February 2022 — Ocean Acidification
Approximately 25% of anthropogenic, or man-made, carbon dioxide is taken each year from the atmosphere by the world’s oceans — without which, the earth’s atmosphere would have a higher greenhouse gas concentration and temperature.
While pulling carbon dioxide from the atmosphere helps fight climate change, it leads to problems for the world’s oceans, as dissolved carbon dioxide becomes carbonic acid and leads to ocean acidification, changing the chemistry of the world’s oceans and impacting some of the life forms within it.
To help determine the causes of ocean acidification, University of Delaware professor Wei-Jun Cai teamed with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists and others to look at carbon dioxide uptake and ocean acidification in the coastal oceans of North America. Through this work, researchers were able to identify the similarities and differences of ocean acidification on both coasts, as well as point out hot spots that will be particularly vulnerable to ocean acidification in the future.
To learn more, check out the latest episode of SeaTalk, or visit the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information’s page on Ocean Acidification Data for Coasts.
Notable Dates in February
February 2 — World Wetlands Day aims to raise global awareness about the vital role of wetlands in our environment. Wetlands are land areas that are saturated or flooded with water either permanently or seasonally. Delaware has many different kinds of wetlands, including coastal salt marshes and seasonal forest ponds. For more information, visit the official World Wetlands Day webpage, or learn more about Delaware wetlands at DNREC.
February 5 — The Chesapeake Bay Bowl is a regional competition of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB), featuring teams of high school students from Maryland, Delaware, southeastern Pennsylvania, Northern Virginia and Washington D.C. To learn more about the competition, visit their official page.
February 18 — Deadline for the John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship. Sponsored by NOAA’s National Sea Grant College Program, the Knauss Fellowship provides a unique educational experience in the policies and processes of the federal government to graduate students who have an interest in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources and in the national policy decisions affecting these resources. Click here to learn more and apply.