SEATTLE — A new research tool launched this week by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Integrated Ocean Observing System is allowing scientists to better track changes in ocean chemistry along the U.S. West Coast.
IOOS Pacific Region Ocean Acidification
The tool provides real-time ocean acidification data along the coast and in some protected bays. It captures data from a couple of dozen sensors installed at shellfish farms and hatcheries and other monitoring sites in Oregon, Washington, California, Alaska and Hawaii.
University of Washington oceanographer Jan Newton, who led the collaborative effort, said the information can help shellfish growers make crucial decisions about when and how to grow shellfish.
“That’s a really big thing, to enable shellfish growers to have better information so they can adapt to ocean acidification,” Newton said.