Several kilometres off the coast of British Columbia, a unique and beautiful sight can be found on the seafloor. Delicate reefs made up of the glass sponge Aphrocallistes vastus provide important and unique habitats for fish and other invertebrates. These glass sponges have a tremendous filtration capacity, critical for the transfer of carbon between all trophic levels of their ecosystems. However, their ability to withstand continued climate change is unknown. We interviewed Dr. Angela Stevenson, lead author of a new study that examines how glass sponges, specifically their ability to pump water and form reefs, are affected by ocean acidification and warming. Dr. Stevenson is currently a Postdoctoral Researcher of seagrass Blue Carbon, in the Marine Evolutionary Ecology group in GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel in Germany. She conducted this research on glass sponge reefs in BC as a MEOPAR and UBC Ocean Leaders Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Zoology and Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia in Canada. What is your background? I am a benthic ecologist who specializes on crinoids and echinoids in mesophotic to deep-sea habitats. The central theme of my work exploits the strong link between benthos and their predators to learn about deep-water ecology, how we shape it, and how we can benefit from it. For those of us not familiar with your area of research, could you give us a little bit of background on your research project? In British Columbia, glass sponges uniquely form giant reefs that grow to 19 m in height and span several kilometers of the seafloor. They also host a multitude of fish and invertebrates that live inside and around the barrels of the sponges. Collectively these sponges process considerable volumes of water daily: they filter 100 billion litres of water every day, equivalent to one per cent of the total water volume in the Strait of Georgia and Howe Sound combined. So you can imagine, they have a strong impact on nutrient cycling, bentho-pelagic coupling (connecting the water column with the seafloor), and carbon sequestration (e.g. capturing and storing our emissions) in the NE Pacific Ocean. Because of the importance of this habitat, I wanted to see how it would fare under future climate scenarios, specifically ocean warming and acidification. "Because of the importance of this habitat, I wanted to see how it would fare under future climate scenarios, specifically ocean warming and acidification." What was the motivation or inspiration for this research? Much of what we know about our oceans comes from studies on coastal and shallow areas, so basically, the intertidal to 30m depth, leaving a huge chunk of our oceans, 30 to 11,000 m, mostly understudied. My work focuses on this part of the ocean, from the mesophotic to deep-sea floor. Glass sponges live in this depth range, and as shallow as 22 m in British Columbia. I wondered how these glass structures would fare under future climate scenarios of warming and acidification. In history, we see many instances of glass sponges performing well under acidification. They survived prehistorical mass extinctions caused by acidified oceans, and also, are found near CO2 seeps in Papua New Guinea. We even find some surviving under rapid warming events in Antarctica. But until this point in time, there had been no experimental work done on glass sponges (the entire class Hexactinellida) to test their sensitivities to climate change, or any other environment change for that matter. The big obstacle here was keeping them alive in captivity, longer than a few weeks. I developed a protocol to keep these sensitive animals in captivity for five months, which allowed us to test the long-term sensitivities to the conditions we exposed them to. "...until this point in time, there had been no experimental work done on glass sponges (the entire class Hexactinellida) to test their sensitivities to climate change, or any other environment change for that matter. The big obstacle here was keeping them alive in captivity, longer than a few weeks." What was the main question of this research? How sensitive is reef-building glass sponge Aphrocallistes vastus to ocean warming and acidification? How did you conduct this research or how did you go about answering your question? Thirty two juvenile A. vastus sponges were kept in recirculating 250 L aquaria, called mesocosms, for five months. After I had acclimated the sponges to their new home and feeding regime for two weeks, I exposed some to +2 C warming, others to slightly more acidic conditions (pH 7.6) than that experienced in their natural environment, and others to a combination of both warming and acidification. I compared these to ‘control’ sponges, which were exposed to ambient conditions (same temperature and pH found in their natural habitat). To monitored their health throughout the experiment, I measured their filtration capacity with a bright yellow fluorescent dye, noted when they stopped feeding and documented the onset of dead tissue. At the end of the experiment, using a computer-interface tensometer to mimic the dactyl (or pointy leg) of a crab walking on the sponge. I looked at how the strength and stiffness of their skeleton had changed after 4.5 months exposure to warming and acidification and compared these between treatments. What were the main findings of your work? It's clear from this work that acidification, warming, and their combination have substantial negative effects on the filtration capacity of these glass sponges: filtration slowed 2-3 times and weakened 2-6 times, compared to the control sponges; for those sponges that were exposed to warming (regardless of acidification), 50-60% stopped feeding after just 1 month and onset of this was quick, it happened as quickly as two weeks after the experiment had started; there was earlier onset (by 1 month) of irreversible tissue damage (dead tissue) in sponges exposed to warming; and there was 2-3 times more dead tissue in all sponges compared to the control ones; after 4.5 months in their treatments, the sponges had reduced skeletal strength and stiffness - they