Through MACAN&#8217;s education fellowship and with mentorship from MACAN and the CBNERR, Jennifer will update all five curriculum modules to meet Next Generation Science Standards and outline options for differentiation and assessment.

High School Science Curriculum Development

Expanding the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Acidification Curriculum

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The <a href="http://172.104.214.109/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Mid-Atlantic-Coastal-Acidification-Curriculum.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mid-Atlantic Coastal Acidification Curriculum</a> was developed in partnership with the <a href="https://linktr.ee/cbnerrva" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (CBNERR-VA)</a> in 2021. Through MACAN's education fellowship and with mentorship from MACAN and the <a href="https://linktr.ee/cbnerrva" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBNERR</a>, Jennifer will update all five curriculum modules to meet <a href="https://www.nextgenscience.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Next Generation Science Standards</a> and outline options for differentiation and assessment. As she incorporates teacher feedback from recent Teachers on the Estuary (TOTES) workshops and professional development workshops hosted by the <a href="https://dec.ny.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Department of Environmental Conservation</a>, she will also create 2-3 new lessons focused on data discovery and the biological impacts of OA on bay scallops or other local marine species. Jennifer will present the updated curriculum to high school teachers and informal science at a regional or national marine educator's conference later this year.

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Project

Acidification varies across space and time, which is why MACAN is developing a tool for coastal stakeholders to view how vulnerable a given location is to acidification.

Biological Impacts from Acidification

Acidification varies across space and time, which is why MACAN is developing a tool for coastal stakeholders to interpret the vulnerability to acidification at a given location. This project will create a map layer to display ocean and coastal acidification indicators on the <a href="https://portal.midatlanticocean.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Oceans (MARCO) Ocean Data Portal</a>. This layer will allow viewers to see where acidification may be occurring, and which species are likely to be impacted over time. Stakeholders who want to anticipate, plan for, and adapt to acidification will find this information particularly useful.
At risk locations are locations where carbonate chemistry conditions, including pH, CO2, and saturation state of aragonite or calcite needed by shell-building organisms, are severe enough to impact marine life. We provide publicly available monitoring data, including data from research cruises, moored sensors, and shore-based sampling, to analyze trends in acidification over time and identify locations where conditions surpass the sensitivity levels of local species. As we compile acidification research on sensitivity of Mid-Atlantic estuarine and oceanic species, we are also finding out which species are most important to stakeholders. This has led us to particularly focus on commercially harvested species, plants and animals that create structured habitats, and key species for ecosystem health when defining at risk location.

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Review of experimental research on species responses to acidification has highlighted the differences between estuaries and the open ocean. Estuaries have greater fluctuations than the ocean in acidity and other stressors on daily to seasonal time scales. There is a greater influence of freshwater input, growth of calcifying organisms, and respiration on the carbonate chemistry parameters in estuaries. As a result, estuarine species experience greater fluctuations but may also tolerate more extreme acidification levels than oceanic species. We have also noted the importance of life stage in determining how sensitive a species is and what carbonate chemistry conditions they will be likely to experience.
To account for these factors, we will use location-specific definitions of hotspots and map hotspots on a seasonal and annual basis. The <a href="https://portal.midatlanticocean.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ocean Data Portal</a> map can accommodate this by displaying multiple categories of data at once. When users click on a hotspot, they will be able to view what data sources were used, what sensitive species the hotspot is based on, and more. This will give users a flexible experience in accessing the information that is important to them, while also being transparent as to the location-specific hotspot definitions.

General

MACAN partnered with the OA Alliance to host a workshop in September 2024 that will bring together leaders from state agencies in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Mid-Atlantic State-to-State Workshop

MACAN partnered with the <a href="https://www.oaalliance.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">OA Alliance</a> to host a workshop in September 2024 that brought together leaders from state agencies in the Mid-Atlantic region. To date, Maryland, New York, and New Jersey have been working to draft and implement OA Action Plans per their membership in the <a href="https://www.oaalliance.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">OA Alliance</a>, while Virginia and Delaware continue to participate in MACAN activities. This in-person workshop brought agency representatives from the 5 states together to discuss how regionally-coordinated science and data synthesis can actively support state governments in further advancing priorities and information needs to support implementation of their OA Action Plans. Similar to the <a href="https://westcoastoah.org/westcoastpanel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">OA Alliance's West Coast Acidification and Hypoxia Symposium</a>, MACAN co-hosted this meeting to create a space for states to explore common opportunities and challenges related to:
<ul>
	<li>Measuring and communicating impact;</li>
	<li>Designing synthesis and visualization products that support existing management priorities;</li>
	<li>Connecting state water quality data portals within a regional hub;</li>
	<li>Developing indicators;</li>
	<li>Integrating existing policies for climate, nutrients, and stormwater into OA decision-making;</li>
	<li>Evaluating water quality impacts;</li>
	<li>Exploring the role of coastal wetlands/submerged vegetation;</li>
	<li>Identifying sustained sources of funding to support implementation activities, covering topics like assessing risk and vulnerability, monitoring acidification for mitigation, and evaluating blue carbon systems.</li>
</ul>

During her fellowship, Nichole investigated how changes in coastal acidification and marine parameters contributed to the formation of favorable conditions for phytoplankton blooms in the coastal Mid-Atlantic.

