Investigating the vulnerability of nearshore coastal communities in British Columbia to ocean acidification
Presentation Abstract
Ocean acidification and reduced aragonite saturation states have been shown to negatively impact shellfish such as oysters, clams and mussels. These shellfish are commercially, socially and culturally important to coastal communities in British Columbia (BC). These organisms occupy nearshore regions, as do aquaculture operations. Ocean acidification may be amplified by a multitude of drivers in these regions. We aim to identify which BC communities are vulnerable to ocean acidification, at the municipality scale, using a multidisciplinary vulnerability assessment. We will use indicators of exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity to identify which BC communities are most vulnerable, which, when complete may assist in early and efficient adaptation and mitigation. We aim to produce a fine scale and highly tailored assessment for BC, by using indicators of sensitivity and adaptive capacity that are BC specific. We have collected and will use carbonate data from nearshore shellfish aquaculture sites in the Salish Sea, to provide a more realistic assessment of exposure than would have been achieved using coarse resolution ocean circulation models, which are not able to capture nearshore drivers of carbonate chemistry. Finally, we will compare our initial work with recent assessments in the neighbouring Washington State.
Session Title
Posters: Climate Change: Impacts, Adaptation, & Research
Conference Track
SSE18: Posters
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2018 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE18-7
Start Date
5-4-2018 11:30 AM
End Date
5-4-2018 1:30 PM
Type of Presentation
Poster
Genre/Form
presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Ocean acidification--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Aragonite--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Shellfish--Climatic factors--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
Investigating the vulnerability of nearshore coastal communities in British Columbia to ocean acidification
Ocean acidification and reduced aragonite saturation states have been shown to negatively impact shellfish such as oysters, clams and mussels. These shellfish are commercially, socially and culturally important to coastal communities in British Columbia (BC). These organisms occupy nearshore regions, as do aquaculture operations. Ocean acidification may be amplified by a multitude of drivers in these regions. We aim to identify which BC communities are vulnerable to ocean acidification, at the municipality scale, using a multidisciplinary vulnerability assessment. We will use indicators of exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity to identify which BC communities are most vulnerable, which, when complete may assist in early and efficient adaptation and mitigation. We aim to produce a fine scale and highly tailored assessment for BC, by using indicators of sensitivity and adaptive capacity that are BC specific. We have collected and will use carbonate data from nearshore shellfish aquaculture sites in the Salish Sea, to provide a more realistic assessment of exposure than would have been achieved using coarse resolution ocean circulation models, which are not able to capture nearshore drivers of carbonate chemistry. Finally, we will compare our initial work with recent assessments in the neighbouring Washington State.