broke twice as easily and were twice as flexible as the control sponges, which isn't beneficial in a highly dynamic system, where strong currents might cause them to bend and lower their feeding efficiency. Because of this and the fact that the reef itself builds up on generations past, these weaker and stiffer skeletons would be expected to slow or completely stop reef formation under future climate scenarios. "It's clear from this work that acidification, warming, and their combination have substantial negative effects on the filtration capacity of these glass sponges." Did you find anything unexpected? Periods of prolonged warming have already been observed in the field, at the depth and collection site of the present study and in other parts of the Howe Sound. Our results suggest that irreversible tissue withdrawal could take place in A. vastus after 30 days of exposure to warming (>10.4 C), which could have occurred if it were not for several brief (one week) periods of cooling observed in the summer of 2016. Warming trends pose an immediate stress to glass sponge reefs, as the addition of 0.5 °C to the 2016 pattern would result in 140 consecutive days of warming, a period longer in length and warmer than the sponges were exposed to in the lab in the present study. Also, in another study (not yet published) I conducted in parallel, I saw an opposite response to warming by feather stars that live in the same parts of the ocean as A. vastus. They grew faster under warming! These kinds of divergent responses make it very difficult to predict how biodiversity will respond to future climate scenarios. What is the one take-home of this work that you want everyone to know or remember? We rarely hear stories of climate change impacts on habitats off the coast of Canada. Our study not only provided a local example, here in BC, but also showed that deeper habitats, like BC’s glass sponge reefs, are extremely sensitive to small fluctuations in temperature and acidity. Anything else you’d like to say? I wanted to end on a positive note and provide actions for citizens: our voice as a community and as consumers really matters. We must put pressure on our provincial and federal governments to implement the laws and policies they are formulating because we only have a couple decades before the warming threshold is reached and causes irreversible damage to nature and thus society. And industry/business owners must be more responsible about the materials/products they put into this world. Ultimately, consumers drive both these markets. So being mindful of what you choose to buy and support will help us all move into the 'action' phase of climate adaptation and mitigation. Also, bottom-up community-led efforts (Marine Life Sanctuaries Society is an excellent example of this) have been the most successful call to action for protecting these habitats and others worldwide. Keep standing up for the environment, let them know you care about it and the climate crisis. Our voices matter and are more important now than ever if we want to curb our emissions. Read Stevenson et al., 2020 here (open access): Warming and acidifcation threaten glass sponge Aphrocallistes vastus pumping and reef formation Citation: Stevenson, A., Archer, S.K., Schultz, J.A., Dunham, A., Marliave, J.B., Martone, P., and Harley., C.D.G.. 2020. Warming and acidification threaten glass sponge Aphrocallistes vastus pumping and reef formation. Scientific Reports, 10:8176. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-65220-9 To learn more about Dr. Stevenson and her research, please follow her on Twitter @DeepseaSlug) and the following accounts: Dr. Stevenson’s affiliations’ Twitter handles: @GEOMAR_en, @klimainitiative, @oceanleaders, @MEOPAR_NCE, @UBCBiodiversity, @UBCoceans, @ZoologyUBC, @UBCGeog, @ubcscience Collaborators’ Twitter: @ArcherEcology (in @DFO_Pacific), @EmeraldSeaJess (in @Oceanwise), @BCMarineLife, @Martonelab Other relevant Twitter accounts or tags: @mesophotic, @DeepSea_Sponges, @DSBSoc, @DeepStewardship, #mesophotic, #deepsea, #biodiversity Acknowledgements: Thanks to Dr. Angela Stevenson for taking the time to answer our questions and provide insight on this important new research. All photo/figure captions were provided by Dr. Stevenson, with summary figures modified from Stevenson et al., 2020.

Here are some of the latest happenings in the world of ocean acidification in Canada and beyond! Upcoming Webinars Happening Today! OA Alliance Webinar - Accounting for OA Across Vulnerability and Risk Assessments “The 90 minute webinar will provide a snapshot of OA vulnerability and risks assessments that have already been conducted in the Pacific Islands Region and British Columbia, Canada and highlight strategies and methodologies that account for socio-economic and cultural vulnerabilities.” April 15th (4 pm EST/1 pm PST) Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4Bh8qKfkRXSr-J77AZPccw GOA-ON Webinar Series OA CoP coordinator, Kristina Barclay, will present an overview of the CoP and some of our new current and future projects. April 21st (3 pm AST/11 am PST) See the event details and register here. MASTS Webinar Series Take a virtual trip to Scotland! OA CoP coordinator, Kristina Barclay, will present an overview of Canada's OA community to the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland (MASTS). May 5th (9 am ADT/5 am PDT) See the event details and register here! New Resource UC Berkeley's new Understanding Global Change website "Teaching tools show climate change is just one aspect of a changing world" Source: Berkeley News Read the full article here. In the News “Sea Cucumbers: The Excremental Heroes of Coral Reef Ecosystems” Source: Eos, Science News by AGU Read the full article here. New Paper of Interest Terhaar, Jens, Olivier Torres, Timothée Bourgeois, and Lester Kwiatkowski. 2021. Arctic Ocean acidification over the 21st century co-driven by anthropogenic carbon increases and freshening in the CMIP6 model ensemble. Biogeosciences, 18:2221 – 2240. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2221-2021 Have a news item you'd like us to feature? Email coordinator@oceanacidification.ca!

