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New Report: Overview of Federal Ocean Acidification Activities

Writer: OA CoP
OA CoP
7 hours ago
1 min read

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has just released a new report, called "Overview of Federal Ocean Acidification Activities". The report contains two new infographics on ocean acidification in Canada, and provides details on how Canadian federal researchers are providing information to understand how ocean acidification is impacting Canada's oceans, ecosystems, and the humans that depend on them. The report touches what monitoring, experiments, and modelling research is being done to understand OA, how DFO scientists are collaborating with external partners both nationally and internationally (including the OA CoP), and how this work informs or contributes to regional, national, and international partnerships and initiatives.


Some of the contributions of the Canadian OA Community of Practice are highlighted in this report, including our new paper (Ocean acidification in Canada: the current state of knowledge and pathways for action), as well as our map of OA observations and models in Canada.




Ocean Acidification in Canada. 1. Burning fossil fuels increases carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. 2. Excess CO2 enters the ocean, making it more acidic. This is called ocean acidification. 3. A more acidic ocean makes it harder for marine life to grow, reproduce, and build shells. pH today 8.1* *about 30% more acidic since the pre-Industrial era, causes changes to shells over time. 4. When palnts and animals at the bottom of the food chain are affected, there is less food for other animals. 5. This all affects people that rely on the oceans for food, work, or ways of life.

Acidification Trends in Canada's Oceans. Change to surface ocean acidity (pH units) per decade. **Globally, surface ocean pH declined by approx. 0.02 pH units per decade since the 1980s(14). Western Arctic: Declined approx. 0.03 per decade (1990s-2020s)(17); area of acidic surface waters expanded substatially(18). Eastern Arctic: No clear trend detected (2000s-2020s)(19). Pacific: Decline approx. 0.02 per decade (1990s-2020s)(16). Atlantic: Declined approx. 0.03-0.04 per decade (subsurface pH trends: timeframe varies by location)(20).
Acidification Trends in Canada's Oceans. From DFO, 2026, pg. 12.

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