Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA.
College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA.
Sci Rep. 2017 May 31;7(1):2526. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-02777-y.
The near-term progression of ocean acidification (OA) is projected to bring about sharp changes in the chemistry of coastal upwelling ecosystems. The distribution of OA exposure across these early-impact systems, however, is highly uncertain and limits our understanding of whether and how spatial management actions can be deployed to ameliorate future impacts. Through a novel coastal OA observing network, we have uncovered a remarkably persistent spatial mosaic in the penetration of acidified waters into ecologically-important nearshore habitats across 1,000 km of the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem. In the most severe exposure hotspots, suboptimal conditions for calcifying organisms encompassed up to 56% of the summer season, and were accompanied by some of the lowest and most variable pH environments known for the surface ocean. Persistent refuge areas were also found, highlighting new opportunities for local adaptation to address the global challenge of OA in productive coastal systems.
海洋酸化（OA）的近期发展预计将给上升流生态系统的化学特性带来急剧变化。然而，这些早期受影响系统中 OA 暴露的分布具有高度不确定性，限制了我们对空间管理措施是否以及如何部署以减轻未来影响的理解。通过一个新的沿海 OA 观测网络，我们在加利福尼亚洋流大海洋生态系统的 1000 公里范围内，发现了一个在酸化水域穿透到生态上重要的近岸生境的惊人的、持久的空间镶嵌模式。在最严重的暴露热点，对钙化生物不利的条件占据了夏季季节的高达 56%，并伴随着已知的表面海洋中最低和最不稳定的 pH 值环境。还发现了持久的避难所区域，为应对沿海富产系统中 OA 的全球性挑战提供了适应的新机会。
