February 24, 2015
Posted by admin
Vulnerability and adaptation of US shellfisheries to ocean acidification
Luke co-authored a paper published in Nature Climate Change on the vulnerability of US shellfisheries to ocean acidification. The paper assesses multiple economic and social risk factors associated with ocean acidification, focusing on the reliance of US coastal regions on shelled mollusc harvests and the capacity of these communities to adapt to reductions in harvests. The results show that 16 out of 23 regions in the US are exposed to rapid acidification, with marine ecosystems around the Pacific Northwest and Southern Alaska expected to be affected soonest. Adaptive capacity (indicated by status of government policies on OA, employment alternatives and availability of science, for example) is combined with economic dependency on shelled molluscs, to identify the most vulnerable communities, which are found to be located along the East Coast of the US and Gulf of Mexico. This analysis demonstrates varied causes of vulnerability along the US coastline, as well as highlighting important gaps in knowledge and information that should be addressed to facilitate adaptation.
The article can be accessed here: http://www.nature.com/nclimate/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nclimate2508.html