The Mid-Atlantic is the most densely populated and urbanized region of the United States. Its developed coastal counties drain nutrients and other materials through the region’s rivers, into several major estuarine systems. The broad continental shelf of the Mid-Atlantic undergoes the most extreme annual changes in temperature in the world’s ocean, and these seasonal temperature changes cue a wide range of ecological processes. These dynamics structure shellfish and migratory fish habitats that support economically valuable commercial and recreational fisheries. Present and future generations will be challenged by accelerating global impacts, including rising sea levels, a warming ocean, and estuarine and coastal acidification. Acidification has significant scientific and societal ramifications including the alteration of ocean biogeochemistry, ecological consequences associated with altered ecosystems, and economic losses due to the decreased survival of commercially important organisms. The recently developed Mid-Atlantic Coastal Acidification Network (MACAN) works to develop a better understanding of the processes associated with estuarine, coastal, and ocean acidification, predict the consequences for marine resources, and devise local adaptation strategies that enable communities and industries to better prepare and adapt.

Acidification monitoring efforts in the Mid-Atlantic will be the focus of this first MACAN webinar, which will he held from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Grace Saba will present a short introduction to MACAN, followed by a 20-minute presentation by Janet Reimer on acidification monitoring efforts in Mid-Atlantic coastal shelf waters and a 20-minute presentation by Jeremy Testa on acidification monitoring efforts in our region’s estuaries. The presentations will be followed by a 15-minute Q&A session.

Register at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/98478137910071555