Cal Poly Pier Ocean Observing: Acidification and Hypoxia in the Environment of California and Beyond

Cal Poly’s Strategic Research Initiative supported the purchasing and deployment of a SeapHOx pH and O2 sensor at the Cal Poly Pier. The data will monitor seasonal and long-term ocean acidification and climate change associated oxygen depletion, and will be available to the entire Cal Poly community and the public for use. Image from left to right: Alexis Pasulka (Biological Oceanographer), Ryan Walter (Physical Oceanographer), and Emily Bockmon (Chemical Oceanographer

Climate variations may impact the base of the food web along the California coast

Undergraduate student Alex Barth publishes a study in Marine Ecology Progress Series entitled “Seasonal and interannual variability of phytoplankton abundance and community composition on the Central Coast of California“. This work may provide a glimpse into the future and a clue as to how the base of the food web and the prevalence of harmful algal blooms might respond to climate change-driven ocean warming. Funding provided by Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System as part of the California Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring and Alert Program.