Here are some of the latest happenings in the world of ocean acidification in Canada and beyond! New on the Blog Scientist Spotlight: Ellie Simpson, Ph.D. Candidate (SFU), Oceanographic Data Manager (DFO) Read the full post here. Upcoming Webinars - Starting next week! OA Community of Practice Webinar - Krysten Rutherford (Ph.D. candidate, Dalhousie University) “Source or Sink? A numerical modeling study of inorganic carbon fluxes on the Scotian Shelf” April 14th (2 pm ADT/10 am PDT) See the event details and register here (visit our Events webpage for more updates). OA Alliance Webinar - Accounting for OA Across Vulnerability and Risk Assessments “The 90 minute webinar will provide a snapshot of OA vulnerability and risks assessments that have already been conducted in the Pacific Islands Region and British Columbia, Canada and highlight strategies and methodologies that account for socio-economic and cultural vulnerabilities.” April 15th (4 pm EST/1 pm PST) Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4Bh8qKfkRXSr-J77AZPccw GOA-ON Webinar Series OA CoP coordinator, Kristina Barclay, will present an overview of the CoP and some of our new current and future projects. April 21st (3 pm AST/11 am PST) See the event details and register here. In the News “Could seaweed be a salve to debate over salmon farming?” Source: The Toronto Star Read the full article here. Webinar Recording Presentation for Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy (University of Alaska Fairbanks) on Feb 16: "The next decade of Alaskan Ocean Acidification Research: What we learned, where 2020 fits, and what’s coming next for the Bering Sea" Jessica Cross, NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory. Recording now available here: https://uaf-accap.org/event/oa-next10years/ New Paper of Interest Enric Sala, Juan Mayorga, Darcy Bradley, Reniel B. Cabral, Trisha B. Atwood, Arnaud Auber, William Cheung, Christopher Costello, Francesco Ferretti, Alan M. Friedlander, Steven D. Gaines, Cristina Garilao, Whitney Goodell, Benjamin S. Halpern, Audra Hinson, Kristin Kaschner, Kathleen Kesner-Reyes, Fabien Leprieur, Jennifer McGowan, Lance E. Morgan, David Mouillot, Juliano Palacios-Abrantes, Hugh P. Possingham, Kristin D. Rechberger, Boris Worm & Jane Lubchenco. 2021. Protecting the global ocean for biodiversity, food and climate. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03371-z Have a news item you'd like us to feature? Email coordinator@oceanacidification.ca!

Ellie Simpson is a Ph.D. Candidate at the School of Resource and Environmental Management in the Climate Oceans and Paleoenvironments Lab at Simon Fraser University. She is also an Oceanographic Data Manager with Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Ellie shares with us her background and expertise in ocean acidification and carbonate chemistry research. What is your background? I am currently working towards my PhD in Resource and Environmental Management at Simon Fraser University, working with Dr. Karen Kohfeld (SFU) and Dr. Debby Ianson (DFO). I am originally from the UK, where I studied Environmental Science at the University of Reading. Following my Bachelor’s degree I did my Masters in Renewable Energy, hoping to work towards tackling climate change. I worked as a project manager for three years, developing wind farm and solar farm projects, before deciding to do my PhD. I have been working part time at Fisheries and Oceans Canada for the past year (while trying to finish the PhD!), initially in the Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Program, but recently I have moved to the Science Branch where I quality control and format ocean carbon data. What is your interest or background in OA? I was very lucky to grow up in a rural area where I spent a lot of time outside, which fostered a love for nature and the outdoors. I have always wanted to pursue a career where I could be outside and work towards protecting and improving the environment. I have been interested in the effects of climate change, on both the environment and on people, since first learning about it in high school, and was excited to find a PhD project which combined the two - looking at nearshore coastal acidification in BC and the vulnerability of BC communities to ocean acidification. My PhD has been funded through the MEOPAR Integrated Coastal Acidification Program, and my research focuses on the drivers and variability of nearshore carbonate chemistry in BC, specifically in the Salish Sea. Can you tell us about your past or current contributions to OA research? I am researching nearshore carbonate chemistry variability in the Salish Sea and the vulnerability of BC communities to ocean acidification. Many calcifying species live and are farmed in nearshore estuarine environments where carbonate chemistry is highly variable. There are unfortunately, little baseline carbonate data collected from nearshore areas in the Canadian portion of the Salish Sea, as OA has typically been studied in the open ocean, using large research vessels which are not suitable for use in collecting nearshore data. I have collected carbonate data from nearshore locations in the Salish Sea from 2015 - 2018, either by wading directly into the water from the shore, or by small skiffs. I have been working in partnership with shellfish growers in BC, collecting discrete samples from their shellfish leases in Okeover Inlet, Baynes