish facility

    The OceansAlaska site joins a suite of monitoring systems co-located with hatcheries across the Pacific Northwest, strengthening the partnership between OA research and the shellfish industry.

    Welcome to the network

    Alaska joins other regions nationwide in launching an OA network, designed to expand the understanding of ocean acidification processes and consequences in Alaska, as well as potential adaptation and mitigation actions.

    Alaska Ocean Acidification Network News Features archive

  • Scientist Interview

    Burke Hales is a professor of ocean ecology and biogeochemistry at Oregon State University, and the inventor of the “Burke-o-Lator” a system that has revolutionized shore-based OA monitoring. Burke is a member of the Alaska OA Network and has been involved with all three of Alaska’s Burke-o-Lators.

    Q: Tell us about what element of OA you work on, and how you got interested in this topic.

    A: I have studied ocean carbon cycling, from the perspective of carbonate chemistry, since I started grad school in 1988.  That project focused on how calcium carbonate dissolution in deep ocean sediments was impacted by CO2 produced by respiration, and made use of an autonomous system that measured pH and oxygen concentration over millimeter scales on the seafloor.  From there, I moved on to studying surface-ocean and ocean-margin CO2 cycling, where I devised systems for high-speed autonomous ocean sampling and chemical analysis.  Ocean acidification is just one facet of ocean carbon cycling, and in some ways, I have been studying that for nearly 30 years.

    Read the rest of the interview