The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is studying changes in ocean carbon distributions and pH changes and what's happening to coastal and pelagic (open ocean) ecosystems including commercially important fish and shellfish species. CO2, an acidic gas, causes an increase in hydrogen ion concentration in the upper ocean. Mid-1990s surveys data from the world oceans shows a 30% increase in acidity since 1850; a recent Pacific Ocean survey shows a 6% increase in the last 15 years.

Even slowing the CO₂ emission rate a little can help species adapt to the change. Driving less, using less electricity, and adapting to alternative fuel sources could help turn around the current trend.

Among NOAA's goals are to:

• Expand ocean acidification research and modeling efforts
• Develop advanced carbon chemistry technology

NOAA PMEL is working collaboratively with the University of Washington, the Washington Department of Ecology and the Environmental Protection Agency to assess the status of ocean acidification in Puget Sound, WA. As part of the UW PRISM (Puget Sound Regional Synthesis Model) program semi-annual PRISM cruises have observed oceanographic properties since 1998.

In 2008, NOAA scientists went on two PRISM cruises, in February and August, to measure the status of ocean acidification (view article). Results have been published in an article in Estuarine, Coastal, and Shelf Sciences in August 2010 (Feely et al., 2010) and can be found at the NOAA PMEL website.