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COPYRIGHT 2014, NEWSDAY LLC, LONG ISLAND, VOL. 74, NO. 355

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BY JENNIFER BARRIOSjennifer.barrios@newsday.com

Long Island Sound, alreadychoked with nitrogen, mayalso be becoming more acidic— a state that could threatenmarine life.

Scientists are turning theirattention to the phenomenonof ocean acidification — andits potential impact on thehard clams, oysters and othershellfish that make the Soundtheir home.

Acidic water could threatenLong Island’s shellfish popula-tion during the most vulnera-ble stages of their lives —when they are beginning toform shells, said ChristopherGobler, a professor at StonyBrook University’s School ofMarine and Atmospheric Sci-ences who has been studyingthe issue.

“The very earliest stages oflife for all the shellfish com-mercially important to LongIsland are very sensitive toacidification,” Gobler said.“We see high levels of mortali-ty and very poor survivalwhen acidification happens.”

The Sound has been experi-encing summer algal blooms, fedby high levels of nitrogen fromwastewater and runoff from fer-tilizers. Those blooms arethought to feed a chemical pro-cess that ends in increased acidi-

fication, scientists say.

Effects on young shellfishWater becomes acidic at the

nexus of high levels of nitrogenand carbon dioxide, and low lev-els of oxygen — such as whathas been occurring in the Soundin the summer.

High levels of nitrogen,largely emanating from sew-age and septic systems, causealgal blooms to flourish withhigh summer temperatures,Gobler said.

When the algae die, sinkingto the bottom of the Sound,bacteria come in to feed on the

decaying mass.The bacteria breathe, emit-

ting carbon dioxide into thewater — adding to the carbondioxide from the atmospherethat already is absorbed by theocean.

The carbon dioxide reactswith seawater to form carbon-ic acid. That compound, unsta-ble in seawater, then breaksapart, releasing hydrogen ionsthat seek out and dissolve calci-um carbonate — the very com-pound that larval shellfish useto build their shells as theygrow in the summer months.

While adult shellfish seemto be able to survive acidic wa-ters, it appears shellfish intheir earliest, most vulnerablestages of life cannot, accordingto Gobler’s research.

“What it looks like is theadults can handle it,” he said.

Even the smaller individualscan handle it. But these first-born new shellfish can’t han-dle it.”

Fin fish, too, appear to besensitive to acidic waters, al-though it’s too early to say forcertain, he said.

“That’s a new tip of the ice-berg,” Gobler said.

Research still developingResearch on ocean acidifica-

tion is relatively new, andthere has been no long-termmonitoring of pH levels in theLong Island Sound, scientistssay.

Gobler said the pH level ofthe ocean is normally about 8,or slightly basic. During timesof acidification, the pH inLong Island Sound can dropto below 7, he said.

Dwight Gledhill, deputy di-

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TOP STORIES

SHELLFISHFACE RISK 1 High levels of

nitrogen inLong Island

Sound, largelyemanating fromsewage and septicsystems, causealgal blooms.

2When thealgae die,sinking to the

bottom of theSound, bacteriacome in to feed onthe decayingmass.

3 The bacteriabreathe,emitting

carbon dioxideinto the water —adding to thecarbon dioxidefrom theatmosphere thatalready isabsorbed by theocean.

4 The carbondioxidebreaks

apart, releasinghydrogen ions thatseek out anddissolve calciumcarbonate — thevery compoundthat larval shellfishuse to build theirshells.

Christopher Gobler, ofStony Brook University’sSchool of Marine andAtmospheric Sciences,conducts research inSouthampton using a CTDdevice, which measures pHlevels in depths of water.

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Acidic watera new threatto oystersand clamsin LI Sound

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rector of the ocean acidifica-tion program at the NationalOceanic and Atmospheric Ad-ministration, said his agencyhas begun focusing on Long Is-land Sound.

“It’s only just now starting toemerge on the radar,” Gledhillsaid. “I think our expectation isthat Long Island Sound hasbeen undergoing significantchanges.”

What those changes willmean for sea life is still a mys-tery.

The state Department of En-vironmental Conservation isnot “investigating or monitor-

ing” ocean acidification in theSound and said the phenome-non was not a public-healthissue for shellfisheries.

“Although ocean acidifica-tion could pose a concern forshellfish in the future with thebuildup of carbon dioxide inthe oceans, it is not an immedi-ate concern at this time and weare not aware that it has im-pacted shellfish resources inthe Sound,” spokeswoman LoriSeverino said.

While shellfishing harvestsin New York have declinedover the decades — with land-ings of clams and scallops de-clining by 99 percent since1980 — Gobler said it would bevery difficult to say what roleocean acidification has played.

“Our feeling is over the lastcouple of decades, these num-bers have declined and it

would be interesting to know ifit’s associated with this pHquestion,” said Bob Rheault, ex-ecutive director of the EastCoast Shellfish Growers Asso-ciation. “It certainly wouldmake sense, but it could be adozen other things.”

‘Reaching a tipping point?’Dianna Padilla, a professor

at Stony Brook’s Departmentof Ecology and Evolution whois also affiliated with theSchool of Marine and Atmo-spheric Sciences, said wide-spread oyster die-offs becauseof ocean acidification havebeen seen in other areas, suchas in the Pacific Northwest.But those die-offs haven’t oc-curred in the Sound.

“We still have clams, we stillhave oysters, we still havesnails,” she said. “They’re still

there. The question is, are theybeing stressed more and moreand more? And are we reach-ing a tipping point?”

The Sound has always expe-rienced fluctuations in pH lev-els, and the marine life in thearea appears to have adaptedto those fluctuations, Padillasaid.

No one knows whetherthose fluctuations have in-creased over time — and ifthey have increased, what theeffects will be, she said.

“This is one of the reallyscary things about ocean acidi-fication — it’s continuing tochange,” Padilla said. “So evenif there isn’t an immediate, hor-rible problem now, thatdoesn’t mean we’re not on thebrink of a problem. And itdoesn’t mean everything’sOK.”

HOWSEA LIFE

MAY BE INDANGER

Scientists are still studyingifocean acidification hasaffected New York’scontinuingdecline inlandings of scallops andfresh clams, shown above,harvested from Oyster Bayand Bayville waters.

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TOP STORIES

1 High levels ofnitrogen inLong Island

Sound, largelyemanating fromsewage and septicsystems, causealgal blooms.

2When thealgae die,sinking to the

bottom of theSound, bacteriacome in to feed onthe decayingmass.

3 The bacteriabreathe,emitting

carbon dioxideinto the water —adding to thecarbon dioxidefrom theatmosphere thatalready isabsorbed by theocean.

4 The carbondioxidebreaks

apart, releasinghydrogen ions thatseek out anddissolve calciumcarbonate — thevery compoundthat larval shellfishuse to build theirshells.

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