Sound, Maple Bay and Ladysmith. I aim to establish a baseline of the pH and calcium carbonate saturation state (an indicator of stressful conditions to shellfish) conditions in these nearshore areas, show the daily and seasonal variability at these sites and identify the drivers of that variability. I am currently working on a paper which I hope to publish soon, which is investigating the use of endmember models to estimate carbonate conditions in these nearshore areas. As well as being useful to researchers interested in carbonate conditions and OA, these could be simple tools that shellfish growers could use to estimate the pH or calcium carbonate saturation state at their farms, as they only require two measurements to be made (the salty and the fresh endmember total alkalinity and dissolved inorganic carbon). I’m also investigating how conditions vary across the salinity gradient in this paper. I’m aiming to identify the salinity ranges where minimum buffer zones occur, which are hotspots of acidity where the most rapid changes in pH will likely happen in the future. I’m hoping that shellfish growers can use this to inform their decisions as to where in the water column to hang their shellfish and where to locate their farms. I am also hoping to conduct a vulnerability assessment of coastal BC communities to ocean acidification, combining exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity scores to give an overall vulnerability score of BC municipalities. I’ll be using the nearshore data I have collected to inform the exposure part of this assessment, instead of coarse-resolution general circulation model data which have been typically used for this type of assessment in the past. I’m hoping that identifying which areas of BC are most vulnerable to future (and/or present!) OA, will be useful to policy makers, resource managers and the growers themselves. What do you see as the most pressing OA issue for Canadians? In my opinion, from a BC perspective, we need to establish a baseline of carbonate (OA) conditions in the nearshore. The majority of OA sensitive species live or are farmed in these areas, where there is currently little data available. We can’t predict what will happen in the future with OA if we don’t know what is happening now. What is the one take-home about OA that you wish all Canadians knew? That OA is already happening! What excites you most about the current or future of OA research in Canada? There are some very interesting ideas being investigated to mitigate ocean acidification (marine carbon dioxide removal), it will be exciting to see what comes out of this research in the next few years. Hopefully something to lessen the impact of OA can be developed – of course it would be nice if we could cut the carbon emissions too! Anything else you’d like to say? I received a lot of help from a large number of people in collecting the data and I’d like to acknowledge and thank everyone who baked in the sun and froze in their boots while collecting samples with me. Also, many thanks to Yves Perreault at Little Wing Oysters, Andre Comeau and Chris Roberts at Okeover Organic Oysters, Keith Reid at Stellar Bay Shellfish and Andrew Dryden at Evening Cove Oysters for access to their shellfish leases, boats, time and expertise. To learn more about Ellie’s research, please visit her LinkedIn and ORCID profiles.

We aren’t fooling! Here are some of the latest happenings in the world of ocean acidification in Canada and beyond! New on the Blog ICYMI (in case you missed it) Read our March Monthly Updates Research Recap We interviewed researchers Tyler Wilson and Dr. Travis Tai who share their insights from their new paper examining possible future socioeconomic outcomes of ocean acidification and climate change on fisheries in Atlantic Canada. Read the full post: New Paper: Socioeconomic impacts from OA and climate change effects on Atlantic Canadian fisheries Upcoming Webinars OA Community of Practice Webinar - Krysten Rutherford (Ph.D. candidate, Dalhousie University) “Source or Sink? A numerical modeling study of inorganic carbon fluxes on the Scotian Shelf” April 14th (2 pm ADT/10 am PDT) See the event details and register here (visit our Events webpage for more updates). OA Alliance Webinar - Accounting for OA Across Vulnerability and Risk Assessments “The 90 minute webinar will provide a snapshot of OA vulnerability and risks assessments that have already been conducted in the Pacific Islands Region and British Columbia, Canada and highlight strategies and methodologies that account for socio-economic and cultural vulnerabilities.” April 15th (4 pm EST/1 pm PST) Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4Bh8qKfkRXSr-J77AZPccw GOA-ON Webinar Series OA CoP coordinator, Kristina Barclay, will present an overview of the CoP and some of our new current and future projects. April 21st (3 pm AST/11 am PST) See the event details and register here. In the News “How to make an acid-proof oyster” Source: The Capital Daily Read the full article here. New Paper of Interest Ricart, A. M., M. Ward, T. M. Hill, E. Sanford, K. J. Kroeker, Y. Takeshita, S. Merolla, P. Shukla, A. T. Ninokawa, K. Elsmore, B. Gaylord. 2021.Coast‐wide evidence of low pH amelioration by seagrass ecosystems. Global Change Biology. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15594 Have a news item you'd like us to feature? Email coordinator@oceanacidification.ca!

