A collaborative framework for joint DFO/NOAA ocean acidification research and monitoring

Table of Contents

• Complete Text
• 1.0 Introduction
  • 1.1 Background and context
  • 1.2 DFO mission as related to ocean acidification
  • 1.3 NOAA mission as related to ocean acidification
  • 1.4 Coordination framework
  • 1.5 Value proposition
• 2.0 Monitoring
  • 2.1 Integrated monitoring
  • 2.2 Priority regions
  • 2.3 Biological indicators
• 3.0 Research, modelling and experimentation
  • 3.1 Modelling initiative
  • 3.2 Establish research priorities
• 4.0 Data and information
  • 4.1 Data sharing
  • 4.2 Inventories of science capacity
  • 4.3 Communication
• 5.0 Supports for collaboration
  • 5.1 Best practices
  • 5.2 Sharing capacity, expertise, and methodologies
  • 5.3 Other partners
  • 5.4 Technology
  • 5.5 Platforms, ships, moorings, and laboratories
• 6.0 Conclusion
  • 6.1 Summary of actionable items
  • 6.2 Future meetings
• Annex: Governance

2.0 Monitoring

2.1 Integrated monitoring

DFO and NOAA both acknowledge the benefits that would come from coordinating monitoring efforts, specifically the development of an integrated monitoring initiative, both with each other and in partnership with academic colleagues. One example of how this could be accomplished is through better coordination of monitoring cruises, individually and between the two agencies. DFO and NOAA could also coordinate static monitoring efforts (monitoring through sensors attached to fixed structures), including sharing equipment, protocols, and data reporting, as is outlined in the NOAA-ECCC MOU. An example of coordinated monitoring (government to government and with academic colleagues) which is already happening is the East Coast OA Cruise funded by NOAA but led by university Principle Investigators (PIs) at the University of New Hampshire. Colleagues from Canadian universities also participated on this cruise in 2015.

A complementary approach is to expand coordination across North America more broadly through the establishment of a North American regional network of the Global OA Observing Network. NOAA PIs are currently working with collaborators in Canada and Mexico to create a construct for a GOA-ON North American regional network. This will not preclude direct NOAA-DFO collaboration but presents another opportunity to share approaches.

Both DFO and NOAA would like to continue to increase the collection of oceanographic data on fisheries cruises, which would be useful for OA monitoring, and further integrating these data into stock assessments. This could be done by adding water sampling to monitoring activities that are already occurring on fisheries cruises. It is also important to expand the monitoring effort during oceanographic cruises to include metrics applicable to biological organisms. This would improve understanding of the environments in which species of interest are found and inform biologically relevant laboratory experimentation for future projection scenarios. In addition data collection, identifying analysis best practices for elucidating connections between changing carbonate chemistry and biological impacts will be necessary.

People living in coastal communities provide a valuable source of data and should be included in OA monitoring efforts. DFO and NOAA agree that it is important to communicate possible impacts of climate change and work with stakeholders to better manage oceans where possible. This could be achieved by supporting community-based monitoring programs, and involving aquaculture and fisheries industries that have broad coastal coverage. This may include monitoring buoys in areas of known commercial importance.

Joint monitoring by DFO and NOAA oceanographic cruises will be coordinated to increase spatial coverage and resolution, and to improve seasonal coverage for comparison and replicability. To the extent possible, DFO and NOAA will coordinate cruises to extend coverage of monitoring transects between Canadian and American waters, and improve time series and trend analysis. An important part of this coordination includes communicating the time and location of cruises, and what metrics will be sampled, in case either agency is interested and able to participate. This will require a strategic approach in order to maximize opportunities and shared expertise with continued forward planning, as often cruises are planned multiple years in advance.

