Raising Awareness of Ocean Acidification through Aquarium Education
Raising Awareness of Ocean Acidification through Aquarium Education
Ocean Action Club
North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores
1 Roosevelt Boulevard
Pine Knoll Shores, NC 28512
February 16, 2013
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Raising Awareness of Ocean Acidification through Aquarium Education
Introduction
Ocean acidification is an emerging issue for our seas and the animals who inhabit them. As carbon
dioxide (CO₂) is released into our atmosphere, the ocean acts like a sink, absorbing the extra carbon
dioxide. It is estimated that approximately one-third of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is absorbed
by the ocean, making it the largest carbon sink on the planet (National Research Council, 2011).
Absorbing carbon dioxide changes the chemistry of the ocean, lowering the pH and making it more
acidic. Some models predict that mean seawater pH levels could decrease from 8.1 to 7.7 by the year
2100 (IPCC, 2007). However, the overall lowering of pH levels may not be the problem so much as the
rate of acidification; current increases in atmospheric CO₂ are 30 times faster than natural rates in the
geological past (Kump, Bralower, & Ridgwell, 2009). People are just beginning to understand ocean
acidification and there is still much we do not know, but scientific studies have shown that animals
respond differently to the increase of carbon in their environment. Mollusks, tropical corals, and
foraminifera have all responded poorly to increased CO₂, while algae and sea grasses have actually
thrived under these conditions (Doney, Balch, Fabry, & Feely, 2009). Ocean acidification will change the
current biodiversity of our ocean, increasing the abundance of some species while diminishing others.
This shift in biodiversity could dramatically impact the marine food web at all levels including the
seafood industry. The seafood industry is the second largest industry in North Carolina with an average
annual catch of 68.8 million pounds of finfish and shellfish (NCDENR, 2012). Furthermore, the top two
species caught in North Carolina, blue crabs and shrimp, are shell-building animals that may be affected
by ocean acidification (NCDENR, 2012). Ocean acidification has the potential to affect many North
Carolinians, but it can also have far-reaching global impacts. More people worldwide obtain their
animal protein from seafood than any other source (Safina, 2002-2003).
While ocean acidification could have widespread effects on the ocean, the animals who inhabit it and
the people who rely on it, there is little or no awareness of this issue in the general public. A recent
study done by The Ocean Project (2012) found that the general public’s awareness of ocean acidification
is very low, with only a slight increase in awareness among zoo and aquarium visitors. Since many
visitors to the aquarium already have a keen interest in marine issues, this would be a key audience to
work with on raising ocean acidification awareness. The Ocean Action Club will promote an increased
awareness of ocean acidification among general visitors to the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll
Shores by creating an educational activity or short program to be used in the galleries.
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Raising Awareness of Ocean Acidification through Aquarium Education
Methods
Audience
The audience chosen for this project is the general public at the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll
Shores (NCAPKS). While this aquarium is located on the central coast of the state, it attracts visitors
from all over North Carolina as well as tourists from other parts of the country. Since visitors to the
aquarium have at least an interest in marine life, this audience is perfectly suited to learn about an issue
which could impact that life.
Evaluation Tool
The members of the Ocean Action Club created a short survey (Appendix A) to gather data on ocean
acidification awareness among aquarium visitors. Visitors will be chosen at random from the aquarium
and interviewed in person. The results of this survey will act as a guide for the creation of a program or
activity focusing on ocean acidification.
Action
Once the data from the surveys is collected and analyzed, the Ocean Action Club will produce an
educational experience for visitors to the aquarium explaining ocean acidification. This educational
experience will take the form of a short program, activity or demonstration that can be utilized in the
public areas of the aquarium, especially near the marine invertebrate touch tank or the shell cart. Since
the audience we chose to focus on is a non-captive one, this opportunity needs to be informative,
interesting and brief.
Timeline
The Ocean Action Club will interview aquarium visitors in late February and early March. Data should be
analyzed by the end of March and the educational opportunity should be in place by the beginning of
the summer season. This will take advantage of the increase in visitation to the aquarium once schools
are out for the summer.
