Dr Kerry Nickols1, Demetra Panos1, Brian Cohn1, Dr. Sarah Traiger3, Dr. Yui Takeshita4, Dr. Rob Dunbar2, Dr. Heidi Hirsh2, David Mucciarone2, Dr. Stephen Monismith2, Dr. Brian Gaylord5, Dr. Kristen Elsmore5
1California State University Northridge, Northridge, United States, 2Stanford University, Palo Alto, United States, 3USGS Alaska Science Center, Juneau, United States, 4Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, United States, 5University of California Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory, Bodega Bay, United States
As oceans become increasingly acidic and hypoxic, policymakers and managers are looking for localized mitigation solutions and adaptation strategies. Submerged aquatic vegetation has the potential to locally ameliorate chemical conditions through uptake of carbon and release of oxygen through photosynthesis. Kelp forests, with their high photosynthetic biomass and rates of production, are one foundation species that might offer this ecosystem service on a scale meaningful for kelp forest inhabitants. We collected extensive measurements of biogeochemistry, hydrodynamics, and kelp attributes at six kelp forests in Central and Southern California in 2018 and 2019 using a combination of moored instrumentation providing continuous measurements, discrete water samples, and SCUBA surveys. Our results suggest that chemical benefits of kelp forests are dependent on the physical context of sites. At sites with high mixing and low upwelling, biogeochemical signals from the kelp canopy can reach the benthos, whereas at sites with high mixing in an upwelling area, no chemical signal from the kelp canopy was detected. In highly stratified areas experiencing upwelling, the largest benefits are restricted to the surface waters near the kelp canopy, where ocean acidification and hypoxia stress is minimal. Interdisciplinary approaches combining physics, biology, and chemistry are required to address these complex issues. While kelp forests in some circumstances may locally ameliorate stressful chemical conditions, the only way we can stop ocean acidification is to stop emitting carbon.
Presentation Slides – Kerry Nickols
Biography:
Dr. Kerry Nickols is an Associate Professor at California State University Northridge. She holds a B.A. in Integrative Biology and Earth and Planetary Science from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of California, Davis. Kerry is an interdisciplinary scientist who integrates ecology and oceanography to study coastal marine ecosystems and climate change. Dr. Nickols is passionate about integrating science into decision-making in California and beyond.
