The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has awarded Oregon State University and its research partners $4.2 million to investigate how multiple climate change-related stressors are impacting marine ecosystems off the coast of Oregon, Washington and Northern California.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has awarded Oregon State University and its research partners $4.2 million to investigate how multiple climate change-related stressors are impacting marine ecosystems off the coast of Oregon, Washington and Northern California.
The researchers will focus on two key species: Dungeness crab, which plays a significant economic and cultural role in Indigenous and other coastal communities and is considered the most valuable single-species fishery in Oregon; and krill, which are tiny crustaceans that play a critical role in the ocean’s food web and serve as a bellwether for ocean health.
Both species are facing threats from multiple stressors, including ocean acidification; low oxygen conditions, also known as hypoxia; marine heatwaves; increasing ocean temperatures; and harmful algal blooms.
Read More: Oregon State University
Dungeness crab in pot. (Photo Credit: Pat Kight, Oregon Sea Grant.)
