Evaluating the Impact of Ocean Acidification on Seafood – a Global Approach

Concern about the impacts of ocean acidification on economically and socially important seafood is increasing world-wide, and ocean acidification is now an integral part of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Sustainable Development Goal 14.3 seeks to “minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levels”. This CRP will apply a novel collaborative approach to assess the impacts of ocean acidification on key seafood species (e.g., oysters, mussels, shrimps, lobsters and/or fish) in 10 to 15 geographical locations (Member States). The CRP will build on capacity building activities and methodology developed in the framework of the IAEA “Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre” and the inter-regional Technical Cooperation project INT7019. Each CRP participant will carry out a long-term study using a common experimental approach and similar methodology to evaluate both quantitative and qualitative impacts of ocean acidification on a locally important seafood species in their country. Impacts will be assessed using both conventional and nuclear and isotopic techniques. The data collected will provide an overview of ocean acidification impacts on key seafood species around the world, and lay the basis for the development and implementation of adaptive solutions. This will be the first time such an approach to study ocean acidification is conceived and put into practice. Successful implementation of this CRP will provide MSs with new perspectives and strategies on how to build resilience in their respective coastal/marine waters to the impacts of ocean acidification.