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MRAC: Ocean acidification narrows favorable seasons for shellfish; state monitoring and adaptation investments urged
Summary
Marine Resources Advisory Council chair Betsy Peabody and scientists told the Senate committee that ocean acidification — compounded by coastal processes like upwelling — has shortened the season of 'favorable water' for shellfish in Puget Sound and that continued state investment in monitoring, mitigation (nutrient reduction) and adaptation (kelp co‑culture, hatchery buffering) is essential.
Betsy Peabody, chair of the Marine Resources Advisory Council, told the Senate Ag & Natural Resources Committee that Washington state has taken a leadership role in studying and responding to ocean acidification, which she described as already affecting local economies and marine species.
Micah Horwath, senior scientist on ocean acidification at the Washington Department of Ecology, explained that ocean acidification is driven by carbon dioxide absorbed from the atmosphere, which forms carbonic acid in seawater and…
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