Here’s what’s new from the MEOPAR OA Community of Practice this month: March Quarterly Newsletter New Resources New Blog Posts Upcoming Events March Quarterly Newsletter We released our March Quarterly Newsletter on March 3rd! Take a look to see new resources, including a webinar on OA sensors, new blog posts from January and February, and our upcoming events! Find and download our March Newsletter here. New Resources A Look at Canada's OA Community On March 10th, our Coordinator, Kristina Barclay, gave a webinar on Canada's OA Community as part of MEOPAR's 2021 webinar series. You can watch the recording by visiting our newly refreshed About page, or on MEOPAR's YouTube channel! OA Sensor Webinar Ph.D. student and OA CoP Steering Committee Member, Patrick Duke, gives a breakdown on the pros and cons of the latest in OA sensor technology, including instrument specs., accuracy, drift, and price points. Watch the webinar here. New Blog Posts Here are our latest posts from February and March: Research Recaps: We interview researchers to hear about their latest projects, papers, and OA work. New Paper: Socioeconomic impacts from OA and climate change effects on Atlantic Canadian fisheries Scientist Spotlights: Learn more about the scientists leading the way in new ocean acidification research across Canada and beyond. Dr. Clara Mackenzie, Research Scientist (Fisheries and Oceans Canada) Meet the CoP: Get to know the people leading Canada’s OA Community of Practice and hear about their interests in ocean acidification. Dr. Brent Else, OA CoP Co-Lead OA News (You Could Use): Find out the latest happenings in the world of OA in Canada and beyond, including new resources, papers, and news articles. Mar. 25, 2021 Mar. 18, 2021 Mar. 11, 2021 Mar. 4, 2021 Feb. 25, 2021 Feb. 18, 2021 Feb. 11, 2021 Feb. 4, 2021 Upcoming Events Wed., April 14, 2021 (2 pm ADT/10 am PDT) OA CoP Guest Webinar with Ph.D. Candidate, Krysten Rutherford (Dalhousie University) "Source or Sink? A numerical modeling study of inorganic carbon fluxes on the Scotian Shelf" See the event details and register here. Thurs., April 15, 2021 (5 pm ADT/1 pm PDT) OA Alliance Webinar Accounting for OA Across Vulnerability and Risk Assessments See the event details and register here. Wed., April 21, 2021 (3 pm ADT/11 am PDT) GOA-ON Webinar Series presentation by OA CoP Coordinator, Kristina Barclay Learn all about the CoP, our past activities, MEOPAR OA research, and our current and future research and activities! See the event details and register here. Wed., May 5, 2021 (9 am ADT/5 am PDT) MASTS Webinar series presentation by OA CoP coordinator, Kristina Barclay Take a virtual trip to Scotland! Kristina will present an overview of Canada's OA community to the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland (MASTS). See the event details and register here! Check out oceanacidification.ca/events and follow us on social media for event updates! Have an idea for content? Want to contribute? We’re always looking for ideas and feedback! Email us at coordinator@oceanacidification.ca! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!

Here are some of the latest happenings in the world of ocean acidification in Canada and beyond! Past Webinars Missed the CRM Webinar by Andrew Dickson: “CO2-in-seawater reference materials: yesterday, today, and tomorrow”? You can view the slides and join the ongoing discussion on here on the OA Info Exchange! GOA-ON Webinar Series - David Long, William Pardis, Kalina Grabb (March 18th) “Measuring Protons with Photons: a pH Analyzer and community science program to change the relationship between humans and ocean science”. Watch the webinar here and join the conversation on the OA Info Exchange. Upcoming Webinars OA Community of Practice Webinar - Krysten Rutherford (Ph.D. candidate, Dalhousie University) “Source or Sink? A numerical modeling study of inorganic carbon fluxes on the Scotian Shelf” April 14th (2 pm ADT/10 am PDT) Event links and further details coming soon (visit our Events webpage for updates) OA Alliance Webinar - Accounting for OA Across Vulnerability and Risk Assessments “The 90 minute webinar will provide a snapshot of OA vulnerability and risks assessments that have already been conducted in the Pacific Islands Region and British Columbia, Canada and highlight strategies and methodologies that account for socio-economic and cultural vulnerabilities.” April 15th (4 pm EST/1 pm PST) Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4Bh8qKfkRXSr-J77AZPccw In the News “Smoke on the water: ocean monitoring buoy senses wildfires” Source: Newport News Times Read the full article here. “Mental Health and the Modern Fisherman” Source: Hakai Magazine CW: death, swear words, mental health, substance abuse Read the full article here. New Paper of Interest Ross, T., C. Du Preez, and D. Ianson. 2020. Rapid deep ocean deoxygenation and acidification threaten life on Northeast Pacific seamounts. Global Change Biology, 26:6424-6444. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15307 Have a news item you'd like us to feature? Email coordinator@oceanacidification.ca!

