Coastal acidification in estuaries: lessons of vulnerability and exposure from the Eastern oyster - Livestream

Predicting exposure and vulnerability of estuarine ecosystems to coastal acidification requires a good understanding of global ocean acidification as well as the complex, existing spatial and temporal gradients in carbonate chemistry. To anticipate effects of coastal acidification on coastal species, like the Eastern oyster, it is crucial to characterize existing variability in carbonate chemistry and interpret this variability in the context of a population’s tolerance thresholds. First, I will discuss emerging results from investigations of acidification tolerance thresholds in Eastern oysters. Then, I will present a case study for leveraging water quality time series to explore excursions of water chemistry below physiological tolerance thresholds. Then, I will summarize of our efforts to characterize regional drivers of exposure and vulnerability, including submerged aquatic vegetation and stakeholder resilience. This work provides important insight on when and where impacts of coastal acidification on Eastern oysters may first emerge in the Chesapeake Bay region.

Speaker: Emily Rivest, Virginia Institute of Marine Science

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