Ocean Acidification Programmatic and cross agency Ocean Acidification

Ocean Acidification Programmatic and cross agency

Ocean Acidification • Predicted to have a major impact on ocean ecosystems if limited plasticity to increasing acidity • Decreased yields in coastal, mariculture, and oceanic fisheries (>10%) • Potential for multiplicative effects on coastal ecosystems habitats

Ocean Acidification • NZ Government has offered to support initial work to prepare Pacific Communities for adaptations to ocean acidification. • Joint initiative of SPC, USP, SPREP, NIWA, JCU and NOAA.

Ocean Acidification • Proposes to Ocean Acidification Regional Strategy • Provide support for national policy development • Commence adaptations including monitoring. • Provide capacity building opportunities. • ID hotspots.

Fisheries • Expand partnership to FFA, CLS, Max Planck, PITIA, Cornell University • Analyses to assess the impact of acidification on tuna yields • Regional vulnerability analyses • Aquaculture site selection • Establish long-term monitoring sites and adaptation experiments – CC Monitoring sites – Pristine site – Video based monitoring of coastal stocks and habitats

Ho. F 9 • Inform you of the commencement of this work • Advice that USAID is considering further support for this work in the Pacific • Would be useful for Ho. F 9 to provide some guidance on the importance of this work to help USAID with its priorities – “Ho. F 9 considers ocean acidification to be a major threat to the health of the ocean resources of the Pacific and the ability for communities to achieve development objectives. Ho. F 9 encourages work that will assist the Pacific Community with implementing adaptations that will minimise the impact of ocean acidification”