Ocean acidification (OA) is expected to have negatives consequences for many marine organisms, particularly shellfish that build their hard parts from calcium carbonate. But what about the communities and people that depend on these potentially vulnerable organisms as part of their livelihoods and local economies? We spoke with two researchers, Tyler Wilson and Dr. Travis Tai, on a new paper examining the possible socioeconomic effects of climate change and OA on fisheries in Atlantic Canada (Wilson et al., 2020). Tyler Wilson, lead author of the study, conducted this research as part of his Master’s degree in Environmental Studies under the supervision of Dr. Peter Tyedmers at Dalhousie University (Halifax, N.S.). Mr. Wilson is currently working for Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) on a Live Gene Banking program for endangered Inner Bay of Fundy Atlantic Salmon. Prior to starting his graduate work, Mr. Wilson, who completed an undergraduate degree in Biology and Ocean Sciences at the University of Victoria, worked on salmon stock assessment for DFO in B.C.. Through his undergraduate degree, he began to see OA as a sort of “hidden” aspect of climate change that, while tangential to his main studies, drew his interest to pursue a graduate program that would allow him to examine some of the socio-economic impacts of OA (as part of the Canadian Ocean Acidification Research Program [COARp], funded by MEOPAR). Dr. Travis Tai, a co-author who conducted the species distribution modelling work underpinning the study, also works on OA and climate change impacts on fisheries species. Dr. Tai’s background is in OA, climate change, fisheries, biological responses, and integrated modelling. He is currently working as a postdoctoral researcher at the Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium, investigating climate change risk on freshwater life stages in Pacific salmon. “My research interests are on climate change and ocean acidification impacts on living marine organisms, and largely species of commercial value (i.e. fisheries),” Dr. Tai writes. “I use a variety of approaches to model how changes in environmental conditions due to anthropogenic accelerated climate change affect the biology, abundance, and distribution of marine species. One of these approaches includes integrating models of physiology, biology, population dynamics, and spatial movement to project future distribution and abundance. I also work on developing methods and frameworks—using various indicators of physical and biological change—to determine the relative risk of marine species to climate change.” With the help of Dr. Tai and other co-authors, Mr. Wilson set out to explore and produce a broad-scale picture of the effects of climate change and OA on fisheries, particularly the potential for impact on rural coastal communities and their economies in Atlantic Canada. The goal of the paper was to bring together both the potential biological and societal outcomes to answer the question: How will OA and climate change affect Canadian Atlantic Fisheries and their associated communities? “This study was built on previous modelling work on biological responses to ocean acidification and climate change of commercially valuable species,” says Dr. Tai. “We were interested in producing a more interdisciplinary approach to assess the impacts of climate change at the species level and how it carries over to impacts on society. One of the ways we can prepare for the impacts of climate change is through preparedness and developing plans and efforts to mitigate impacts. Exercises such as these provided in this study allow us to better understand the potential impacts of climate change on fisheries, given our current understanding of the underlying processes.” The study implemented an impact assessment framework that used models of species distributions to inform and assess potential future socioeconomic outcomes of climate change and OA. “We used a combination of modelling techniques in this study. First, we used species distribution models for changes in distribution and abundance of species populations. The outputs from these models were then used as inputs for measuring downstream effects on society. [Second], we used indicators for economic and societal impacts to gauge the overall risk of ocean acidification and climate change to fisheries,” Dr. Tai explains. Mr. Wilson says they built off socioeconomic indicators used in several previous papers. The indicators used in the study covered both economic and societal impacts, including metrics such as landings values, the number of fishing licences issued, and Statistics Canada data on unemployment and education. Mr. Wilson says that they also looked at how important fisheries were to local communities by looking at percentage changes, rather than just dollar values. These indicators were combined with the models of species distributions to assess the socioeconomic risks to Atlantic provinces and fishing regions. “We found that ocean acidification presents a relatively small impact to shellfish fisheries sectors in Atlantic Canada, but amount to much greater risk when compounded with other effects of climate change, particularly ocean warming. Provinces such as Nova Scotia and New Brunswick will see changes in resource availability, but have relatively high adaptive scores and [are] socially and economically robust to these impacts. Conversely, the provinces PEI and Newfoundland and Labrador scores lower in terms of adaptive capacity, but are projected to see smaller changes to species populations in their adjacent fishing regions,” writes Dr. Tai. Surprisingly, these results were not “hugely dramatic” with respect to OA, Mr. Wilson points out. While the model projections did show some decreases in some fisheries stocks, not all of the outcomes were negative. For example, snow crab were hardest hit in the model projections and declined across the