The Olympic Coast as a Sentinel: An Integrated Social-Ecological Regional Vulnerability Assessment to Ocean Acidification

Jan Newton,  University of Washington,  janewton@uw.edu
Melissa Poe,  Washington Sea Grant,  mpoe@uw.edu
Simone Alin,  NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory,  simone.r.alin@noaa.gov (Presenter)
Samantha Siedlecki,  University of Connecticut,  samantha.siedlecki@uconn.edu
Melissa Watkinson,  Washington Sea Grant,  mkwatkin@uw.edu
Joe Schumacker,  Quinault Indian Nation,  jschumacker@quinault.org
Katie Wrubel,  Makah Tribe,  katie.wrubel@makah.com
Joel Greene,  Hoh Tribe,  joel.greene@hohtribe-nsn.org
Jennifer Hagen,  Quileute Tribe,  jennifer.hagen@quileutenation.org
Jenny Waddell,  NOAA Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary,  jenny.waddell@noaa.gov
Steven Fradkin,  Olympic National Park,  steven_fradkin@nps.gov
Meg Chadsey,  Washington Sea Grant,  mchadsey@uw.edu
Richard Feely,  NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory,  richard.a.feely@noaa.gov
Adrienne Sutton,  NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory,  adrienne.sutton@noaa.gov

We are engaged in conducting an interdisciplinary regional approach to assess the coupled social and ecological vulnerability to ocean acidification along the Olympic Coast, located in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Ocean acidification is a carbon cycle perturbation associated with the ocean uptake of excess atmospheric carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This regional vulnerability assessment brings together original social science research, synthesis of existing chemical and biological data from open ocean to intertidal areas, and model projections of ocean conditions later this century, to assess current and projected vulnerabilities associated with ocean acidification. Our overarching goal is to provide an assessment of coupled social-ecological vulnerability to effects from ocean acidification developed in an actionable interdisciplinary framework that strengthens capacities for vulnerable place-based communities to adapt and will be transferable to other locations. The Olympic Coast stands as a region already experiencing effects from ocean acidification, which poses risks to marine resources important to the public, especially local Native American tribes who are rooted in this place and have depended on marine treaty-protected resources since time immemorial. Harvest and use of local marine species are central to the well-being of coastal tribes for their livelihoods, food security, and cultural practices. Thus, ocean acidification can create unique and disproportionate social vulnerabilities that must be addressed within appropriate regional and cultural contexts. Integrating social and natural sciences is enabling identification of direct and indirect exposures and sensitivities of key biological resources and coastal communities to ocean acidification. This collaborative project is developed in partnership with tribal co-investigators and regional resource managers and is rooted in a focus on local priorities for social, cultural, and ecological health and adaptive capacity.

Recording: Video_Talk_Newton_23_21.mp4 

Presentation Type: Talk

Session: Vulnerability, Resilience, Adaptation and Mitigation in the Context of Carbon-Climate Feedbacks

Session Date: Friday (3/12) 3:40 PM