Masters Thesis

Spatial patterns in aragonite saturation for the north central California shelf

Ocean acidification is exacerbated along the California shelf due to the upwelling of deep CO2 rich waters. This process of upwelling is driven by along-shore winds, which vary in strength by season. We present the relationship between along-shore wind and aragonite undersaturation utilizing an empirical formula to determine aragonite saturation from salinity, temperature, and dissolved oxygen. Our models show that stronger along-shore winds are correlated with a higher percentage of the water column undersaturated in aragonite. In addition, pteropod and juvenile krill density decrease in upwelled water which is cold, salty, and low in aragonite. With a predicted increase in along-shore winds, California shelf waters will become more undersaturated in aragonite and lead to a decrease in pteropod and krill density.

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