Ocean acidification off Alaska, particularly the southern coast, could threaten a state economy that depends heavily on a healthy fishery, according to a study funded by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and published in the journal Progress in Oceanography. “Not only will the state’s commercial fishing sector be badly hit by a growth in acidification, but it will also affect subsistence fisherpeople whose diet mainly consists of the catch from local waters,” Climate News Network reports. “Among the sea species most vulnerable to acidification are shellfish, because a build-up of acid in waters prevents species developing their calcium shells. Alaska’s salmon stocks are also at risk,” since small shell creatures are an important part of their diet. Scientists say the oceans have become 30% more acidic since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. (h/t to Environmental Entrepreneurs for pointing us to this story)
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