Ocean Acidification

Programmatic and cross agency

Ocean Acidification

• Predicted to have a major impact on ocean ecosystems if limited plasticity to increasing acidity

• Decreased yields in coastal, mariculture, and oceanic fisheries (>10%)

• Potential for multiplicative effects on coastal ecosystems habitats

Ocean Acidification

• NZ Government has offered to support initial work to prepare Pacific Communities for adaptations to ocean acidification.

• Joint initiative of SPC, USP, SPREP, NIWA, JCU and NOAA.

Ocean Acidification

• Proposes to Ocean Acidification Regional Strategy

• Provide support for national policy development

• Commence adaptations including monitoring.• Provide capacity building opportunities.• ID hotspots.

Fisheries• Expand partnership to FFA, CLS, Max Planck, PITIA,

Cornell University• Analyses to assess the impact of acidification on tuna

yields• Regional vulnerability analyses• Aquaculture site selection• Establish long-term monitoring sites and adaptation

experiments– CC Monitoring sites– Pristine site– Video based monitoring of coastal stocks and habitats

HoF9• Inform you of the commencement of this work• Advice that USAID is considering further support for

this work in the Pacific• Would be useful for HoF9 to provide some guidance on

the importance of this work to help USAID with its priorities– “HoF9 considers ocean acidification to be a major threat to

the health of the ocean resources of the Pacific and the ability for communities to achieve development objectives. HoF9 encourages work that will assist the Pacific Community with implementing adaptations that will minimise the impact of ocean acidification”