The Workshop on Understanding the Impacts and Consequences of Ocean Acidification for Commercial Species and End-users (WKACIDUSE) will convene 5-9 December at ICES Secretariat in Copenhagen, leading the organization into areas related to the understanding of acidification and it consequences for marine organisms, ecosystems, and those who use and interact with the ocean. One key outcome of its remit will be collecting the available state of the art science to support the advisory process, acting on a need to translate existing information for decision-making in the long term.
With levels of carbon dioxide being released into Earth's atmosphere on the rise and now approaching 400 parts per million, the ocean, which absorbs a quarter of the gas, is increasingly bearing the load. The resulting change in seawater chemistry has become one of the most studied marine-related topics in the last decade, and most research suggests the effects vary between groups of organisms, with potentially dramatic consequences for some ecosystems.
As well as research, a mass of published laboratory and field based experiments points to apparently contradictory biological responses and impacts. The workshop will seek to identify factors that are responsible for this variability, looking at how acidification affects marine life in fisheries and aquaculture both alone and in combination with other stressors. WKACIDUSE will also look at the consequences for end-users of ecosystems and who could likely be affected, offering practical solutions in terms of adaptation. Issues for policy colleagues such as OSPAR and AMAP as well as links support for sister organization PICES will also be explored.
Experts attending the workshop will also consider the prevailing conditions and spatio-temporal scales for gauging species' responses and study species' adaptation taking into account everything from behaviour to genetics.
The group is seeking participation from experts working on ocean acidification as well as those who may need to take account of these possible future changes, including chemists, monitoring experts, modellers, stock assessors, and social scientists. End-users such as shellfish farmers, processors, retailers, and national fisheries policy managers who may have an interest in this information to ensure future adaptation are also welcomed.
If you are interested in participating, contact Maria Lifentseva at the ICES Secretariat.
