Introduction:

Climate change and ocean acidification threaten the persistence of contemporary marine ecosystems and the human communities that rely on them. Climate change impacts on the ocean include rising water temperatures and declining oxygen concentrations that in turn cause changes in the distribution and abundance of species, including fish and invertebrates of importance to human consumers. Climate change drives sea level rise and ice melt, with consequences for coastal communities worldwide, and especially those in the Arctic. Ocean acidification causes seawater pH to decline, with negative consequences for marine life including plankton, shellfish, and finfish. Both climate change and ocean acidification result from the combustion of fossil fuels and accompanying increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide. Research on climate change and ocean acidification within SMEA focuses on ecosystem processes, socio-economic and cultural impacts, and policy solutions. SMEA faculty members lead the Washington Ocean Acidification Center, established by the Washington State Legislature to advance ocean acidification research in Washington waters.

Faculty active in this research area:

Please see individual faculty web pages for more about their work in this area.

Related SMEA courses:

  • SMEA 510: Topics in Marine Ecology
  • SMEA 521: Climate Change Governance
  • SMEA 550: Marine Ecosystem Response to Climate Change
  • SMEA 591: Marine Science in the Coastal Zone
  • SMEA 550: Indigenous Approaches to Climate Adaptation

Concurrent certificate program available to SMEA students:

Examples of what MMA faculty and students do in this research area:

  • Assess impacts of climate change on marine and coastal ecosystems and human communities
  • Explore the potential role of oceans in climate mitigation through carbon capture and storage
  • Study emerging strategies for climate change adaptation at local to global scales
  • Explore efforts to mitigate and adapt to ocean acidification
  • Assess the issue of sea level rise and extreme climate impacts to coastal and marine economies and cultures.

Examples of related MMA student theses:

Examples of related MMA student capstones:

  • Ames, Abigail; Loy, Kathryn; Puentes, Chase; Stevenson, Kayla; Worrell, Nicolette. 2022. Capstone: Polar Science at a Human Scale: Knowledge Co-Production for Hazard Planning, Food Sovereignty, and Climate Adaptation in the Alaskan Arctic.
  • Greene, Alanna; King, Corey; Rogerson, Abigail. 2021. Capstone: Cascadia transboundary climate change and natural resource governance.

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