Streaming Media
Presentation Abstract
As the ocean takes up anthropogenic carbon dioxide, the pH decreases as does the saturation state of CaCO3 minerals, including aragonite. This process is commonly described as ocean acidification. Aragonite is used as a building material by many marine organisms, including pteropods, fish (otoliths), some corals, and larval oysters. The increase in inorganic carbon in the Salish Sea is moderate compared to other regions in the world because the incoming water is old. However, the naturally high carbon content of Pacific waters and the nonlinearities of the carbon system amplify the resultant effects. Here we investigate biogeochemical changes between the pre-industrial and modern periods using a high-resolution, three-dimensional, biophysical model of the Salish Sea, SalishSeaCast. The use of the model allows detection of secular carbon trends within the large natural temporal and spatial variability of the Salish Sea. We show that the system has switched from majority aragonite saturation to majority aragonite undersaturation. In the presentation we will describe the carbon cycle component of the model, show evaluation against modern data and discuss the inorganic carbon at the boundaries of the Salish Sea now and in pre-industrial times. Although the system as a whole has moved to undersaturation, we will show the variations in the changes in inorganic carbon between the regions and describe the regional oceanography behind those changes.
Session Title
Poster Session 1: Applied Research & Climate Change
Conference Track
SSE14: Posters
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2022 : Online)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE-posters-35
Start Date
26-4-2022 4:00 PM
End Date
26-4-2022 4:30 PM
Type of Presentation
Poster
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)
Ocean acidification--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Aragonite--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Seawater--Composition; Carbon cycle (Biogeochemistry)--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
Marine Biology Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons
The Salish Sea was Saturated with respect to Aragonite in Pre-Industrial Times
As the ocean takes up anthropogenic carbon dioxide, the pH decreases as does the saturation state of CaCO3 minerals, including aragonite. This process is commonly described as ocean acidification. Aragonite is used as a building material by many marine organisms, including pteropods, fish (otoliths), some corals, and larval oysters. The increase in inorganic carbon in the Salish Sea is moderate compared to other regions in the world because the incoming water is old. However, the naturally high carbon content of Pacific waters and the nonlinearities of the carbon system amplify the resultant effects. Here we investigate biogeochemical changes between the pre-industrial and modern periods using a high-resolution, three-dimensional, biophysical model of the Salish Sea, SalishSeaCast. The use of the model allows detection of secular carbon trends within the large natural temporal and spatial variability of the Salish Sea. We show that the system has switched from majority aragonite saturation to majority aragonite undersaturation. In the presentation we will describe the carbon cycle component of the model, show evaluation against modern data and discuss the inorganic carbon at the boundaries of the Salish Sea now and in pre-industrial times. Although the system as a whole has moved to undersaturation, we will show the variations in the changes in inorganic carbon between the regions and describe the regional oceanography behind those changes.
