At Fisheries and Oceans Canada's (DFO) Pacific Biological Station in Nanaimo, British Columbia, scientists Dr. Chris Pearce and Dr. Clara Mackenzie conduct important research on ocean acidification (OA). Much of their work involves examining how economically important species, such as Pacific oysters, will be impacted by OA and other climate stressors.
To aid in their research, they have developed the Fisheries and Oceans Climate Change and Ocean Acidification Laboratory (FOCCOAL). This state-of-the-art system allows tight control of both seawater pH and temperature. The FOCCOAL system will be used primarily to examine multi-stressor (OA, high temperature) impacts on marine organisms. The main goal of this research will be to examine the effects of coinciding OA and warming to shellfish under both prolonged and short-term stressor conditions so as to determine whether long-term exposure or acute exposure events (e.g. upwelling events, heatwaves) pose a greater threat to species’ fitness and survival. Additionally, the research aims to investigate ways to mitigate impacts.
To learn more about the FOCCOAL system, please watch the following video (full text provided):
For more information, contact Chris.Pearce [at] dfo-mpo.gc.ca