Legislature(2011 - 2012)CAPITOL 120
02/23/2012 05:00 PM House FISHERIES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB100 | |
| HJR10 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 100 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HJR 10 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HJR 10-OCEAN ACIDIFICATION RESEARCH
CHAIR THOMPSON announced that the final order of business would
be HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 10, Supporting expanded research
concerning the detrimental effects of ocean acidification.
5:51:42 PM
REPRESENTATIVE AUSTERMAN moved to adopt the proposed committee
substitute (CS) for HJR 10, Version 27-LS0167\M, Nauman,
2/21/12, as a work draft. There being no objection, Version M
was before the committee.
5:52:18 PM
REPRESENTATIVE BETH KERTTULA, Alaska State Legislature, as the
prime sponsor, asked that Monica Kunat present the proposed
resolution.
5:52:30 PM
MONIKA KUNAT, Intern, Representative Beth Kerttula, Alaska State
Legislature, paraphrasing from a prepared statement, which read
as follows [original punctuation provided]:
Good Evening Mr. Chair, members of the committee. For
the Record, my name is Monika Kunat and I am an Intern
to Representative Kerttula.
I am very honored to have the privilege of speaking to
you this evening. As a child, I spent most of my life
living on a boat in Alaska. My father is a commercial
diver, and I understand the important role the oceans
have in Alaska's Economy.
House Joint Resolution 10 is about the threat Ocean
Acidification poses to many sectors of Alaska's
economy.
Alaskan oceans are important, they support not only
our communities, and they are also a huge player on
the global markets, helping feed the world.
Tourism, fishing, substance, and recreation in Alaska
are all supported by healthy ocean ecosystems.
Carbon dioxide absorbed by the ocean has altered ocean
chemistry.
The implications of ocean acidification are still
being researched; however, it is clear that ocean
acidification makes it more difficult for organisms
that build shells to survive.
Why does this matter?
Many of these organisms are the main food source for
fish that support our fisheries industry. For example,
the petropod, a type of plankton whose survival is
contingent on its ability to build a carbonate shell,
is a main food source for salmon.
Because of the interconnected nature of marine
ecosystems, it is clear how ocean acidification may be
serious threat to many types of marine life.
Mr. Chair, members of the committee, to solve a
problem the problem must be first understood. This
resolution establishes that the legislature is
supportive of the research to better understand how
ocean acidification affects Alaska's Oceans and
consequently the industries that rely on the oceans
bounty.
The full implications of ocean acidification are
unclear. However there is an opportunity to support a
better understanding of ocean acidification. If we
choose not to seek information, about this serious
threat, we will be tying the hands of the young future
generations of Alaskans. However choosing to support
research for the understanding of Ocean Acidification
leaves us with an open opportunity to find solutions
for this grave threat.
Thank you again for the opportunity to testify, and I
would appreciate your support of the Resolution.
5:55:11 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MILLER asked when ocean acidification was first
recognized.
MS. KUNAT deferred to another witness.
5:55:48 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HERRON asked if any major research was being
conducted in Alaska at this time.
MS. KUNAT replied that Dr. Mathis at University of Alaska
Fairbanks (UAF) was conducting research, and that the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was conducting
research in Kodiak.
5:56:40 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HERRON, pointing out that the data indicated that
ocean acidification was most dangerous to shell fish, asked
about the effects on salmon.
5:57:00 PM
MS. KUNAT relayed that the food chain of the salmon was
threatened, and she deferred any further details to one of the
other witnesses.
5:58:05 PM
RICHARD A. FEELY, Ph.D., Senior Fellow, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), provided testimony (via
teleconference) on the effects of acidification of the world
oceans, paraphrasing from a prepared statement, which read as
follows [original punctuation provided]:
I am a NOAA Senior Fellow and head of the Carbon
Program at the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory
in Seattle, Washington. My expertise is in ocean
carbon measurements and ocean acidification. Thank you
for giving Dr. Mathis and myself the opportunity to
speak with you today on ocean acidification, its
impacts on marine life, and potential economic
impacts.
Fundamental measurable changes in seawater chemistry
are occurring throughout the world's oceans. Over the
past two and a half centuries, the release of 2
trillion tons carbon dioxide from our industrial and
agricultural activities has resulted in atmospheric
carbon dioxide levels that have increased from about
280 to 392 parts per million. To date, the oceans have
absorbed about one third of the carbon emissions
released by human activities during this period. This
natural process of absorption has benefited humankind
by significantly reducing the greenhouse gas levels in
the atmosphere and reducing some of the impacts of
global warming. However, decades of ocean observation
and research sponsored by NOAA, the National Science
Foundation and the Department of Energy show that the
ocean's daily uptake of 22 million tons of carbon
dioxide is having a significant impact on the
chemistry and biology of the oceans.
When carbon dioxide reacts with seawater, chemical
changes occur that cause a decrease in seawater pH and
carbonate ions. These chemical changes are commonly
referred to as "ocean acidification." Scientists have
estimated that surface ocean pH has fallen by about
0.1 units since the beginning of the industrial
revolution. Since the pH scale, like the Richter
scale, is logarithmic, this change represents
approximately a 30 percent increase in ocean acidity.
Future predictions indicate that the oceans will
continue to absorb carbon dioxide and become even more
acidic. Estimates of future carbon dioxide levels,
based on business as usual emission scenarios,
indicate that by the end of this century the surface
waters of the ocean could be nearly 150 percent more
acidic, resulting in a pH that the oceans haven't
experienced for more than 20 million years.
Many marine organisms that produce calcium carbonate
shells or skeletons, such as crabs, oysters, scallops,
and pteropods, are negatively impacted by the
increasing carbon dioxide levels and decreasing pH in
seawater. For example, increasing ocean acidification
has been shown to significantly reduce the ability of
reef-building corals to produce their skeletons. Coral
biologists have reported that ocean acidification
could compromise the successful fertilization, larval
settlement and survivorship of Elkhorn coral, an
endangered species. These research results suggest
that ocean acidification could severely impact the
ability of coral reefs to recover from disturbance.
Other research indicates that, by the end of this
century, coral reefs may erode faster than they can be
rebuilt. This could compromise the long-term viability
of these ecosystems and perhaps impact the estimated
one million species that depend on coral reef habitat.
Ongoing research is showing that decreasing pH may
also have deleterious effects on commercially
important fish and shellfish larvae. King crab,
herring and cod exhibit high mortality rates in carbon
dioxide-enriched waters. The calcification rates of
the edible mussel and Pacific oyster decline linearly
with increasing carbon dioxide levels. Since 2006,
some oyster hatcheries in the Pacific Northwest have
experienced mass mortalities of oyster larvae in
association with a combination of factors, including
the upwelling of cold, carbon dioxide-rich waters.
Scientists have also seen a reduced ability of some
types of marine plankton to produce protective
carbonate shells. These organisms are important food
sources for other marine organisms. One type of free-
swimming mollusk called a pteropod is eaten by
organisms ranging in size from tiny krill to whales.
Pteropods are a major food source for North Pacific
juvenile salmon, and are also food for mackerel,
herring, and cod.
Since ocean acidification research is still in its
infancy, it is impossible to predict exactly how these
impacts will cascade throughout the marine food chain
and affect the overall structure of marine ecosystems.
It is clear, however, from both the existing data and
from the geologic record that some coral and shellfish
species will be negatively impacted in a high- carbon
dioxide ocean. The rapid disappearance of many
calcifying species in past extinction events has been
attributed, in many cases, to ocean acidification
events. Over the next century, if carbon dioxide
emissions are allowed to increase as predicted by
business as usual carbon emissions scenarios,
humankind may be responsible for making the oceans
more corrosive to calcifying organisms than at any
time in the last 20 million years.
The impact of ocean acidification on fisheries and
coral reef ecosystems could reverberate through the
U.S. and global economy. The U.S. is the third largest
seafood consumer in the world with total consumer
spending for fish and shellfish around $70 billion per
year. Coastal and marine commercial fishing generates
upwards of $35 billion per year and employs nearly
70,000 people. The total value of U.S. commercial
harvests from U.S. waters and at-sea processing was
approximately $4 billion in 2007.
In conclusion, ocean acidification is caused by the
buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and can
have significant impacts on marine ecosystems. Ocean
acidification is an emerging scientific issue and much
research is needed before all of the ecosystems'
responses are well understood. However, to the limit
that the scientific community understands this issue
right now, the potential for environmental, economic
and societal risk is quite high, hence demanding
serious and immediate attention.
