Scientists deploying more ocean acidification monitoring equipment off Washington's Olympic Peninsula

Scientists with NOAA and the University of Washington's Applied Physics Lab are adding more ocean acidification monitoring equipment off the coast of the Olympic Peninsula near LaPush, Wa, just douth of the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the gateway to Puget Sound. A recently release study showed pH levels in Puget Sound and Hood Canal that are sharply lower than normal -- that is, more acidic. Levels have been found as low as 7.4. Normal is around 8.1. While, the increased acidity has been linked to a combination of carbon dioxide emitted by industries, power plants and vehicles, and to nutrient runoff, scientists are adding the equipment to better understand why acidity is skyrocketing in the ocean and in the Sound. For more on the data collection effort, see the article here. Excellent primers on ocean acidification can be found on our "LEARN" page, including two new videos recently added.