about us

Ocean Acidification is caused by atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) from the burning of fossil fuels and is making seawater more acidified; we call this process “ocean acidification.”

For many years, the ocean has been quietly protecting us by absorbing excess heat and carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by humans. The acceleration of carbon pollution in the last hundred years has far-reaching consequences.

Our ocean is acidifying rapidly, and projections indicate the surface ocean could be 150% more acidified by the end of this century.

Ocean acidification has consequences for the health and survival of our ocean’s vibrant ecosystems and diverse species, as well as the many billions of people who depend on the ocean in large and small ways.

Communities are already experiencing negative impacts of climate-ocean change on marine species and ecosystems around the world.  From fishing to tourism to aquaculture, climate-ocean change is impacting marine jobs, livelihoods, cultural traditions and food security.

A lack of a domestic accounting and response to OA poses a substantial—and currently unmitigated—risk to coastal community resources, well-functioning marine ecosystems, seafood security and sustainable ocean economies.

The OA Alliance helps decision-makers better understand climate-ocean impacts to marine resources and implement actions that increase coastal biodiversity, adaptive capacity, and resiliency.

By integrating ocean acidification actions across mainstream policy, we help governments: take inventory; outline needs and make recommendations; align decisions and investments in the face of climate-ocean change.

The OA Alliance utilizes inclusive processes and excellent facilitation skills to identify the biggest needs of our members when it comes to uses of acidification science, applications of policy and governance and effective communications. 

We are ambitious, proactive, cross-boundary, multi-sectoral and collaborative, understanding that acidification is a global problem with local impacts, requiring unique responses.

The OA Alliance was launched at the 2016 Our Ocean Conference by the four subnational governments of California, Washington, Oregon and British Columbia  in response to the first observed impacts of ocean acidification on oyster hatchery production across the North American West Coast.

These first impacts of ocean acidification necessitated a robust scientific and political response. 

The OA Alliance’s founding “Call to Action” was drafted and agreed to by the original signatories in 2016.

Through the development of OA Action Plans, members are promoting solutions that advance knowledge into local mitigation, adaptation or resilience efforts.

The National OA Action Planning Leadership Circle supports governments in building their OA Action Plans or integrating acidification aspects across mainstream climate and ocean management policies.

We leverage science to government information sharing globally and through regional working groups which are designed to facilitate co-design of needs assessments and policy recommendations that support our members where they are. 

There are multiple United Nations frameworks relevant for addressing climate-ocean change, including responsibilities for mitigation, adaptation and financing to prevent further harms to ecosystems and communities.

The OA Alliance actively engages in the UNFCCC Ocean Climate Dialogue which was established in 2019 to explore needed ocean mitigation and adaptation measures across the UNFCCC and subsidiary bodies or processes. 

The Alliance is a  member within the Community of Action to Implement SDG 14.3 “to minimize and address ocean acidification,” across the UN Sustainable Development Goal 2030 Agenda.

We are also a co-champion implementing partner of the UN Decade of Ocean Science endorsed OA Research for Sustainability Programme (OARS).