Cantwell Chairs Hearing on the Effect of Greenhouse Gas Emissions on Ocean Health
Rising temperatures, acid levels could harm Puget Sound, state fisheries; fishing is responsible for 10,000 jobs in greater Seattle area alone
WASHINGTON, DC - Thursday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), chaired a hearing to look into the effect of climate change on ocean health and marine life—including in Puget Sound. Cantwell heard testimony from Seattle-based ocean expert and NOAA scientist Dr. Richard Freely, and asked panelists about warming oceans and increased ocean acidification—two effects of increased carbon dioxide emissions. Warmer, more acidic oceans can destroy important fisheries and food chains in the Pacific Ocean, including Pacific Salmon. Reduced Salmon runs would harm Puget Sound's endangered Southern Resident Orca populations that feed on salmon.
"We cannot continue to ignore the effect that carbon dioxide has on our oceans, marine life, and the health of Puget Sound," said Cantwell, Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and the Coast Guard. "We're already seeing the impact of climate change in the Pacific Northwest and off our coasts in the Pacific Ocean. More acidic oceans will threaten the very foundation of our local marine ecosystems. If we fail to address climate change and increased acidification, we'll be jeopardizing all of our hard-fought conservation gains and putting thousands of local jobs at risk. Puget Sound, our coasts, and our Northwest salmon runs depend on confronting this problem, and with our scientific expertise, Washington is well-poised to lead the way."
Atmospheric CO2, which is driving climate change, is responsible for ocean acidification. Human-caused emissions of CO2 have increased the global atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration by 35 percent. Over half a trillion tons of carbon dioxide—or one third of all CO2 emissions since the start of the industrial revolution—have been absorbed by our oceans. CO2 reacts with seawater to form carbonic acid, and in excess, causes oceans to become more acidic. This hinders the ability of reefs to rebuild and can dissolve the shells of free swimming creatures at the bottom of the food chain.
The initial stages of ocean acidification have been measured by Dr. Feely, a Seattle-based NOAA Oceanographer who testified at Thursday's hearing. If this trend continues, it could substantially disrupt the food web in the North Pacific and lead to declines in commercially valuable species, including Pacific Salmon runs.
The commercial fishing industry accounts for 10,000 jobs in the greater Seattle area and more than $3.5 billion in annual sales. Recreational fishing in Washington is valued at $1.6 billion. In 2000, shellfish farmed in Washington generated $77 million.
Cantwell, along with Subcommittee Ranking Member Olympia Snowe (R-ME), has introduced legislation to boost ocean observation and monitoring. The Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act, introduced in March, would improve long-term ocean monitoring and help provide the information needed to track climate change and ocean acidification. The bill would establish a national program focused on national and international ocean observation, and would support a network of regional associations across the country that collect and manage information on ocean and coastal areas.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) would coordinate all observation efforts, and manage a system to organize and disseminate information. Currently, most long-term ocean observing and data collection is carried out on a regional basis. A lack of coordination at the national level combined with a deficiency in sustained resources limits the effectiveness of this system when it comes to advancing a comprehensive understanding of our oceans and coasts.
At Thursday's hearing, Cantwell also heard testimony from Dr. Scott Doney, a marine chemist from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Dr. David Conover, Dean and Director of the Marine Sciences Research Center at Stony Brook University, Dr. Lara Hansen, Chief Scientist at the World Wildlife Fund's Climate Change Program, Dr. Gordon Kruse, a Fisheries Professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and Admiral James Watkins, Co-Chair of the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative.
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