Ocean Science Forum Coming to Woods Hole

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is preparing to host a public forum this Wednesday, Aug. 8, from 6 to 9 p.m., at its . The program, which includes displays, hands-on activities, and a panel discussion and question-and-answer session with WHOI scientists, will cover the important but often overlooked subject of ocean acidification and its effects on ocean life.

In a press release, event organizers said, “Ocean acidification is a global problem that results from the increase of carbon dioxide (CO2) released into the atmosphere primarily from burning fossil fuels. Excess CO2 in the air dissolves in seawater and is converted to corrosive carbonic acid that puts the lives of many marine organisms at risk.”

Scott C. Doney, a senior scientist in the WHOI Marine Chemistry & Geochemistry department, said, “What we do on land—agriculture, fossil fuel combustion and pollution—can have a profound impact on the chemistry of the sea. Human impacts are not isolated to coastal waters. They’re seen around the globe.”

The event, titled “Ocean's Acid Test: Consequences of Rising CO2 Emissions for Life in Our Ocean,” will begin at 6 p.m., with an outdoor science expo, right outside the auditorium. The expo will allow visitors to learn about the subject through hands-on activities and displays intended to explain ocean acidification, and the strategies scientists are using to understand it, and mitigate its impacts.

The panel discussion will run from 7 to 8 p.m. inside the auditorium, and will feature WHOI marine chemists Scott Doney and Sarah Cooley, and biogeochemist Anne Chen. Meanwhile, the expo will continue outside until 9, making for an individualized experience for each visitor. The public forum is free, and open to all.