On Thursday, May 10, 2007, MSRC’s Dean and Director, David Conover, spoke before the Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard Subcommittee of the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. Dr. Conover was asked to testify as an expert witness at a hearing on the effects of climate change and ocean acidification on living marine organisms. He was also asked to discuss the resources and tools that will be needed by coastal and ocean resource managers to best prepare for possible changes in marine systems and fisheries.
Dean Conover described how climate change has already begun to affect living marine resources, including fisheries and related habitats, through rising sea temperatures, decreasing oceanic pH, and other mechanisms. “We already see strong evidence of the effects of ocean warming on fish and shellfish along the east coast,” noted Conover.
Conover’s testimony focused on how climate change could lead to changes in species’ distribution and habitat ranges, alterations to food webs, and other population level effects in marine systems. With regard to Long Island Sound, Conover pointed out that “over the last 15 years, nearly all of the cold water species of Long Island Sound have been declining while nearly all of warm water species are increasing.”
The hearing was chaired by US Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and included testimonies from 6 top marine scientists speaking on their different are.as of expertise. Each gave an opening statement and then answered questions from the committee.
“We can not continue to ignore the effect that carbon dioxide has on our oceans… More acidic oceans will threaten the very foundation of our local marine ecosystems…”said Senator Cantwell. After the hearings, Cantwell expressed the importance of including ocean ecosystems in further talks of Congressional climate change legislation. In March, Cantwell introduced legislation, with Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME), to improve long-term ocean observation and monitoring, which would help provide the information needed to track climate change and ocean acidification. The webcast for the hearing can be viewed on the Senate Committee’s website at: http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.AudioVideo
Dean Conover’s complete Senate testimony can be viewed at:
