Event Title

Nearshore Carbonate Chemistry at Shellfish Aquaculture Sites in the Northern Salish Sea

Presentation Abstract

Key Words: Salish Sea, shell fish aquaculture, carbonate chemistry, pH, aragonite saturation, shore-based.

The majority of carbonate chemistry and ocean acidification research in Canada to date has been focused on the open ocean and there has been relatively little study of nearshore sites. Carbonate chemistry controls the aragonite saturation state, which negatively affects shellfish if values are low, especially at the larval stage. As shellfish aquaculture takes place in nearshore areas, the risk of acidification to the industry is largely unknown. We therefore aim to characterise the carbonate chemistry of three nearshore regions in the Salish Sea, including the highly productive Baynes Sound, where the majority of shellfish aquaculture in BC occurs. Initial samples have been obtained from regions with moderate shellfish production. We took bottle samples from various locations and depths and measured dissolved inorganic carbon, dissolved oxygen, total alkalinity, temperature, salinity and nutrient concentration. We aim to demonstrate the diurnal and seasonal variation and patterns of pH, pCO2 and the aragonite saturation state at shore-based sites and put these data in the context of water properties determined from ship board measurements in the open Strait of Georgia.

Session Title

Ocean Acidification in the Salish Sea

Conference Track

Climate Change and Ocean Acidification

Conference Name

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2016 : Vancouver, B.C.)

Document Type

Event

Start Date

2016 12:00 AM

End Date

2016 12:00 AM

Location

2016SSEC

Type of Presentation

Oral

Genre/Form

conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)

Contributing Repository

Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.

Subjects – Topical (LCSH)

Carbon dioxide--Absorption and adsorption--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Ocean acidification--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Seawater--Carbon dioxide content--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)

Geographic Coverage

Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)

Rights

This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.

Type

Text

Language

English

Format

application/pdf

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Jan 1st, 12:00 AM Jan 1st, 12:00 AM

Nearshore Carbonate Chemistry at Shellfish Aquaculture Sites in the Northern Salish Sea

2016SSEC

Key Words: Salish Sea, shell fish aquaculture, carbonate chemistry, pH, aragonite saturation, shore-based.

The majority of carbonate chemistry and ocean acidification research in Canada to date has been focused on the open ocean and there has been relatively little study of nearshore sites. Carbonate chemistry controls the aragonite saturation state, which negatively affects shellfish if values are low, especially at the larval stage. As shellfish aquaculture takes place in nearshore areas, the risk of acidification to the industry is largely unknown. We therefore aim to characterise the carbonate chemistry of three nearshore regions in the Salish Sea, including the highly productive Baynes Sound, where the majority of shellfish aquaculture in BC occurs. Initial samples have been obtained from regions with moderate shellfish production. We took bottle samples from various locations and depths and measured dissolved inorganic carbon, dissolved oxygen, total alkalinity, temperature, salinity and nutrient concentration. We aim to demonstrate the diurnal and seasonal variation and patterns of pH, pCO2 and the aragonite saturation state at shore-based sites and put these data in the context of water properties determined from ship board measurements in the open Strait of Georgia.