Panel: Ocean acidification threatens lucrative shellfish sector
Colin A. Young
State House News Service
BOSTON As a result of climate change and direct human factors, the waters of the Atlantic Ocean off Massachusetts are becoming more acidic, making them a less friendly habitat for the shellfish that drive a key industry here.
With no action, many of the scallops, clams, mollusks and lobsters at the bottom of the ocean in the Gulf of Maine will begin to dissolve by 2060 and new ones will struggle to form, imperiling an industry that supports thousands of people in the Bay State, a special commission said in a report Tuesday, Feb. 9.
Maine lobsterman stacking traps at dawn. (AP)
The Massachusetts fishing economy generates more than $600 million annually and supports more than 5,700 jobs, according to the UMass Dartmouth Public Policy Center.
But a new report from the Massachusetts Special Legislative Commission on Ocean Acidification says the industry could suffer serious losses by the end of the century if ocean acidification a process propelled by climate change goes unaddressed.
“Ocean acidification is an existential threat to marine ecosystems and the livelihood of the people who work in them,” said state Rep. Dylan Fernandes, who led the commission that published the report.
As ocean water grows more acidic, shellfish struggle to form and maintain healthy protective shells, making them less likely to survive. Ocean acidification poses a particular threat to oysters, lobsters, and clams.
Panel: Ocean acidification threatens lucrative shellfish sector
Colin A. Young
BOSTON As a result of climate change and direct human factors, the waters of the Atlantic Ocean off Massachusetts are becoming more acidic, making them a less friendly habitat for the shellfish that drive a key industry here.
With no action, many of the scallops, clams, mollusks and lobsters at the bottom of the ocean in the Gulf of Maine will begin to dissolve by 2060 and new ones will struggle to form, imperiling an industry that supports thousands of people in the Bay State, a special commission said in a report Tuesday.
The Martha s Vineyard Times
Ocean acidification endangers local aquaculture
New state report shows carbon emissions and nutrient pollution pose greatest threats.
A new report by the Massachusetts Special Commission on Ocean Acidification identifies necessary steps the commonwealth can take to mitigate acidification and eutrophication of local water bodies.
The rise in ocean acidification is disproportionately affecting marine economies and ecosystems in Massachusetts particularly those of mollusks, which have a higher mortality rate based on the acidity of the water.
In order to address the rapid rise in ocean acidification over the past several years, the Massachusetts Special Commission on Ocean Acidification Tuesday released a report laying out necessary steps to take in combating this environmental and economic crisis.
Colin A. Young
State House News Service
As a result of climate change and direct human factors, the waters of the Atlantic Ocean off Massachusetts are becoming more acidic, making them a less friendly habitat for the shellfish that drive a key industry here.
With no action, many of the scallops, clams, mollusks and lobsters at the bottom of the ocean in the Gulf of Maine will begin to dissolve by 2060 and new ones will struggle to form, imperiling an industry that supports thousands of people in the Bay State, a special commission said in a report Tuesday.
The Special Legislative Commission on Ocean Acidification recommended that Massachusetts establish a broad ocean acidification monitoring system and funnel more money into existing programs that address some of the things that are making the ocean more acidic, like residential and agricultural runoff, septic discharges and the deterioration of natural wetlands.