EarthFix Snippets
Christopher Lim, right, shows Ashlee Johnson a rock covered in San Francisco Bay’s only native oyster, the Olympia. Both work for the Richmond-based environmental nonprofit, The Watershed Project, which is working to restore Olympia habitat along the Point Pinole Regional Shoreline.
Washington could be the first state in the country to introduce legislation to deal with the economic and environmental threats posed by ocean acidification.
cool, colorful shellfish reef found
Flaming-Orange Shellfish Reef Found in Scotland
“A huge, colorful shellfish reef discovered off Scotland’s west coast could be the largest of its kind in the world, according to the Scottish government.
Packing at least 100 million bright-orange shells into 4.5 square miles (7.5 square kilometers), the living reef consists of flame shells, a rare saltwater clam found near Scotland. Neon-orange tentacles emerge from between the clam’s paired shells, waving gently in the current.”
This video, on the impact of ocean acidification on the shellfish industry, was co-produced by EarthFix journalist Katie Campbell. See the full feature at PBS NewsHour.
Via Crosscut. Also check out our recent multimedia package on the recent report from the Washington blue-ribbon panel on ocean acidification.
Rescuing shellfish from the rising acidity in Puget Sound will require a wide-ranging response:
Everything from curbing greenhouse gases and controlling water pollution to growing more seaweed and putting restaurant-discarded oyster shells into shallow bays.
Those are among the recommendations in a long-awaited report on ocean acidification that was delivered today to Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire by a blue-ribbon panel.
Read more at EarthFix.
Ocean acidification threatens Washington’s shellfish farming industry, the country’s largest.
Acidifying Water Takes Toll On Northwest Shellfish
Puget Sound has some of the world’s most corrosive waters. Scientists are finding that marine waters in the Northwest have become so corrosive that they are eating away at oyster shells before they can form.
Today, Washington Governor Gregoire’s blue ribbon panel on ocean acidification released “the most comprehensive blueprint yet produced for policymakers seeking ways to preserve aquatic life under threat from ocean acidification.”
The panel identified actions that might offset the corrosive effects of Puget Sound water on shellfish that grow there:
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Enlist key leaders and policymakers as ambassadors for reducing carbon dioxide emissions and protecting Washington’s marine waters from acidification.
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Limit water pollution, especially from sewage, which puts nutrients in marine waters. Nutrients sustain algae blooms that, in turn, acidify the water. Stringent controls should be pursued if warranted by additional scientific data.
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Expand the growth of seaweed, eelgrass, and other aquatic vegetation that absorb carbon dioxide and help protect vulnerable young shellfish from acidification.
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Deposit shell material into shallow bays — especially the shells from millions of oysters consumed at restaurants throughout Washington and currently dumped in landfills. This would make ocean water more alkaline, and therefore less acidic.
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Develop more reliable methods for altering the chemistry of the seawater that’s pumped out on a commercial scale so it’s less corrosive when used in shellfish hatcheries and nurseries.
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Breed shellfish that are more resistant to acidic waters.
See the full multimedia story at EarthFix.
