A deep dive into climate change

A diver monitors water quality on an ocean acidification resaecrh trip • Photo by Ryan Eckert

Climate change not only threatens the ecological balance of marine life, but also puts our food supply and many livelihoods at risk. Lincoln City Audubon, in partnership with Oregon Coast Community College, is presenting a webinar with Dr. Charlotte Whitefield on Tuesday, April 26 that examines one of climate change’s impacts on ocean water quality, known as ocean acidification and hypoxia. 

Oregon was one of the first places in the world where scientists observed ocean acidification, evidenced by weakened shells in the shellfish growing industry. Low oxygen levels, or hypoxia, compound the problem. Since 2006, Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia, or OAH, has become a central issue in Oregon’s climate and ocean management planning. Responding to the increasing awareness and severity of OAH events, the governor and state legislators have made investments in Oregon’s future by establishing the Oregon OAH Coordinating Council and committing to the Oregon OAH Action Plan.

Whitefield works at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife as the first dedicated OAH staff member, supporting the state’s OAH Council for the past four years. Before coming to ODFW, Whitefield was a NOAA Knauss Fellow in Washington, DC, working for Senator Lisa Murkowski on her Oceans Caucus, Arctic Caucus and ocean acidification initiatives. Whitehead received a master’s degree from University of New England, Maine, and Ph.D. from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, where she studied sea cucumber aquaculture.

The webinar begins at 6:30 pm. For more information, go to lincolncityaudubon.org.