Other Awareness Opportunities
Besides the educational experience that will be created for aquarium visitors, the Ocean Action Club will
be participating in other events to raise awareness of ocean acidification. On June 8, 2013 club
members will set up a booth for the World Oceans Day event at NCAPKS. The Ocean Action Club will
present its findings on ocean acidification awareness at this event while also engaging the public in the
issue. Furthermore, the club will also participate in the aquarium’s annual Homeschool Day event on
September 13, 2013. This will give club members an opportunity to engage their peers in the issue of
ocean acidification.
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Raising Awareness of Ocean Acidification through Aquarium Education
Conclusion
The ocean is becoming more acidic and people need to be aware of this issue. It is clear that many
animals will have different reactions to ocean acidification; therefore, these changes will affect the
marine food web in different ways (Doney, Fabry, Feely & Kleypas, 2009). Changes in the marine food
web could dramatically affect people who rely on seafood as a protein source as well as those people
who make their living in the fishing industry. While we hear about climate change in the media, nothing
is reported about ocean acidification—which is frequently called “the other CO₂ problem”. Creating an
aquarium educational experience on this topic would alleviate the lack of information the general public
has about this issue. Furthermore, the general public looks to zoos and aquariums as their most trusted
sources of information second only to scientists (Luebke, Clayton, Saunders, Matiasek, Kelly & Grajal,
2012). People may be willing to take action and change their behavior regarding ocean acidification, but
they have to be aware of the problem first. If people are part of the problem, they can be part of the
solution and knowledge is the first step to that solution.
References
Doney, S.C., Balch, W.M., Fabry, V.J., and Feely, R.A. (2009). Ocean acidification: A critical emerging
problem for the ocean sciences. Oceanography, 22(4), 16-25.
Doney, S.C., Fabry, V.J., Feely, R.A., and Kleypas, J.A. (2009). Ocean acidification: The other CO₂
problem. Annual Review of Marine Science, 1, 169-192.
IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) (2007). Climate change 2007: The physical science
basis. In Solomon, S., Qin, D., Manning, M., Chen, Z., and others (eds) Contribution of Working
Group 1 to the 4th assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.
Kump, L.R., Bralower, T.J., and Ridgwell, A. (2009). Ocean acidification in deep time. Oceanography,
22(4), 94-107.
Luebke, J.F., Clayton, S., Saunders, C.D., Matiasek, J., Kelly, L.-A. D., & Grajal, A. (2012).
Global climate change as seen by zoo and aquarium visitors. Brookfield, IL: Chicago
Zoological Society.
National Research Council (2011). Ocean acidification: Starting with the science. Washington, DC: The
National Academy of Sciences.
NCDENR (North Carolina Department of the Environment and Natural Resources) (2012). Preliminary
results of the 2011 commercial landings. Fish Dealer Report. Retrieved from
http://portal.ncdenr.org/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=8fb0bc51-6d0d-4ab4-9e95dfd99c13a108&groupId=38337
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Raising Awareness of Ocean Acidification through Aquarium Education
The Ocean Project (2012). Summer 2012 special report: Public awareness of ocean acidification.
America and the Ocean. Retrieved from http://theoceanproject.org/communicationresources/market-research/reports/
Safina, C. (2002-2003). Launching a sea ethic. Wild Earth. Retrieved from:
http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~cses/csessite/restricted/EreadDocs/launchingseaethic.pdf
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Raising Awareness of Ocean Acidification through Aquarium Education
Appendix A
A survey to gauge awareness of ocean acidification among general visitors to the North Carolina
Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Age: ______________
Gender: female_____
male_____
Are you a resident in the area?_________
If no, where are you visiting from?___________
Please rate your awareness of ocean acidification by circling a number on the scale below.
1=Not at all aware; 10=Very aware of ocean acidification
1
Not at all aware
2
3
4
5
6
7
I have heard of the issue
6
8
9
10
Very aware of ocean acidification