Algal Blooms, High Runoff Levels, Now Acidification Proceeding Apace In Long Island Sound
EDIT
Research on ocean acidification is relatively new, and there has been no long-term monitoring of pH levels in the Long Island Sound, scientists say. Gobler said the pH level of the ocean is normally about 8, or slightly basic. During times of acidification, the pH in Long Island Sound can drop to below 7, he said.
Dwight Gledhill, deputy director of the ocean acidification program at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said his agency has begun focusing on Long Island Sound. "It's only just now starting to emerge on the radar," Gledhill said. "I think our expectation is that Long Island Sound has been undergoing significant changes." What those changes will mean for sea life is still a mystery.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation is not "investigating or monitoring" ocean acidification in the Sound and said the phenomenon was not a public-health issue for shellfisheries. "Although ocean acidification could pose a concern for shellfish in the future with the buildup of carbon dioxide in the oceans, it is not an immediate concern at this time and we are not aware that it has impacted shellfish resources in the Sound," spokeswoman Lori Severino said.
While shellfishing harvests in New York have declined over the decades -- with landings of clams and scallops declining by 99 percent since 1980 -- Gobler said it would be very difficult to say what role ocean acidification has played.
EDIT
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/long-island-sound-becoming-more-acidic-scientists-say-1.9134776