Investigating Coastal Acidification

Investigating Coastal Acidification and Marine Parameter Impacts on Coastal Phytoplankton Bloom Dynamics in the Mid-Atlantic

MACAN was coupling satellite chlorophyll data with carbonate chemistry data to investigate coastal acidification's influence on phytoplankton blooms in the Mid-Atlantic Bight. Modeling this data could have helped predict future acidification events based on known relationships between algal blooms, pH and aragonite saturation state.
Check back soon for project updates and links to Mid-Atlantic Ocean Data Portal links.

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OA Project

Monitoring coastal and ocean acidification (COA) at the regional level can help to resolve local spatiotemporal carbonate system variability while honing in on locally important ecosystem, species, and socioeconomic impacts.

Coastal and Ocean Acidification Monitoring Inventory

Monitoring coastal and ocean acidification (COA) at the regional level can help to resolve local spatiotemporal carbonate system variability while honing in on locally important ecosystem, species, and socioeconomic impacts.
In order to better understand coastal and ocean acidification monitoring in the Mid-Atlantic region, MACAN has developed a dataset comprising sampling locations and methodology employed at carbonate system sampling sites across the region. Available on the <a href="https://portal.midatlanticocean.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MARCO Ocean Data Portal</a>, this dataset compiles information about sites where pCO2, pH, Dissolved Inorganic Carbon (DIC), or Total Alkalinity (TA) are measured and is meant to assist in the development of a robust monitoring network in the Mid-Atlantic as per the goals of the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Acidification Network (MACAN) and the <a href="https://www.boem.gov/sites/default/files/environmental-stewardship/Mid-Atlantic-Regional-Planning-Body/Mid-Atlantic-Regional-Ocean-Action-Plan.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mid-Atlantic Regional Ocean Action Plan</a>.
An analysis of the dataset is underway to better understand the breadth of Mid-Atlantic carbonate system sampling and monitoring efforts and to identify regional gaps. GIS spatial analyses will capture where sampling is occurring with respect to key coastal ecosystems, processes that may alter acidification patterns, and socioeconomic vulnerability to COA. Methodology, data quality, and frequency of sampling will also be assessed at each site. These analyses will be conducted at the regional and state level, and detailed in a report and state-specific factsheets.

Analysis

Mid-Atlantic Coastal Acidification Network Coastal and Ocean Acidification Monitoring Inventory

Report prepared by Carly LaRoche, Kirstin Wakefield, and Janet J. Reimer
May, 2024

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mCDR Project

Contact Us

View Macan's 2024-2028 Work plan

If you are interested in learning more about MACAN and the work we do, please sign up for our <a href="https://macan.vercel.app/subscribe/">monthly newsletter</a>. You can also read our <a href="http://172.104.214.109/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/MACAN-5-Year-Workplan-2024-2028.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2024 to 2028 Work Plan</a>.

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About Us

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MACAN’s committed to understanding, predicting, and mitigating the impact of acidification on our oceans and coastal ecosystems.

A collaborative team committed to addressing the pressing environmental issue of coastal acidification in our region.

What is Acidification

Increased atmospheric carbon dioxide drives ocean acidification, lowering pH.

Diverse monitoring addresses complex coastal and estuarine acidification drivers.

Factors such as geography, climate, and human activities vary across different regions, impacting the extent and rate of ocean acidification.

Ocean acidification is driven by excess global carbon dioxide and water pollution from land runoff, and there are ways communities can help.

Species Impact

Converting ocean acidification data into insights about the species living in our water.

Ocean acidification changes water chemistry in ways that can hinder how marine species grow, reproduce, and survive.

Microscopic marine plants that form the base of ocean food webs.

Blue crabs are crucial to Mid-Atlantic ecology and economy.

Gorgonian sea fans and bamboo corals create vital deep-sea habitats.

A diverse group of animals vital to fisheries.

Mid-Atlantic finfish are essential to marine ecosystems and economies alike.

Vital food web organisms with varying responses.

SAV, including eelgrass, provide vital coastal habitat.

Highly complex webs of species that mix in space and time.

News & Events

Webinars

OA Policy and mCDR

Ocean acidification action planning is states coordinating efforts to monitor, mitigate, and build resilience against acidification threats.

Marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) is a technique being investigated to mitigate climate change.

Resources

A wealth of informational resources on estuarine, coastal, and ocean acidification in the Mid-Atlantic.

References on estuarine, coastal, and ocean acidification in the Mid-Atlantic.

Explore our full collection of resources

Explore concise fact sheets and publications for key insights and actionable information.

Access and utilize data resources for in-depth analysis and informed decision-making.

Discover tools and materials designed to support educators in teaching and inspiring students.

Review detailed workshop reports for insights, outcomes, and actionable recommendations.

Visualize key information and data through engaging and easy-to-understand infographics.

Investigating Coastal Acidification

Nichole Ruiz

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