2.2 Priority regions

Certain regions are high priorities for OA monitoring for both DFO and NOAA and will continue to be in the coming years. Coordinating monitoring in these regions is especially important. One means of doing so is to develop regional hubs for collaboration, with priority areas in the Arctic, the Northwest Atlantic, and the Northeast Pacific (including the Gulf of Alaska), and in known ‘hotspot’ areas for acidification (such as the Pacific). The Great Lakes represent another maritime region with shared interests. These regions represent areas that may be of exceptional commercial value or especially vulnerable to changing conditions associated with OA. In particular, there is a need for more year-round monitoring, near-shore monitoring, and benthic monitoring in coastal areas that are associated with important fisheries and aquaculture activities. This would improve understanding of climate change and OA risks to valuable resources and would help support dependent coastal communities.

The Arctic Ocean is especially susceptible to OA because the cold temperature increases carbon dioxide uptake and lowers carbonate saturation, resulting in a much lower pH and carbonate ion (CO₃^2-) concentration than in other oceans. The Arctic is a priority for both DFO and NOAA but monitoring in this area is challenging because of the large and complex area to be covered and hazardous conditions, such as the presence of sea ice, which make it difficult to access. Scientists from DFO and NOAA are participating in a draft science plan for the Synoptic Arctic Survey, a one-time initiative set to take place in 2020/2021, that involves multiple countries and research vessels, to generate a comprehensive dataset that will allow for a complete characterisation of Arctic hydrography and circulation, carbon uptake and OA, tracer distribution and pollution, and organismal and ecosystem functioning and productivity.

Another effort which could benefit from enhanced collaboration is the Distributed Biological Observatory being led by NOAA in the Chukchi Sea. The objective of the DBO is to establish geographically defined transects which various entities can commit to occupying for collection of particular pre-determined data. Information collected at the DBO areas would be made publicly available and broadly shared to all participants. Understanding Ocean Acidification impacts on the ecosystem would likely be furthered through this effort.

A common priority for DFO and NOAA is an interest in monitoring in the Atlantic Ocean focusing on the difference between the north and south oceanographic regions of the Northwest Atlantic. The Northwest Atlantic Ocean is where the highest fisheries landings in Canada occur but the region is understudied and knowledge gaps still exist. In particular, little is known about conditions and effects in the intermediate water. The intermediate water includes any water mass located at intermediate depth in the ocean, below shallow surface waters and above the deeper bottom waters. NOAA has already instrumented ships of opportunity collecting OA relevant parameters in the Northwest Atlantic. The data collected from these efforts are made broadly available. In the future, DFO and NOAA might better coordinate to identify shared needs and collect the relevant data.

To the extent possible, DFO and NOAA will prioritize monitoring in Marine Protected Areas and National Marine Sanctuaries (MPA/S). These are candidate sentinel sites for monitoring long-term changes associated with OA. DFO is currently involved in monitoring within existing MPA/S and is developing a proposed larger network of areas. NOAA is considering similar monitoring for MPA/S off the northwest coast of the US (Olympic Coast). It would be beneficial to work together to determine how monitoring at a sentinel site might be configured.

2.3 Biological indicators

A bioindicator is any biological species or group of species whose function, population, or state can reveal the qualitative status of the environment. DFO and NOAA agree that, when identifying bioindicators, priority will be given to commercially important species, species at risk (i.e. endangered), and critical prey species. Some metrics of bioindicator taxa that have been discussed include survival, biomass/population, spatial distribution, plankton productivity and the ratio of calcifiers to non-calcifiers. It is also important to assess impacts of acidification on primary producers, as they form the base of marine food webs and determine the ecosystem capacity to sustain commercial fisheries. Although more information is required, bivalves could be a potential bioindicator because they are sessile, are worldwide fisheries and aquaculture organisms, have been used for decades in water quality assessments, have known sensitivity to OA, and occur on both Atlantic and Pacific Coasts. Once biological indicators are identified they could be incorporated into routine fishery cruises and management actions. Global networks (e.g., Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network (GOA-ON)) are currently engaged in identifying suitable biological indicators that could be used or modified for DFO and NOAA research.