1. Ocean Acidification: Biological Impacts and Research
Robert Foy and Tom Hurst
2014 AOOS Ocean Acidification Workshop
Linking Knowledge to Need: Responding to Ocean Acidification (OA) in Alaska
Alaska Fisheries Science Center
December 2, 2014

2. NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center Research Approach
Focal species groups
Commercially important fish and shellfish species;
Their prey (calcareous plankton);
And shelter (corals).
Objectives
Ocean pH monitoring
Understand species-specific physiological responses;
Forecast population impacts and economic consequences.

3. King and Tanner Crab Research
W. Christopher Long, Katherine M. Swiney, and Robert J. Foy
pilot experiments: effects of pH change on growth and survival of blue king crab.
2008 AFSC ocean acidification research plan
methods development:
water chemistry and mineral measurement method development
effective CO2 delivery system designed for red king crab
Additional response variables
experimentation:
Red king crab larval growth and survival response to increased pCO2
Golden king crab adult physiological response to increased pCO2
Tanner crab larval and adult response to increased pCO2
Long, Swiney, Foy Effects of Ocean acidification on embryos and larvae of red king crab, Paralithodes camtschaticus. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 69:
Long, Swiney, Harris, Page, Foy Effects of ocean acidification on juvenile red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) and Tanner crab (Chionoecetes bairdi). PLoS ONE 8(4).

4. King and Tanner Crab Research
Why Crab??
Important shell (cuticle) components are chitin, calcium carbonate and protein
Calcium carbonate occurs mainly as calcite although the amorphous form sometimes occurs
red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus)
blue king crab (Paralithodes platypus)
golden king crab (Lithodes aequispinus)

5. Affected by CaCO3 saturation state?
King and Tanner Crab Research
Depth distributions
Affected by pH?
Affected by CaCO3 saturation state?
As depth increases: (pressure increases, temperature decreases, and pH decreases) – all of which promote the dissolution of CaCO3.

6. King and Tanner Crab Research
Experiments:
Red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) adult females
Red king crab embryos and larvae
Red king crab juveniles
Tanner crab (Chionoecetes bairdi) juveniles
Golden king crab (Lithodes aequispinus) adults
Response variables: Survival, fecundity, morphometrics (image analysis), growth (width and wet mass), calcification
Treatment system:
Flow through CO2 delivery system
pH control
Daily pH, temperature, and salinity measurement
Weekly water samples taken for DIC and Alkalinity

7. Kodiak Fisheries Research Center Seawater Facility
OA Treatment system:
Open, flow through CO2 delivery system
2 L/min – 10 L/min
Current capability: 1 control, 4 CO2 treatments
In construction: 2 controls, 8 CO2 treatments, 3 temperature treatments, variable control
pH control
Daily pH, temperature, and salinity measurement
Weekly water samples taken for DIC and Alkalinity

8. Red King Crab Embryos Adult females collected from Bristol Bay fishery
pHs: Ambient and 7.7 (~2100)
Decreased pH associated with smaller eggs and embryos and larger yolks.

9. Red King Crab Larvae Larvae collected as they hatched
Starvation survival experiments fully crossed with “mom” treatments
5 replicates with 20 larvae
pHs: ambient and 7.7
Calcification increased
Morphometrics varied
Survival decreased
control “mom” and control larvae
acidified “mom” and acidified larvae

10. Red King Crab Juveniles
Crabs held in individual containers
Control, pH 7.8, pH 7.5
30 crabs/treatment
Check for molts/mortalities
Measure pH/temp
Growth (length and mass) reduced
Calcium content did not change
Tradeoff?

11. Red King Crab Juveniles
Crabs held in individual containers
Control, pH 7.8, pH 7.5
30 crabs/treatment
Survival decreased with decreasing pH

12. King Crab Population Effects
Michael Dalton, Andre Punt
Bristol Bay red king crab fishery:
OA scenarios based on trends in recruitment
Forecasts based on bioeconomic model linked to a population dynamics model
USCG
UAF

13. King Crab Population Effects: Red King Crab
stock dynamics without OA
At a pH of 7.8 stocks and catches decline
Under current catch levels fishery would be closed in about 2100
Punt, Poljak, Dalton, Foy Evaluating the impact of ocean acidification on fishery yields and profits: The example of red king crab in Bristol Bay. Ecological Modeling. 285:
stock dynamics with OA

14. Ocean Acidification outreach
Kodiak Fisheries Research Center Ocean Science Discovery Lab
NMFS and Kodiak Island Borough School District collaboration
Goal: to improve Ocean Science Literacy in grades K -12
Middle School: What is OA? How do you measure ocean pH?
Intro to pH scale and ocean chemistry
Algal growth and plankton exposure experiments
High School: HS Oceanography class
Local OA background
Global OA implications
Climate change

15. Thank you. Questions? WWW.AFSC.NOAA.GOV
Alaska Fisheries Science Center Research Staff