Ocean Acidification: CO2 in the the Salish Sea and Burrard Inlet

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Vivian Dixon
5 years ago
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1 Ocean Acidification: CO2 in the the Salish Sea and Burrard Inlet Debby Ianson (1,2), Susan Allen (2), Paul Covert (1) 1. Fisheries and Oceans Canada 2. University of British Columbia photo courtesy Sally Leys, University of Alberta

2 We know about 10 Gt Carbon/yr about 2% increase every year atmospheric PCO2 increase about 2 uatm/yr

3 we know: the ocean takes up about 1/3 of this anthropogenic CO2 CO2 uptake causes acidity in the ocean to increase CO2 CO2 + H2O H2CO3 HCO3 + H+ 2 CO3 + H+

4 we also know: local effects can increase acidity organic carbon decays into CO2 sewage adds organic carbon agricultural runoff stimulates production of organic carbon Kerkoff Construction

5 Trophic level Clams Sharks Lingcod Sole Halibut Dogfish Sablefish Sea Cucumbers Geoduck Tuna Seals Wild species groups Arrowtooth Squid & Octopus Pacific Cod Pollock Rockfish Hake Lanternfish Naked Pteropods* Sea Urchins Other Echinoderms Clams Birds Scallops Sea Lions Shrimp Crabs Abalone Chinook Toothed Whales Pink* Prawns Coho Microzooplankton Mesozooplankton Shelled Pteropods Phytoplankton Macroalgae Seagrasses Chum A Sockeye Baleen Whales Herring Sardines Glass Sponges Corals Euphausiids Shellfish are well relatively well studied - shells dissolve when the water gets more acidic - juveniles can t survive likely bad likely neutral Farmed species groups 5 B likely good Trophic level Atlantic Salmon* Oysters Clams Economics Pacific Salmon* Other: Sablefish Sturgeon Tilapia Crayfish Abalone Sea Cucumbers Scallops & Other Shellfish Marine Plants Acidification effect Landed value Likely positive $10 million Likely neutral $1 million Likely negative Possibly negative (low certainty) Unknown unknown maybe bad low certainty 10 million$ (landed value)

Wild species groups even harder to quantify are 5 Sharks Toothed Whales Seals Sea Lions A Shellfish are well relatively well studied - shells dissolve Cultural Halibut impacts of Ocean Acidification

Lingcod Birds Tuna Chinook Coho Sockeye Herring 3 Shrimp Crabs Naked Pteropods* Sea Cucumbers Geoduck Sea Urchins Other Echinoderms Clams Sardines Prawns Glass Sponges likely bad Corals Scallops

6 Wild species groups even harder to quantify are 5 Sharks Toothed Whales Seals Sea Lions A Shellfish are well relatively well studied - shells dissolve Cultural Halibut impacts of Ocean Acidification 4 Pink* Squid & Octopus when the water gets more Chum Dogfish Arrowtooth Pacific Cod Sablefish Pollock Rockfish acidic - juveniles can t survive Baleen Whales Sole Hake Lanternfish Trophic level Lingcod Birds Tuna Chinook Coho Sockeye Herring 3 Shrimp Crabs Naked Pteropods* Sea Cucumbers Geoduck Sea Urchins Other Echinoderms Clams Sardines Prawns Glass Sponges likely bad Corals Scallops Abalone Euphausiids 2 Microzooplankton Mesozooplankton Shelled Pteropods 1 Phytoplankton Macroalgae Seagrasses Clams likely neutral Farmed species groups 5 B Atlantic Salmon* Trophic level 4 3 Oysters Clams 2 Pacific Salmon* Other: Sablefish Sturgeon Tilapia Crayfish Abalone Sea Cucumbers Scallops & Other Shellfish Marine Plants Acidification effect Landed value Likely positive $10 million Likely neutral $1 million Likely negative Possibly negative (low certainty) Unknown likely good unknown maybe bad low certainty Clam Gardens project (CBC news January al PLOS ONE Haigh et

7 Where is carbon stored in the ocean? surface Salt - saltier water is more dense - in BC lots of fresh water enters surface 250 m e.g. in Strait of Georgia (SoG) Ianson et al. GRL 2016

8 Where is carbon stored in the ocean? Carbon (DIC) surface (1) like S - dilution + circulation physics 250 m more carbon in deeper water Ianson et al. GRL 2016

9 Where is carbon stored in the ocean? Carbon (DIC) surface (1) like S - dilution + circulation physics (2) organic rain decays and adds CO2 biology 250 m more carbon in deeper water Pacific deep water is old - has lots of carbon Ianson et al. GRL 2016

10 comparing SoG to west Vancouver Island Depth zone (m) Description 0 20 Surface mixed layer 0 50 Pelagic zone Shallow banks Sand/mud flats Shelf break Slope Oxygen minimum Lower slope Canyon floor based on Haigh et al P CO2 (µatm) ph Example organisms Phytoplankton, Geoduck, Sea Urchins Macroalgae, Zooplankton, Crabs, Sockeye Salmon Sardines, Prawns, Pacific Herring Pacific Cod, Pacific Hake, Pacific Halibut, Sole Pacific Ocean Perch, Sablefish Rougheye Rockfish Shortspine Thornyhead, Dover Sole Longspine Thornyhead Brittle Star, Grenadier ph is variable - circulation important - ph in SoG is low

