News

Rylie Neely began a PhD at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in January with a focus on air-sea flux in Arctic lagoons in Northern Alaska. Learn more about her pursuits, background and hopes for the future of the ocean.

Check out a new resource showing the many ways carbon chemistry is being measured around Alaska to better understand baseline conditions, local drivers and long term change due to ocean acidification. Thanks to UAF PhD student Rylie Neely who worked with the network to produce the map.

Ocean acidification is one of the ecosystem components identified for analysis under a new Bycatch Reduction Act introduced by Senator Sullivan (R-Alaska).

The 6th International Symposium on the Ocean in a High-CO₂ World will be held Oct 13-16 2026 in Wellington, New Zealand. The Symposium takes place every four years and convenes thought leaders and researchers from across the globe to explore the impact of rising CO₂ and help shape future ocean science solutions. Registration is open.

The International Ocean Acidification Alliance has partnered with LUMA Storytelling to create a short film “Changing Waters: Time for Action on Ocean Acidification.” The film features stories and experiences tackling OA and climate-ocean change in North America, Latin America, and the Pacific Island Region. Join introductory remarks by Rep Chellie Pingree, a screening of the film, and a panel discussion.

This webinar summarized the findings of a project that engaged fishermen from across the US to provide input on what responsible marine carbon dioxide removal would look like from the fishing community perspective. Eleven Alaska fishermen participated in roundtable discussions, and the Alaska OA Network was a partner in writing guidance memos based on the discussion. The webinar shares the recommendations, highlights new resources from the project and shares the voices of fishermen.

Read a blog post about the Ocean Sciences Meeting in Glasgow, Scotland and observations about the field of mCDR by Darcy Dugan (Alaska OA Network Director) and Sarah Schumann (Fishery Friendly Climate Action Campaign).

Seventeen Alaska OA researchers met in person at the end of January during the Alaska Marine Science Symposium to catch up on updates and discuss the topic of mCDR (marine carbon dioxide removal). The symposium week included OA posters, talks and the opportunity for good conversations.

The Ocean Acidification Research Center (OARC) at UAF is pleased to announce the ’Samples of Opportunity’ program again for summer 2026. This program gives current UA students the option to add a new tool, marine carbonate chemistry, to their data toolbox free of charge. Ocean Acidification data can be applied to interdisciplinary research areas including aquaculture, environmental change, fisheries, marine biology, natural resource management, and oceanography. Proposals are due March 15, 2026.

An ocean acidification indicator dashboard hosted by NOAA uses long-term ocean observing data to provide snapshots of ocean chemistry around the country. The dashboard includes regions within Alaska waters and provides information on the parameters, data source, and general trends. The dashboard aggregates publicly available data and is updated annually.

This webinar provides a regional overview of marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) activities along the North American Pacific Coast. Speakers will highlight regional climate goals, policy landscapes, science priorities, and ongoing mCDR projects in Alaska, Washington, British Columbia, Oregon, and California.

January 8 is “OA Day of Action”. This day was selected to bring awareness to ocean acidification and the decline of the global average pH from 8.2 to 8.1 over the past 200 years. Thank you to all the members and supporters of the Alaska OA Network and the energy, ideas and contributions you bring to this field. This year brings more opportunities to work together to address OA.

Two recent science publications calculated acidification rates in the Bering Sea over the past several decades. Both studies found that surface waters on the Bering Sea shelf have acidified due to carbon accumulation in the ocean (i.e. ocean acidification). There were also some nuances.

This spring and summer, kids in Sitka, Petersburg and Angoon got hands-on experience learning about ocean monitoring, chemistry and stewardship through a collaborative program led by UAF and Sitka Cooperative Extension Service.

Each year, information collected by over 100 scientists across Alaska and beyond is gathered and synthesized into an Ecosystem Status Report (ESR) for the North Pacific Fishery Management Council. Starting in 2019, ocean acidification has been included in the Bering Sea chapter. Read the main take-homes from last year, and expect a new edition this winter.

A researcher team in British Columbia analyzed the effects of ocean acidification and food limitation on juvenile chum salmon. Results showed a 3-fold increase in mortality under higher acidity conditions, which was not mitigated by food availability. Learn more in this interview with the researchers.

A new journal article describes different ocean acidification monitoring systems currently in use, and decision-making considerations for entities interested in establishing a local to regional scale monitoring. The article was authored by NOAA’s Ocean Acidification Program and members of the regional ocean acidification networks around the U.S., including the Alaska Ocean Acidification Network.

Earlier this month, Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski reintroduced the Coastal Communities Ocean Acidification Act which focuses on coordination and collaboration between federal, state, local and tribal entities on ocean acidification research and monitoring.

A project called “4-H pH” works with kids to understand ocean acidification. This spring, elementary-school youth in Sitka spent 5 months measuring pH, temperature and dissolved oxygen, as described in this UAF article. The project is supported by 4-H, GLOBE and UAF’s Ocean Acidification Research Center, and NOAA Ocean Acidification Program.

This webinar hosted by the Climate Friendly Fisheries Coalition will provide overview of mCDR for commercial fishermen and their communities; review results from a set of fisherman roundtables that defined key principles of “fishery sensitive” mCDR; and provide next steps for how fishermen can stay involved.