region, but as this species relies on colder temperatures, the results were not surprising. Conversely, some species were expected to see net increases in the region as a whole (with more localised declines). Overall, they found that OA was not as big of a driver of change as other climate change factors, such as warming temperatures. Dr. Tai also found the results unexpected. “One of the major surprises from our results was the relatively small effect of ocean acidification on species distribution and abundance,” he says. “While it is well known that temperature is one of the most important biological drivers, we expected ocean acidification to have considerable impacts on survival. However, our modelling results show that ocean acidification will largely have negative impacts on fisheries species but in most cases will be overshadowed by temperature induced changes.” With issues like climate change and ocean acidification, there is going to be some change, but it is also important to be aware of some potential opportunities that might be created, Mr. Wilson suggests. For example, their projections indicate increases in lobster stocks as a potential “silver-lining” for Atlantic Canada. However, this comes at a cost to fisheries in the U.S., because as the species’ range shifts northward, fisheries at the southern portion of their range will be negatively impacted. These “positive” outcomes for Atlantic Canada could also be potentially short-lived if the timeline is increased, Mr. Wilson indicates. Mr. Wilson points out that their results indicate why it is important to take big picture approaches in fisheries management. Not only should there be a push for more diverse management practices, but trans-boundary management between provinces and countries should be considered to capture the larger picture of climate change impacts. Including additional climate change variables in models is also important, rather than just focusing on OA. OA is happening in a larger context of global change, after all, and other factors, such as temperature, could be more important drivers of change than OA, at least in the short term. “Ocean acidification and climate change [are some] of the biggest threats to our oceans,” Dr. Tai adds. “Understanding how these environmental changes will affect natural resources that we depend on is essential for mitigation and adaptation.” While the overall results of the study may sound like good news for Atlantic Canada, Mr. Wilson cautions that it is important to “look down the road, rather than just at this year’s catch.” These “positive” outcomes might only be temporary. Should current projections of climate change and OA continue and species keep moving further north or into deeper waters (or start to lose their ideal habitats), we could still see negative consequences for Atlantic Canadian fisheries in the long term. Read Wilson et al., 2020 here (open access): Potential socioeconomic impacts from ocean acidification and climate change effects on Atlantic Canadian fisheries Citation: Wilson TJB, Cooley SR, Tai TC, Cheung WWL, Tyedmers PH. 2020. Potential socioeconomic impacts from ocean acidification and climate change effects on Atlantic Canadian fisheries. PLoS ONE 15(1): e0226544. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0226544 Acknowledgments: Thanks to Tyler Wilson for his virtual “in-person” interview, and to Dr. Travis Tai for providing written responses to our questions. To learn more about Dr. Travis Tai and his research, please visit his Research Gate and Google Scholar profiles.

Here are some of the latest happenings in the world of ocean acidification in Canada and beyond! "About" Page Refresh We've given our "About" webpage a new look! Learn more about: who we are, what we do, our Team, and how OA impacts Canada. Visit our new page here. Past Webinars Missed our MEOPAR webinar on Canada’s OA Community last week? Never fear, the recording can be found here! Missed the CRM Webinar by Andrew Dickson: “CO2-in-seawater reference materials: yesterday, today, and tomorrow”? You can view the slides and join the ongoing discussion on here on the OA Info Exchange! Upcoming Webinars GOA-ON Webinar Series - David Long, William Pardis, Kalina Grabb “Measuring Protons with Photons: a pH Analyzer and community science program to change the relationship between humans and ocean science” March 18th (11 EDT) Register here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/rt/2312052364919044366 OA Community of Practice Webinar - Krysten Rutherford (Ph.D. candidate, Dalhousie University) “Source or Sink? A numerical modeling study of inorganic carbon fluxes on the Scotian Shelf” April 14th (2 pm ADT/10 am PDT) Event links and further details coming soon (visit our Events webpage for updates) OA Alliance Webinar - Accounting for OA Across Vulnerability and Risk Assessments “The 90 minute webinar will provide a snapshot of OA vulnerability and risks assessments that have already been conducted in the Pacific Islands Region and British Columbia, Canada and highlight strategies and methodologies that account for socio-economic and cultural vulnerabilities.” April 15th (4 pm EST/1 pm PST) Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4Bh8qKfkRXSr-J77AZPccw New Resource “OA in a Cup” A new resource and activity from Wood Hole Sea Grant for elementary or high school students. Use purple cabbage to test changes in pH! Find this activity here. In the News “P.E.I. researcher collaborates across borders to learn how climate change will impact lobster” Source: The Guardian Read the full article here. New Paper of Interest Holdsworth, A.M., L. Zhai, Y. Lu, and J. R. Christian. 2021. Future Changes in Oceanography and Biogeochemistry Along the Canadian Pacific Continental Margin. Frontiers in Marine Science, 8:602991. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.602991 Have a news item you'd like us to feature? Email coordinator@oceanacidification.ca!