11 comparing SoG to west Vancouver Island Depth zone (m) Description 0 20 Surface mixed layer 0 50 Pelagic zone Shallow banks Sand/mud flats Shelf break Slope Oxygen minimum Lower slope Canyon floor based on Haigh et al P CO2 (µatm) ph Example organisms Phytoplankton, Geoduck, Sea Urchins Macroalgae, Zooplankton, Crabs, Sockeye Salmon Sardines, Prawns, Pacific Herring Pacific Cod, Pacific Hake, Pacific Halibut, Sole 10 years wide! Pacific Ocean Perch, Sablefish Rougheye Rockfish Shortspine Thornyhead, Dover Sole Longspine Thornyhead Brittle Star, Grenadier present-day atmospheric PCO2 present-day global average surface ph hard to see Ocean Acidification trend

12 Strait of Georgia model ph Depth (m) W Su W Su W Su W Su W ph [total scale] strong seasonal variability Moore-Maley et al. JGR 2016 large differences between years (Fraser River)

13 Circulation - Pacific Ocean Vancouver Surface water flows out Ocean water flows in underneath

14 DIC = dissolved inorganic carbon DIC umol/kg TA = total alkalinity TA umol/kg ph Juan de Fuca - Ocean O2 umol/kg S - PSS78

15 DIC umol/kg no regional TA variation Fraser basin - carbonate TA umol/kg ph Strait of Georgia has more Carbon (DIC) O2 umol/kg ph is much lower in the SoG deep water intrusion July 2012

16 Circulation - Indian Arm Strait of Georgia First Narrows Second Narrows Indian Arm Surface water flows out SoG water flows in underneath

17 DIC umol/kg ph same data - stars for newer 2018 data - expanded Salt axis, fresher O2 umol/kg

18 DIC umol/kg ph Indian Arm has even more DIC than the SoG low ph in the deep basin! long residence time O2 umol/kg

Summary The Pacific region has high carbon and low ph The Strait of Georgia and inlets like Indian Arm have distinct chemistry and shockingly low ph Deeper waters have lower ph Surface waters have

19 Summary The Pacific region has high carbon and low ph The Strait of Georgia and inlets like Indian Arm have distinct chemistry and shockingly low ph Deeper waters have lower ph Surface waters have strong seasonal variability We don t know how much ph has changed in time Thanks to: Diane Masson, Peter Chandler, Marty Davelaar, Danielle Caleb, Hugh MacLean, Carrie Holt, Andrew Edwards, Cynthia Wright, Glenn Cooper, Tania Burr, Manon Picard, Andrew Dickson, Kenny Scozzafava, Mark Belton, Tamara Fraser, Ben Moore-Maley photo courtesy Nina Nemcek, IOS-DFO

20 10.5 Indian Arm Vancouver Harbor 14 Burrard Inlet: 06 Feb Conservative Temperature, Θ / C Absolute Salinity, S A / g kg 1 Indian Arm is physically unique strong warm subsurface signature

photo: Moira Galbriath ph Ω 2+ 2- Ω = [Ca ]

21 carbon chemistry in saltwater pco2 total inorganic CO2 (DIC) Ω = 1 horizon snow line photo: Moira Galbriath ph Ω Ω = [Ca ] [CO3 ] Ksp aragonite saturation state Ω < 1, dissolution

22 Trophic level Sharks Lingcod Sole Halibut Dogfish Sablefish Sea Cucumbers Geoduck Tuna Seals Wild species groups Arrowtooth Squid & Octopus Pacific Cod Pollock Rockfish Hake Lanternfish Naked Pteropods* Sea Urchins Other Echinoderms Clams Birds Scallops Sea Lions Shrimp Crabs Abalone Chinook Toothed Whales Pink* Prawns Coho Microzooplankton Mesozooplankton Shelled Pteropods Phytoplankton Macroalgae Farmed species groups Seagrasses Chum A Sockeye Baleen Whales Herring Sardines Glass Sponges Corals Euphausiids 5 B farmed Atlantic Salmon dominate landed values highly susceptible to Heterosigma akashiwo, harmful aglae that destroy gills. H. akashiwo blooms are expected to increase with increased carbon Trophic level 4 3 Atlantic Salmon* Oysters Clams 2 Haigh et 1 al PLOS ONE Pacific Salmon* Other: Sablefish Sturgeon Tilapia Crayfish Abalone Sea Cucumbers Scallops & Other Shellfish Marine Plants Acidification effect Landed value Likely positive $10 million Likely neutral $1 million Likely negative Possibly negative (low certainty) Unknown OA will (may?) not to be kind to aquaculture

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