National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Ocean Acidification Effects in Maryland Waters:
Assessment, Findings and Recommendations

About Our Speaker

Eric Schwaab is the Senior Vice President and Chief Conservation Officer at the National Aquarium, where he provides leadership and management of the Aquarium's national conservation program. Prior to joining the Aquarium, Eric served in several leadership positions at NOAA. Appointed as Assistant Administrator for Fisheries in 2010, Eric directed the National Marine Fisheries Service, the federal agency responsible for science, management and conservation of federal fisheries, marine mammals, sea turtles and other protected resources within the United States, subsequently serving as the US Department of Commerce acting Assistant Secretary for Conservation and Management. Eric also served as Deputy Secretary of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and in other leadership positions there. He was appointed by Governor O’Malley in 2014 to chair Maryland’s Task Force to Study the Impact of Ocean Acidification on State Waters.

About the Talk

Increased atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and accompanying sea surface gas exchanges and coastal upwelling events are having physical, chemical, biological and economic effects for oceans and coastal communities. Less is known about the more complex acidification processes in shallow estuarine environments like Maryland’s Chesapeake and Coastal Bays, or the potential impacts that may be posed to the aquaculture industry and important oyster, crab, striped bass fisheries in the region. This presentation will highlight work of Maryland’s Ocean Acidification Task Force, commissioned by the Maryland General Assembly in 2014, to enhance understanding and action in response to ocean acidification of Maryland State waters.

Slides

PDF of slides

Recording

View directly on Youtube

Studies of Interest

• A sea scallop study funded by NOAA's Ocean Acidification Program: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0124145#abstract0
• A vulnerabilty analysis of U.S. shellfisheries to ocean acidification: http://www.nature.com/nclimate/journal/v5/n3/full/nclimate2508.html

This talk was held at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center on May 26, 2015, as part of the Carbon Monitoring System Applications Policy Speaker Series.

For upcoming events, check out CMS Applications Policy Speaker Series.

Your suggestions for future speakers or feedback about our series are welcomed.  Contact the Applications Team.