Widening Gyre of Ocean Challenges

By Alastair Bland

Last year, researches working with SF State’s Estuary and Ocean Science Center installed an array of instruments to track underwater parameters. John Largier, a UC Davis professor of oceanography, says he expects clear trends and patterns indicative of warming and acidifying waters to become apparent in the data in about a decade. With nations making painfully slow progress in reducing their emissions of greenhouse gases, Largier thinks local efforts to boost the resiliency of the Bay ecosystem could be especially powerful. While locally oriented actions to slow acidification may be more achievable, global ones may carry more weight, and both approaches are critical. “Globally reducing emissions and taking localized action such as restoring marine vegetation are not mutually exclusive,” writes Deborah Halberstadt with the Ocean Protection Council. “They must both be prioritized and performed simultaneously.” A winter report on ocean policy from the Renewable Natural Resources Foundation explores these an other global marine issues, including wind energy and seabed mining.

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About the author

A resident of Sonoma County, Alastair Bland is a freelance journalist who writes about water policy in California, rivers and salmon, marine conservation, and climate change. His work has appeared at CalMatters, NPR.org, Smithsonian.com, Yale Environment 360, and the East Bay Express, among many other outlets. When he isn't writing, Alastair can often be found riding a bicycle, pulling weeds from his garden, and holding his breath underwater.