West Coast Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia Science Panel

The West Coast Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia Science Panel is an interdisciplinary collaboration of 20 esteemed scientists representing California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. The Panel’s core goal is to collaborate with decision makers across the state, regional and federal levels on the complex issues of ocean acidification and hypoxia.

The Panel was convened in 2013 by the California Ocean Science Trust at the request of the California Ocean Protection Council. With expertise in integrating science with management and decision-making, Ocean Science Trust, in collaboration with the Institute for Natural Resources in Oregon, is serving as the link between the science panel and government decision-makers.

The Panel plans to build a new knowledge base from which decision makers may draw to develop more thoughtful management action. The intention is to work with decision makers from the beginning - to better understand the science policy context, spark conversation and innovation across the science policy landscape, and co-produce solutions.

The Panel is exploring innovative solutions to face ocean acidification and hypoxia. For example they are considering the use of existing management levers like marine protected areas (MPAs) protect core ecosystem functions and serve at the vanguard of understanding the role ocean acidification and hypoxia play in marine communities. MPAs provide opportunities to leverage the region’s investment in order to manage for ecosystem resilience in the face of changing ocean chemistry.

The Panel is funded by the California Ocean Protection Council and Department of the Interior, Coastal Impact Assistance Program. Oregon support is being provided by the Oregon Governor’s Office, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Oregon Department of Agriculture, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development, and the Oregon State University Research Office.

Related Organizations:

• California Ocean Protection Council
• Oregon State University