The New York State Ocean Acidification Task Force (OATF) has released its Final Report, Ocean Acidification: Its Causes, Impacts, and Mitigation; A Report to the New York State Legislature. Ocean acidification (OA) is a major threat to our ocean’s health and an acidifying ocean brings with it threats to marine life and the services that the ocean provides.
In 2016, the New York State Legislature established the OATF to identify the causes and factors contributing to ocean acidification and evaluate ways of addressing the problem by applying the best available science. The members of this OATF are governmental, academic, and private sector stakeholders.
In July of 2023, the OATF released a draft report which allowed for public comment. Those public comments were utilized in the development of the final report which was released in December 2023.
Recommendations in this final report are intended to reduce the impact of OA in the coastal waters of New York, while supporting global and national goals for reducing factors contributing to global carbon emissions, climate change, and ocean acidification.
Find more information, including information on New York’s Ocean Action Plan, on DEC’s website.
Photo of North Atlantic Right Whale courtesy DEC.