6:04:47 PM
REPRESENTATIVE PRUITT asked if Dr. Feely had been involved with
the writing of proposed HJR 10.
DR. FEELY replied that he had not.
REPRESENTATIVE PRUITT read from page 2, line 11 of the proposed
resolution:
Whereas carbon dioxide absorbed by the oceans has
altered ocean chemistry, increasing the acidity of the
ocean by 30 percent on average since the start of the
Industrial Revolution;
He asked about the availability of baseline data from prior to
the Industrial Revolution.
DR. FEELY explained that this information was obtained from
models which depicted the increase of CO2 in the atmosphere,
based on ice core records reflecting back 800,000 years. He
stated that these ice cores offered a good indication for the
atmospheric concentration of CO2. He reported that his research
for NOAA included the utilization of models for the circulation
of anthropogenic carbon dioxide into the ocean, which showed the
changes from pre-Industrial to the present.
6:06:37 PM
REPRESENTATIVE PRUITT asked about the increases to acidification
during the most recent 20-30 years, as the use of hydrocarbon
fuels had increased.
DR. FEELY reported that the data from the Atlantic, Pacific, and
Arctic Oceans indicated a decrease of .02 pH units per decade.
REPRESENTATIVE PRUITT asked if there was any impact from
underwater volcanoes.
DR. FEELY explained that the CO2 release of fossil fuels by
mankind into the atmosphere, and its absorption by the oceans,
was 50 times per year the CO2 release of volcanoes.
REPRESENTATIVE PRUITT asked what outcome or solution was
expected.
DR. FEELY relayed that this was a broad question, and quite
difficult to answer. He offered an example that in 2006 the
hatchery workers had discovered a steep decline in the oyster
populations, which had been verified as a result of
acidification. Observing systems for pH were set up in the
hatcheries which detected increases in pH, and the hatcheries
would then avoid using water during those times. He pointed out
that in one year the production had been turned around. He
explained that the research was to provide information for
organism response to CO2, and to develop adaptation strategies.
6:11:32 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MILLER asked if the pH level for acidification
was uniform in all the world's oceans.
DR. FEELY, in response, explained that many studies were being
conducted for CO2 changes in the atmosphere and the
corresponding oceans, and that most of the oceans were
demonstrating a clear increase commensurate with atmospheric
increases. He pointed out that in some small, specialized
places, changes in the biological productivity were able to
counteract the CO2 changes.
REPRESENTATIVE MILLER asked at what level of pH change did an
indication of problems become evident.
DR. FEELY reported that each species had a different method and
level of toleration for pH variance. He noted that shelled
organisms had a negative response to increased CO2. Although
the Pacific oyster was very sensitive, other oyster species had
a different level of tolerance. He pointed out that the
research had only just begun in recent years.
6:14:52 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MILLER, reflecting that absorption appeared to be
more prevalent in surface waters, asked how deep surface waters
were and if the acidification would reach the bottom of the
ocean.
DR. FEELY replied that this was his research area. He said that
the concentrations for species were to about 50 meters. Below
this depth, the ocean waters circulate more slowly, and changes
are less dramatic, as the majority of anthropogenic carbon
dioxide was in the upper 500 - 1000 meters of the water column.
6:16:56 PM
DR. JEREMY MATHIS, University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF),
Fairbanks, Alaska, testified in support of HJR 10 and reported
on the detrimental effects of acidification, paraphrasing from a
prepared statement:
I have been a Professor of Chemical Oceanography and
the director of the Ocean Acidification Research
Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) for
the past several years. ... It is likely that ocean
acidification will create conditions that will be
detrimental to some marine organisms in the Gulf of
Alaska, the Bering Sea and in the Arctic Ocean within
the next few decades, if not sooner, that will impact
the growth, reproduction, and physiological processes
of many marine organisms. The most direct impacts
will likely be felt by carbonate-forming species, such
as crabs, clams and oysters, but it could also affect
marine plankton that occupy the base of the food webs
that support our pelagic fisheries, like our salmon
... Because of this ocean acidification process, there
will likely be winners and losers in the marine
environment. Some organisms will fill a niche as
others potentially go away. Unfortunately, right now,
we can't say what those ecosystems are gonna look like
in the future. ... The oceans around our state provide
a huge natural resource and a huge benefit to our
economy. ... There is a chance that ocean
acidification will disrupt some of these fisheries
within our lifetime. ... Carbon dioxide that has been
absorbed by the ocean, particularly in the past 100 or
so years, has significantly reduced the surface water
pH making the ocean 30 percent more acidic than it was
at the start of the Industrial Revolution. This
process has accelerated around Alaska because the
carbon dioxide is more soluble in colder waters, and
we also have some unique characteristics in that the
river discharge and the glacial discharge is low in
total alkalinity, which acts as a buffer against
changes in seawater pH. Our coastal oceans are really
sensitive to further reductions in pH and the
concentrations of these carbonate minerals that these
shell building organisms use to construct and maintain
their shells. There is now clear evidence from the
research that myself and others have done over the
past few years that ocean acidification is severe in
Alaska and is likely occurring faster in the higher
latitude regions that it is in more temperate
locations.
