What is upwelling and why is it important

Ocean acidification refers to the process by which atmospheric carbon dioxide is dissolved into the ocean, causing the ocean to increase in acidity. Recall from above that one characteristic of upwelled water is that it is more acidic than the surface water it replaces.

Therefore, populations of organisms that have evolved in ecosystems that experience consistent upwelling, such as Bodega Bay, have been historically exposed to waters that are more acidic than populations in ecosystems where upwelling is weak or absent. This raises the question of whether populations from regions with stronger upwelling have evolved differences in their tolerance to acidity and, if so, will populations from these regions be more or less successful in the face of ocean acidification?

Research is currently being done to answer these questions by Dr. His work studying red abalone populations has shown that red abalone from strong upwelling populations northern California are more tolerant of acidic waters than those from weaker upwelling populations southern California , an important finding that may help the abalone aquaculture industry to stock these abalone culture facilities elsewhere with more resilient breeding adults.

Many coastal species, both vertebrates such as fish and invertebrates such as crabs, begin life by hatching out from an egg and going through a larval stage in which they are very tiny and vulnerable to being transported away from suitable habitats via water movements.

The Morgan Lab has been focused on understanding how the movement of surface water due to coastal upwelling influences the larval distribution patterns of different coastal species. Graduate student Veronica Vriesman in the Ocean Climate Lab has combined biological and geological research techniques to investigate the effects of coastal upwelling on mussel shell growth. Veronica compares patterns in mussel shell structure over the last few decades to understand the effects of upwelling on how adaptable mussels are to their changing environments.

These past projects provided crucial information such as the effects that too much wind, interrupted wind, and more have on the process of upwelling. Now, BML is home to the Bodega Ocean Observing Node BOON that constantly monitors coastal conditions associated with upwelling such as seawater temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, phytoplankton chlorophyll, wind speed and direction, sea currents and waves, and more.

These data are vastly important because they allow researchers to track upwelling over time and study how these coastal conditions affect the organisms and communities as a whole on the northern California coastline.

Although coastal upwelling regions account for only one percent of the ocean surface, they contribute roughly 50 percent of the world's fisheries landings. Upwelling can also play an important role in the movement of marine animals. Most marine fish and invertebrates produce microscopic larvae which, depending on the species, may drift in the water for weeks or months as they develop.

For adult marine creatures that live in shallow waters nearshore, upwelling that moves surface water offshore can potentially move drifting larvae long distances away from their natural habitat, thus reducing chances for survival. In some ways, upwelling can be a mixed blessing to coastal ecosystems.

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