We've done a refresh on our About webpage! Please visit the link to learn more about: Who we are What we do Our Team How OA impacts Canada We've also included a recording of our MEOPAR webinar on March 10th (2021), where OA CoP Coordinator, Kristina Barclay, discusses our goals, past activities, new resources, and future plans. Visit our About page: oceanacidification.ca/about

Here are some of the latest happenings in the world of ocean acidification in Canada and beyond! Upcoming Webinars CRM Webinar by Andrew Dickson The U.S. Interagency Working Group on Ocean Acidification presents: CO2-in-seawater reference materials: yesterday, today, and tomorrow Presenter: Professor Andrew Dickson (Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego) March 16, 2021, 9am Pacific Register here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/2842491957779599883 CMOS Tour Speaker – Dr. Katja Fennel The Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society will host a public lecture by their 2021 Tour Speaker, Dr. Katja Fennel. Presentation Title: What lies beneath? Views from a global fleet of ocean robots March 17, 2021, 2 pm ET Find out more and register here! New NECAN Webinar Recording On Feb. 25th, NECAN hosted a webinar by Dr. Melissa Melendez (University of Hawai’i at Manoa) entitled “Understanding Net Ecosystem Metabolism and Carbonate Chemistry at Near Coral Reef Ecosystems Using Moored Autonomous pCO2 Systems: Lessons From Puerto Rico and Florida” Watch the full presentation here! In the News “Why a Net‑Zero Future Depends on the Ocean's Ability to Absorb Carbon” Source: Dal News (Dalhousie University) Read the article here: https://www.dal.ca/news/2021/02/24/why-a-net-zero-future-depends-on-the-ocean-s-ability-to-absorb-c.html Canada’s Launch of the UN Ocean Decade On March 3, Canada and DFO hosted a workshop to launch the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021 – 2030). Canada’s activities, initiatives, and involvmenet in the Ocean Decade are ongoing. Please visit DFO’s new Ocean Decade webpage to learn more about how Canada will be involved in the Ocean Decade. Follow #OceanDecade and #OceanDecadeCanada for more info! New Paper of Interest Niemisto, M, Fields, DM, Clark, KF, Waller, JD, Greenwood, and SJ, Wahle, RA. 2020. American lobster postlarvae alter gene regulation in response to ocean warming and acidification. Ecology and Evolution, 11: 806– 819. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7083 Have a news item you'd like us to feature? Email coordinator@oceanacidification.ca!

Here are some of the latest happenings in the world of ocean acidification in Canada and beyond! Upcoming MEOPAR OA CoP Webinar MEOPAR Webinar Series Canada’s Ocean Acidification Community of Practice Presenter: Kristina Barclay, OA CoP Coordinator March 10, 2021, 2 pm AST/10 am PST Read the abstract and register here: https://meopar.ca/upcoming-webinar-canadas-ocean-acidification-community-of-practice/ Our March Quarterly Newsletter We released our newest Quarterly Newsletter (March, 2021) yesterday! Read it here: https://www.oceanacidification.ca/post/quarterly-newsletter-march-2021 Other Upcoming Webinars CRM Webinar by Andrew Dickson The U.S. Interagency Working Group on Ocean Acidification presents: CO2-in-seawater reference materials: yesterday, today, and tomorrow Presenter: Professor Andrew Dickson (Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego) March 16, 2021, 9am Pacific Register here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/2842491957779599883 CMOS Tour Speaker – Dr. Katja Fennel The Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society will host a public lecture by their 2021 Tour Speaker, Dr. Katja Fennel. Presentation Title: What lies beneath? Views from a global fleet of ocean robots March 17, 2021, 2 pm ET Find out more and register here! New GOA-ON Webinar Last week, GOA-ON hosted a webinar with Drs. Kirsten Isensee and Katherina Schoo entitled “Measuring OA to support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – SDG target 14.3 and the related indicator 14.3.1.” Watch the full presentation here! Canada’s Launch of the UN Ocean Decade On March 3, Canada and DFO hosted a workshop to launch the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021 – 2030). Canada’s activities, initiatives, and involvmenet in the Ocean Decade are ongoing. Please visit DFO’s new Ocean Decade webpage to learn more about how Canada will be involved in the Ocean Decade. Follow #OceanDecade and #OceanDecadeCanada for more info! New Paper of Interest Onthank, Kirt L., Lloyd A. Trueblood, Taylir Schrock-Duff, and Lydia G. Kore. 2021. Impact of Short- and Long-Term Exposure to Elevated Seawater Pco2 on Metabolic Rate and Hypoxia Tolerance in Octopus rubescens. Physiological and biochemical Zoology, 94:1–11. https://doi.org/10.1086/712207 Have a news item you'd like us to feature? Email coordinator@oceanacidification.ca!