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    • Biological response of eelgrass epifauna, Taylor’s Sea hare (Phyllaplysia taylori) and eelgrass isopod (Idotea resecata), to elevated ocean alkalinity from 2023-07-24 to 2023-09-29 (NCEI Accession 0302063)

    Metadata Updated: March 1, 2026

    Marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) approaches are under development to mitigate the effects of climate change by sequestering carbon in stable reservoirs, with potential co-benefits of local reduction of coastal acidification impacts. One such method is ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE). A specific OAE method is the generation of aqueous alkalinity via electrochemistry to enhance the alkalinity of the receiving water by the extraction of acid from seawater, thereby avoiding issues of solid dissolution kinetics and the release of impurities into the ocean from alkaline minerals. While electrochemical acid extraction is a promising method for increasing the carbon dioxide sequestration potential of the ocean, the biological effects of increasing seawater alkalinity and pH within an OAE project site are relatively unknown. This study aims to address this knowledge gap by testing the effects of increased pH and alkalinity, delivered in the form of aqueous NaOH, on two eelgrass epifauna in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, Taylor’s sea hare (Phyllaplysia taylori) and eelgrass isopod (Idotea resecata), chosen for their ecological importance as salmon prey and for their roles in eelgrass ecosystems. Four-day experiments were conducted in closed bottles to allow measurements of the evolution of carbonate species throughout the experiment with water refreshed twice daily to maintain elevated pH, across pHNBS treatments ranging from 7.8 to 9.3. Sea hares experienced mortality in all pH treatments, ranging from 37% mortality at pHNBS 7.8 to 100% mortality at pHNBS 9.3. Isopods experienced lower mortality rates in all treatment groups, ranging from 13% at pHNBS 7.8 to 21% at pHNBS 9.3, which did not significantly increase with higher pH treatments. These experiments represent an extreme of constant exposure to elevated pH and alkalinity, which should be considered in the context of both the natural variation and the dilution of alkalinity experienced by marine communities across an OAE project site. Different invertebrate species will likely have different responses to increased pH and alkalinity, depending on their physiological vulnerabilities. Investigation of the potential vulnerabilities of local marine species will help inform the decision-making process regarding mCDR planning and permitting.

    Access & Use Information

    License: No license information was provided. If this work was prepared by an officer or employee of the United States government as part of that person's official duties it is considered a U.S. Government Work.

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    Dates

    Metadata Date 2025-12-12T13:12:56Z
    Metadata Created Date March 1, 2025
    Metadata Updated Date March 1, 2026
    Reference Date(s) March 5, 2025 (publication), February 25, 2025 (creation)
    Frequency Of Update asNeeded

    Metadata Source

    Harvested from NOAA/NESDIS/ncei/accessions

    Other Data Resources

    Graphic Preview

    Preview graphic

    Additional Metadata

    Resource Type Nongeographicdataset
    Metadata Date 2025-12-12T13:12:56Z
    Metadata Created Date March 1, 2025
    Metadata Updated Date March 1, 2026
    Reference Date(s) March 5, 2025 (publication), February 25, 2025 (creation)
    Responsible Party (Point of Contact)
    Contact Email
    Guid gov.noaa.nodc:0302063
    Access Constraints Cite as: Jones, Kristin M.; Hemery, Lenaïg G.; Ward, Nicholas D.; Regier, Peter J.; Ringham, Mallory; Eisaman, Matthew D. (2025). Biological response of eelgrass epifauna, Taylor’s Sea hare (Phyllaplysia taylori) and eelgrass isopod (Idotea resecata), to elevated ocean alkalinity from 2023-07-24 to 2023-09-29 (NCEI Accession 0302063). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.25921/53s1-h309. Accessed [date]., Use liability: NOAA and NCEI cannot provide any warranty as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of furnished data. Users assume responsibility to determine the usability of these data. The user is responsible for the results of any application of this data for other than its intended purpose.
    Bbox East Long -123.04484
    Bbox North Lat 48.07917
    Bbox South Lat 48.07917
    Bbox West Long -123.04484
    Coupled Resource
    Frequency Of Update asNeeded
    Graphic Preview Description Preview graphic
    Graphic Preview File https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/metadata/landing-page/bin/gfx?id=gov.noaa.nodc:0302063
    Graphic Preview Type PNG
    Harvest Object Id 04870f39-812e-4329-b4e0-baaa4517ffe4
    Harvest Source Id c084a438-6f6b-470d-93e0-16aeddb9f513
    Harvest Source Title NOAA/NESDIS/ncei/accessions
    Licence accessLevel: Public
    Lineage
    Metadata Language eng
    Metadata Type geospatial
    Old Spatial {"type": "Point", "coordinates": [-123.04484, 48.07917]}
    Progress completed
    Spatial Data Service Type
    Spatial Reference System
    Spatial Harvester True
    Temporal Extent Begin 2023-07-24
    Temporal Extent End 2023-09-29

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