April 10, 2019, by admin

Lauren Bell, a Sitka-based PhD student with the University of California Santa Cruz, is wrapping up an experiment that investigates how ocean acidification and warming may affect the development of Pacific Herring embryos. The study compares the relative growth and health of herring eggs on different substrates, under various temperatures and carbon dioxide levels simulating future projected conditions of Sitka Sound. If more acidic environments impede proper embryo growth, then perhaps kelp or other photosynthesizing substrates could act to help the herring by stabilizing the pH level of water around the eggs.

This work is part of an ongoing suite of surveys and field experiments in Sitka Sound to better understand how local kelp forests look and function through the seasons. This team has many years of research ahead as they investigate the future of local kelp forest ecosystems in the face of global change.