He stated that his observational programs in the Gulf of Alaska
reflected that there was already a pH level harmful to shell
building organisms during certain times of year, and his work in
the Bering Sea reflected that this area might be Ground Zero for
the potential economic disruptions from ocean acidification. He
pointed to an expanding region of water at the bottom of the
Bering Sea shelf where the carbonate mineral concentrations were
at a level that could also be harmful to shell building
organisms at certain times of the year. He reported that his
work in the Arctic Ocean reflected that it was experiencing the
fastest rate of change for carbonate mineral concentrations.
This change was a result of increased carbon dioxide, the
accelerated melting of the sea ice, and increased river
discharge into the ocean. He declared that this area would be
the bellwether for the rest of the global oceans. He offered
his belief that it was immediately necessary to make investments
for sound management strategies to keep the fisheries
sustainable as the oceans became more acidic. He listed a need
for increased observations and research, species specific
studies, and specific economic modeling. He stated that UAF had
submitted a capital improvement request of $2.7 million for
expanding ocean acidification research. He pointed out that a
similar program had served as an early warning system for the
coastal regions in Oregon and Washington, and helped save those
shellfish hatcheries. This request would also fund the
development of the economic model for projection of economic
consequences from ocean acidification, and for citizen
monitoring to help collect water samples and make other
measurements for ocean acidification to establish baseline pH
levels.
6:24:19 PM
CHAIR THOMPSON asked if the request for the $2.7 million was in
the governor's budget.
DR. MATHIS replied that efforts were being made to place the
request back in the budget.
CHAIR THOMPSON acknowledged that the Yukon-Kuskokwim fishery was
concerned with acidification in the Bering Sea and its impact on
the food sources for the salmon.
DR. MATHIS offered his belief that the improved observational
network, supported by this funding request, would answer that
question.
6:25:43 PM
RODGER PAINTER, President, Alaskan Shellfish Growers Association
(ASGA), testified in support of HJR 10 and referred to his
letter in support of HJR 10 [Included in members' packets]. He
reported that the Alaskan Shellfish Growers Association (ASGA)
would receive only 40 percent of the necessary oyster spat in
2011, and that the continued losses from these shortages over
the next five years would be about $1.6 million. He stated that
ocean acidification had played a major role in the shortages,
reporting that one of the major oyster producing areas in the
State of Washington was failing due to the acidification from
the changing currents and changing upland warming weather. He
suggested that HJR 10 also be referred to the finance committee,
for support to the monitoring programs in the Bering Sea and
Southeast Alaska. He clarified that the monitors allowed the
shellfish growers to divert when the monitors indicated low pH
waters. He shared that other shellfish operators also had
concerns with ocean acidification.
6:29:41 PM
CHAIR THOMPSON asked if there had been any difference with the
strength of the shells.
MR. PAINTER replied that oysters were no longer bothered by the
low pH once they had transitioned from the free swimming larvae
to a shellfish.
6:30:31 PM
GERALD McCUNE, President, Cordova District Fishermen United
(CDFU), stating that Cordova District Fishermen United supported
HJR 10, said that everything should be done to support research
in this area, as it was important to all of Alaska.
6:31:48 PM
[Public testimony was closed.]
6:32:00 PM
REPRESENTATIVE AUSTERMAN moved to report the proposed committee
substitute (CS) for HJR 10, Version 27-LS0167\M, Nauman,
2/21/12, out of committee with individual recommendations and
the accompanying zero fiscal notes. There being no objection,
CSHJR 10(FSH) was reported from the House Special Committee on
Fisheries.