Ocean Acidification: The Other CO2 Problem

Dr. Richard A. Feely
April 26 4pm "Company C" Fort Worden Commons

Recent studies have shown that the increased concentrations of CO2 in the oceans are already causing significant changes.  Since the beginning of the industrial era, they have absorbed about 85% of the heat and 30% of the carbon released by human activities.  As a result, oceans are becoming more acidic, potentially affecting all shelled creatures from the tiniest plankton at the base of the oceanic food web.  Dr. Feely will discuss the present and future implications of increased CO2 levels on the health of our ocean ecosystems and related ocean-based economies.

Dr. Richard A. Feely is a Supervisory Oceanographer at the NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory as well as Professor at the University of Washington School of Oceanography. Dr. Feely first reported his concerns about ocean acidification twenty years ago but the issue was not recognized until 2004 when he and a colleague published an analysis of about 10,000 measurements of oceanic carbon concentrations taken from 95 research cruises worldwide. He was awarded the Department of Commerce Gold Award in 2006 for his pioneering research and in 2007 was elected to be a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union.

Admission: $5/members; $7/non-member